What Else?: A conversation with Jinwoo Chong
The author on approaching thirty and his second book
Sometimes, it feels like all my friends are getting old.
A girl who used to tout her purse perfect for carrying wine to parties is instead bragging about her new house’s electrical wiring. A guy who once collected every fresh sneaker release is now selling them on eBay to cover expenses for his pet turtle. People who posted photos of nights out at the club have shifted to showcasing their sourdough starters…
I’m not in this boat. I’m not even near its dock. I am in fact probably the only one in my social circle who you can count on being far closer to achieving Frequent Flier status rather than some newfound domestic bliss. After many years of being responsible and too mature for my age, I like it that way. But I still wonder if there’s some secret perk everyone around me is earning as they settle into quieter, slower, and more boring lifestyles. Is there something no one’s told me about the joys of committing to more “serious” adulthood? Does all of this seemingly menial behavior actually equate to happiness?
The question rattled around the back of my brain as I picked up the phone to call Jinwoo Chong.
I first met Jinwoo when I interviewed him for a position at Columbia Journal five years ago. My initial impression was that he was whip smart, thoughtful, and considerate: all excellent qualities in a literary journal staffer and rare ones in most of my self-interested graduate school peers. He was someone I could just sense was going places. My theory was proven right when his first book Flux came out in 2023 and wracked up the accolades.
This past week, I called Jinwoo on the dawn of his sophomore novel’s release. I Leave It Up To You is the tale of Jack Jr., who wakes up from a two-year coma to find the life he once knew gone, and the family he left behind ten years ago the only place where he can turn. Through reconnecting with loved ones, a new romantic interest, and preparing endless sushi rolls, Jack Jr. uncovers a side of himself he just might like better than the one he’d previously known, but we all know big changes rarely happen simply. Jinwoo and I discussed this idea through the lens of his own life, as well as the ways in which he manages to stay centered when the publishing world does its best to shake you out of alignment.
What is something you do for yourself that’s completely unrelated to your writing?
Most recently it’s been a health kick. I’m obsessed with fiber and protein. It’s become a hobby. I’m turning thirty and I just feel my body aging. It may be because I’m a year younger than a lot of friends. They all turned thirty this past year, and so I’ve been going to a lot of thirtieth birthday parties, having a lot of discussions about aging. I also got married in October and had conversations about filing taxes together, looking for a place to live and thinking about things like, “Would we start a family here?” All these grown-up questions that started happening at the same time.
Not only does being healthier make me feel better, just thinking about it brings me peace. It’s kind of taken over my personal life. I’ve started thinking, “How does this affect my cholesterol level?” and “Is my stress level at a place that’s increased or decreased from yesterday?” I feel like a part of my youth is dying, but I’m enjoying feeling more responsible.
As someone only a year younger than you, the idea of my youth dying is terrible.
*laughs*
Let’s break this down. You said you think about fiber and protein a lot. I assume this means you’re invested in food. Has living a healthier lifestyle made you get more interested in cooking?
Yes. Because I moved out of the city to New Jersey, I’m now further away from the instant gratification of New York eating. I’ve been cooking a lot for myself and becoming more resourceful, more economical. There are so many recipes that call for ingredients where you have to get twenty times more of something than what you need. That’s wasteful. Instead, I think about what I can make just out of my pantry.
And there’s probably an exercise component to this, too.
I’ve had a big change regarding my attitude toward running. I used to think I wasn’t good at it. I couldn’t really run more than a mile, so pushing myself to do that became a project. In 2023, right before my first book came out, I ran a half marathon. I was not ready for it. It kind of knocked me out for a few weeks afterwards, but it also signified this big step in my life. I never would’ve considered myself capable of doing something like that until I went and did it. Now, running is part of how I manage stress.
That’s not to say I love it. It’s still a habit that has to be formed. It’s not really true to say if you do something long enough, the habit will stick. If your natural instinct isn’t to do something, that’s down to genetics. And I think I’m genetically predisposed to not be all that healthy, so it’s something I have to convince myself to do every time.
You also mentioned getting married. Did that feel like something positively impacting your health?
