Div II Profile: CONNIE CHANG 15F

ANY SURPRISES OR PIVOTS DURING DIV II?

Absolutely. I thought I wanted to write a fantasy novel. Then I thought I wanted to write “literary” short stories. Then I thought I wanted to write fantasy novels again, but for young adults this time. Now, I want to write for television. I’m still interested in sci-fi and fantasy, though. And horror. Certain concerns emerge in my writing. I want my stories to address the institutions of oppression, to encourage the questioning of authority, and to tackle the worship of capital. I’m fascinated by the merging of fantasy tropes with urban settings. I want my stories to be realistic, yet optimistic — gritty, yet positive. My committee has been so supportive and reaffirming of my constantly shifting interests. Well, they wouldn’t qualify them as shifting. As Uzma and Kim have rightly pointed out, I’m still interested in interrogating the same themes and topics and characters — it’s simply the form that’s changed. I’m still invested in telling stories that challenge the status quo, that offer fresh and urgent takes on race relations, and that subvert and deconstruct harmful tropes instead of reconsolidating them. Questions like these were benchmarks for my Div II: What are the messages I care about enough to write? How can I sensitively and honestly portray the struggles of people with marginalized identities different from my own? How can I disrupt, upend, or subvert genre? When I’m able to answer them in some capacity, I’ll consider my journey successful.

THE PLAN

• Take creative writing courses to develop craft, technique, and form
   
• Take cultural studies courses to enhance my understanding of subject matter and content, including courses about the global Chinese diaspora and critical ethnography of Chinese food
   
• Pursue a summer internship in screenwriting in L.A.
   
• Work as a story intern for Street Stories, a nonprofit video project in Northampton, where I’ll be a story consultant for its project documenting the lives of homeless individuals 

HOW WILL YOU CELEBRATE PASSING DIV II?

With a Smirnoff Ice! (Yeah, I know.)