Liza Ly: Please introduce yourself and describe your literary work and career path.
Jenny Liao: My name is Jenny Liao, and I’m a writer focused on food, family, and Asian American identity. My work has been featured in Bon Appétit and The New Yorker. I’m the author of the children’s books With You in Spirit, Everyone Loves Lunchtime but Zia, and Everyone Loves Career Day but Zia.
I started my career working as an advertising strategist, identifying consumer behaviors and helping brands reach customers in new and relevant ways. Storytelling was a core responsibility in my role, and after a decade of building a career in advertising, I shifted from identifying brand motivations to character motivations. Relatable stories that find joy and laughter through pain is a focus of my writing.
My children’s book journey began when a 2018 report by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center confirmed that there were more children’s books about animal characters than Asian and Pacific Islander characters. After that, I set out to increase Asian representation in children’s literature.
LL: How does your personal identity influence your writing and readership diversity?
JL: My personal identity is deeply embedded throughout all of my work as a female Chinese American child of immigrants who was born and raised in New York City. Growing up, I didn’t see myself reflected in the books and magazines I read, or the TV and movies I watched. It had a profound effect on the way I felt about my place in the world, like I was somehow less than, which I now know wasn’t true. I find that when my writing is hyper-specific to my lived experiences, it ends up resonating with a broader audience because the underlying emotions and themes are universal.
LL: Who are five authors we should be reading and why?
JL: Nicole Chen – her book How We Say I Love You is a beautiful tribute to all the ways a family shows love through actions rather than words, which is common in many cultures around the world.
Sana Rafi – Little Seeds of Promise tells a tender story of the uncertainty, bravery, and resilience surrounding the emotional experience of building a life in a new place.
Belen Medina – Daughter of the Lightfooted People is a stunning book about an indigenous Mexican marathon champion who succeeds through perseverance.
Kaylin Melia George – Aloha Everything brings readers on a poetic exploration of Hawaiian history and identity through lyrical writing and gorgeous illustration.
For a departure from children’s literature, I will forever worship Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko. It’s an epic masterpiece that follows the hopes and dreams of a Korean family across generations. It’s tender, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s my North Star when it comes to writing.
LL: What inspired you to write about the Qing Ming Festival in With You in Spirit?
JL: I was inspired to write With You in Spirit on a day when I was particularly missing my grandparents. Qing Ming is one of my favorite holidays because it’s a chance to reunite with them at the cemetery. I usually bring my grandmother a bag of cheese puffs and my grandfather a McDonald’s Filet o’ Fish, which they loved eating when I was younger.
I wanted to write a story that represents grief in a different light, one that focuses on celebrating and maintaining meaningful ties to loved ones who came before us. My hope is for this story to help kids and adults find joy in remembering loved ones.
LL: What is your process for selecting an illustrator, such as Lenny Wen?
JL: When it comes to illustration, I love whimsy, magic, and emotion. I came across Lenny’s previous artwork and instantly fell in love with her style. I talked to my editor, and they worked to see if Lenny would be available, and luckily, she agreed to work with us. For With You in Spirit, Lenny is a dream collaborator. Her work is ethereal and painterly. She captured the essence of the story and the spirit of Yeh Yeh perfectly.
LL: Are the memories of Yeh Yeh in your book semi-autobiographical?
JL: The memories of Yeh Yeh are a combination of my memories, along with collections of stories I’ve come across from a multitude of places. One memory I pulled directly from my relationship with my grandfather is the calligraphy lessons. This was one of my favorite activities with him.
LL: As an interviewee for APALA librarians, what are your thoughts on the role of libraries in building diverse communities?
JL: Libraries are the heartbeat of diverse communities. I would beg my grandmother to bring me to the library when I was younger. The library is an information hub, an imagination station, a launchpad that takes kids and adults anywhere they want to go. Libraries grant access to knowledge, entertainment, and exploration, all for free, which is critical for immigrant communities that are often underserved and underfunded.
LL: What advice would you give young professionals from diverse backgrounds interested in writing?
JL: The hardest part of writing is getting started on the page. Start writing (or typing) and see where it takes you. Write often, write even when you think you have nothing to say, write when no one asks you to. Keep writing, keep submitting to places you want to be published in, don’t stop at the first or the five-hundredth no.
LL: Will we see more of Zia in the future?
JL: You might! There are so many other situations that everyone seems to love, but for some reason, Zia does not (at first), and it would be fun writing about them.
LL: Are there any future projects you would like to share?
JL: I am very slowly chipping away at an adult contemporary fiction dramedy novel centered around a strained mother-daughter relationship. More to come, hopefully soon!
LL: We love to include pictures and social media handles to help our readers get to know you and stay connected. Please include any pictures and social media accounts you’d like to share with our readers
Jenny Liao | writer
jeliao.com | @jeliao
Check out my picture books
With you in spirit
Everyone loves lunchtime but Zia
Everyone loves career day but Zia
Editing assistance provided by Emily Espanol. Read Liza Ly’s review of Jenny Liao’s book With You in Spirit on APALAweb.org.