Let's stop reflexively comparing Chinese writers to Chinese writers, Indian writers to Indian writers, black writers to black writers. Let's focus on the writing itself: the characters, the language, the narrative style.
Celeste NgRead
Short fiction and the novel, nonfiction and fiction, electronic texts and books - these are not opposites. One need not destroy the other to survive.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Different genres of writing can coexist and complement each other without competition.
In this quote, Celeste Ng emphasizes the idea that various forms of writing, such as fiction and nonfiction, as well as traditional books and electronic texts, are not opposing forces but can coexist harmoniously. She suggests that the existence of one genre does not negate the value or survival of another; instead, they can enrich the literary landscape together, showcasing the diversity and richness of storytelling.
Themes
FictionNonfictionLiteratureBooksTextsWriting
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used during a panel discussion on the future of literature and digital media.
More from Celeste Ng
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For me, any story I tackle begins with the human relationships and not the plot.
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It's so easy, as a writer, to get stuck in your own head, to live in the little worlds you create. To forget that there are people out there reading your work, people who may be deeply affected by what you do, that you are writing not just for yourself, but for them.
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What I remember about race relations in the 1990s is that you showed your awareness by saying you didn't see race, that you were colour-blind.
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In fiction you're not often writing about the typical; you are interested in outliers, the points of interest. Part of it comes from feeling I was the only Asian or person of colour... another part comes from my personality: I'm an introvert, and my usual survival mode in a large group is to stand by a wall and watch everybody.
Celeste NgRead
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