Asian Heritage in Horror: Interview with Catherine Kuo

Catherine Kuo is an Asian American writer who lived and worked in Taiwan and Japan for several years before returning to the United States. She graduated from the University of California, Davis, where she was selected as one of the winners of the university’s 2010-2011 “Prized Writing” competition. She is an HWA member and participated in the HWA mentorship program. Her short stories can be found in the Bloodless anthology, published by Sliced Up Press, and the forthcoming anthology Monstrous Futures, published by Dark Matter Ink. She currently lives in Arlington, Virginia, and can be found on Twitter at @catherinekuo531.

What inspired you to start writing?

I started writing as a way to process what was happening to me and how I felt during a traumatic period of my life.

What about the horror genre drew you to it?

I liked how it can be used as a metaphor for real-life horrors.

Do you make a conscious effort to include Asian and/or Pacific Islander characters and themes in your writing, and if so, what do you want to portray?

My personal horrors all occurred within the context of certain imagery, places, and cultural practices, much of which isn’t super prevalent in Western horror, so I thought that if I can’t relate to those stories, I might as well write my own and maybe someone else can relate to them as well. So: yes, I deliberately include them in my writing.

What has writing horror taught you about the world and yourself?

Writing horror has helped me process trauma, and it’s led me to horror stories that I actually do relate to, even if they’re not centered around Asian characters or settings. It’s comforting to know that some thoughts and emotions are shared on a very basic human level.

How have you seen the horror genre change over the years? How do you think it will continue to evolve?

I really like how diverse horror has become over the years, both in the media itself and people who are establishing themselves as horror writers. I certainly hope it continues in that direction, it’s refreshing to see how diverse personal experiences can create such different flavors of horror.

How do you feel the Asian and/or Pacific Islander communities have been represented thus far in the genre, and what hopes do you have for representation in the genre going forward?

I am pretty new to the genre, but I think we’ve certainly come a long way since the early 2000s when Hollywood was obsessed with remaking East Asian horror movies to make them more palatable to white audiences. There’s of course always room for improvement. Horror is more fun when you get to hear voices from backgrounds you’re not very familiar with, it opens up so many more creative possibilities.

Who are some of your favorite Asian and/or Pacific Islander characters in horror?

Call me basic, but Sadako from Ringu and Kayako from Ju-On are the kind of ghosts I aspire to be. And of course, the OG, Oiwa from Yotsuya Kaidan. Stay angry, ladies.

Who are some Asian and/or Pacific Islander horror authors you recommend our audience check out?

It was thanks to the legends Lee Murray and Angela Yuriko Smith that I even found the API horror writer community, I owe so much just to their existence and their work. And of course, every author featured in the book Black Cranes: Elaine Cuyegkeng, Rin Chupeco, Geneve Flynn, Grace Chan, Nadia Bulkin, Gabriela Lee, Rena Mason, and Christina Sng. And last, but certainly not least, Ai Jiang, who is an absolute powerhouse. What an inspiration. 

What is one piece of advice you would give horror authors today?

For your first draft, don’t think, just write. Vomit onto the page until you get to the very last word on the last page, then you can start sweeping away the bile and corn bits until you find those diamonds you swallowed. The most important thing is to tell your story and get it out there. No one can write your story but you, so don’t get bogged down in or discouraged by the imperfections when you write your first draft. Don’t worry, you can do it; just sit down and write.

To the Asian and/or Pacific Islander writers out there who are just getting started, what advice would you give them?

The same thing as above, but even more so. If you’re underrepresented, if you’re not seeing stories you can relate to, if you’re not seeing your stories told, get out there and write your story. Because people like me are dying to read them. We are looking to feel understood, to feel not so alone, to feel like we’re not the only ones feeling these things in these times in these places.