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| Justinian Huang (photo: Ben Yi) |
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Justinian Huang was born to immigrants in Monterey Park, Calif., and his books dive into intimately specific themes informed by his upbringing, such as past lives, reincarnation, and the weaving together of old-world beliefs with modern-day realities. Huang studied English at Pomona College and screenwriting at the University of Oxford, and he now lives in Los Angeles. His debut, The Emperor and the Endless Palace (Mira Books), is a genre-bending epic tale of true love against all the odds.
Handsell readers your book in 25 words or less:
A spicy romantic thriller about two soulmates who keep reincarnating as doomed lovers over 2,000 years, inspired by the true history of ancient Chinese Emperor Ai and his male lover Dong Xian.
On your nightstand now:
Ocean's Godori by Elaine U. Cho. (This is not a shameless plug for my friend Elaine; her book is literally on my nightstand right now.)
Favorite book when you were a child:
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald. I loved how she had a solution to everything, and I vaguely remember nominating her to be president in a homework assignment in elementary school.
Your top five authors:
Pu Songling, who wrote a classic collection of Chinese fables in the 1700s, one of which was about an innkeeper who becomes obsessed with a male fox spirit--a premise that I borrowed for my book.
Jackie Collins, because I had a fabulous aunt whom I worshipped growing up, and she had a huge collection of Jackie Collins novels that I would read and be scandalized by.
James Baldwin, a fellow queer man of color who shaped the way I thought about myself when I was newly out in college.
Oscar Wilde, because I have a recurring dream where I'm partying with him. That man can drink.
Beverly Cleary, because the Ramona and Beezus books taught me how to get along with my own big sister, one of my favorite people now that I'm an adult.
Book you've faked reading:
I was an English major in college, so there are too many to count! But the one that I have to have fake-read the most is probably Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. He was actually a professor at my college and was the kindest, most down to earth literary genius I've ever met.
Book you're an evangelist for:
I just finished Dune by Frank Herbert, and I am so impressed with myself that I finally read it that I have to be an evangelist for it.
Book you've bought for the cover:
Harlequin romance novels from the grocery checkout line when I was a teen. (If you know, you know.)
Book you hid from your parents:
The previously mentioned Harlequin romance novels.
Book that changed your life:
Hello, He Lied by Lynda Obst. Lynda was my first mentor when I started working in the film industry as a runner on Paramount lot.
Favorite line from a book:
It's technically a play, but: "I have always depended on the kindness of strangers." From Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire. It resonates with me because my life has been changed many times by strangers, especially on this debut novel journey.
Five books you'll never part with:
I'm okay to part with books... it is the people in my life that I can never part with.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
Probably The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis because I was a kid and it just ignited my imagination in a way that very few books had.