- Serica Initiative
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Missed this event? The full recording is up on our Youtube now! Click the link here or watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaTS5jjzwik
On September 30, in partnership with the Stanford Asian Pacific American Alumni Club (SAPAAC), Serica was proud to host two acclaimed authors for Serica Storytellers: Omar El Akkad and Yiming Ma, discussing the release of Ma’s debut novel, These Memories Do Not Belong to Us. Hosted over Zoom webinar and welcoming guests from coast to coast, here are some highlights from the conversation between Ma and El Akkkad on Ma’s exciting new novel!
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is set in a world where memories are bought and sold, and where a reimagined version of China (the Qin Empire) has taken over. The book, imagined as a “constellation novel”, is composed of and divided into 11 banned memories across an extended timeline of the war and its aftermath.
“But as the world was locking down, I had this thought that was originally comforting. And that was, you know, at least we had our memories…Then a few days later, I had the thought, what if our memories weren’t even safe?”
Ma recounted the genesis of his novel and how it came to life during the pandemic as he reflected on the idea of memories and identity. He later learned from his partner, a researcher, that everyone experiences memories in radically different ways. This idea eventually served as a "container" for his stories, framing each of the 11 stories in the novel as a memory.
Ma highlighted a few key themes from his novel and the journey of releasing his novel:
Survival Mindset
For both the characters in the novel and for Ma himself and his upbringing as a second-generation immigrant, the idea of a survival mindset permeated through their actions.
"For many characters, they don’t think about overthrowing as the default," Ma said. "Rather, they’re reluctant to confront it. The force for resistance seems so big, the world seems like it cannot change. How do you survive in that world?"
Ma related this survival mindset to his experience working in business and tech—those working in that world are constantly racing to incorporate new technology (e.g. AI) and grappling for the survival of the company in a capitalist system. In contrast, those in the literary community, which Ma later gained experience in, often interrogate the morality of new technologies but don't necessarily understand or experience the survival mindset that accompanies new technology.
Experiencing Identity
For Ma, growing up as a second-generation immigrant, working in business was expected—it was "[his] duty to figure out where [he] fit in." Later, as he entered the literary world, pursuing an MFA and publishing his debut novel, he encountered another issue to grapple with: identity.
“As I was going through the promotion process, every single outlet, or publisher, or anyone in the media would always be curious where I was based…or what identity I took on," Ma said. "And I don’t quite fit into them.”
As a Chinese-Canadian author born in Toronto, who worked in China, and spent one-third of his life and 2 graduate degrees in the United States, Ma recounted: “I don’t quite fit in any of those because I’ve been in all of them.”
For Ma, experiencing those differences allowed him to create the 11 different stories and memories across a deconstructed timeline. However, he recounted the dissonance he experienced while publishing his novel. Initially a personal project, a solo endeavor of his writing, his identity advanced the creation of his novel. Later, it unexpectedly became a concerted effort, as both him and the book were processed into a marketable product for publication.
Exciting news: our NEW Serica Storytellers website has launched now!!
