I came across Sienna’s profile on Douban during the pandemic. After reading a few of her publications—writings that rest uneasily between poetry and fiction—I became a fan. Sienna’s writing resists categorization. Ghostly, lyrical, precise, it carries an unearthly charm only to be found in experimental titles from indie publishers. Fittingly, Sienna is a devoted fan of independent literature, beginning with Fitzcarraldo.
Last year, Sienna published her first novel, Food Porn, with Game Over, a Boston-based literary publisher. Her first book-length essay, Specimen, is set to be released by Split Lip Press. Here’s my conversation with Sienna about Food Porn, the campus novel, ghostly romantic relationships, and autofiction. I hope you’ll enjoy it.
Sienna Liu is a writer and literary translator living in New York City. She is the author of Specimen (Split/Lip Press, forthcoming in 2025) and Square (Black Sunflowers Poetry Press, 2022). Her English-to-Chinese translations include Rachel Cusk's Second Place (Guangxi Normal University Press, 2023), Claire-Louise Bennett's Checkout 19 (forthcoming), Ali Smith's Companion Piece (forthcoming), and a new translation of Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway (forthcoming).
Host: Na Zhong
Music: Fade Into You
我是在疫情期间偶然发现了苏凉的豆瓣主页。我读了几篇她的作品,它们介乎诗歌与虚构之间,读完后我便喜欢上她的文字。苏凉的作品难以归类:幽灵般若即若离,有音乐性,精准,这种魅力通常见于独立出版社的先锋作品。苏凉恰好也是独立文学的忠实拥趸,尤其是英国出版社Fitzcarraldo。
去年,位于波士顿的出版社 Game Over 出版了苏凉的首部小说《Food Porn》。她的第一本长篇随笔《Specimen》将于今年由 Split Lip Press 出版。以下是我与苏凉的对谈,关于《Food Porn》、校园小说、幽灵般的亲密关系与自传体小说。希望你喜欢。
主持人:Na Zhong
音乐:Fade Into You