I really like being married because it’s very safe and secure. I kind of thrive in routines, in boredom. When not that much is going on, that’s when I feel the safest.
My book comes out soon and there’s so much uncertainty. There are so many different things happening that I have no control over. This is supposed to be a chiller time. The book is done! All it has to do is come out! But I can feel the stress zapping away my energy and my happiness. Things that bring my activity level to comfortable mediums, to consistency, I like those. Being married has definitely been one of those calming factors.
You just moved back to New Jersey, not far from where you grew up. How does that feel, returning to where your story started?
It’s an interesting thing. I think part of it was convenience. It’s a place I already knew and could navigate. It’s also close to the city, so a lot of my life hasn’t changed.
I’ll admit, it was a little strange to realize I was moving back to a place I’d spent so much time in as a teenager, to see in very stark terms how much my life has changed since then. I was a little nervous. Like, I’m going to the grocery store I used to go to when I was twelve. Now, I’m a completely different person.
But for the most part, it’s been really comforting. I feel like it was long enough ago that the things I didn't like about it are faint memories. I’m reminding myself of all the stuff I used to love about living in this area. It’s also a new experience because we have a car. That’s the biggest thing. I’ve had a license for so long, but I didn’t know how to drive, so every time I drove I would almost get into wrecks. It’s been a period of re-learning. And I’m hopeful I will become a more confident driver.
Is there any other element of this healthy lifestyle that you’ve tried to curate?
I’ve been prioritizing reading for pleasure. I entered this state of basically just reading things people were asking me to do for a panel or a blurb, letting my life be taken over by assigned reading, which I would love to leave behind in school. That’s kind of hard to do as a working writer because whenever I’m at the bookstore, part of my consideration for what to pick up is, “Is this someone I should be looking out for?” or “Is this someone I could connect with? An editor I really respect? A dream publishing house?” All of these uncomfortable, special considerations. Versus, “Does the cover look nice?” or “Does the jacket copy look enticing?” Those are the things that govern normal readers’ choices. I would love to divorce reading from the business aspect of being a writer.
What are some of the titles for pleasure you’ve managed to read?
Miracle Creek and Happiness Falls by Angie Kim. They were both lovely, sort of legal thrillers. Angie Kim had a previous career as a trial lawyer. Those I really enjoyed. They’re both centered on Korean American families.
A fun mix of business and pleasure: I did a reading with Elissa Bassist, who has a collection of essays called Hysterical. I picked that up and enjoyed it so much. I could tell from the way that she read one of her essays that she had such a good voice and a sharp wit. I had such a great time.
The book I most recently read was The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka, which won the Booker Prize a couple years ago. It was very highbrow, very intelligent, kind of almost like too intelligent for me. But I really enjoyed it because it was so well written.
You read with Elissa at my series, Wine and Pine!
That’s really funny that I forgot literally talking to you. And also tells you how much I enjoyed that event.
Have there been unexpected benefits for your writing in creating these healthier habits?
I am thinking more clearly, and I think it has something to do with the more distinct partitioning of my life. I’m able to separate writing from personal work from professional work from just being a person.
Yesterday, I actually sat down to write a chapter of my book in progress and found it so much easier than three months ago. I was really surprised by how I was able to tune out the television in the background and the annoying stuff at work that happened and just focus on being in the world of this new novel.
Do you think it’s important that writers do something unrelated to craft for their work?
I think it is to each their own. Some people can live 100% in that world, can have jobs in publishing, can talk about it day in and day out. I can’t do that. I think if I talked about books or writing all day long, it would make me go insane.
There is no correct way to do it, but there is a correct way to do it for yourself, so you just have to find what works for you, and accept that it’s different for everyone.
Let’s also take a moment to talk about your new book, I Leave It Up to You. What are you excited about?
A lesson I keep needing to learn is that external forms of validation are so meaningless.
When I compare my two books, I’m very proud of both. They also show my growth. I think the writing of the second book is more capable than the writing of the first book. And yet my first book thus far has gotten more external forms of praise. More starred reviews, more inclusion on those meaningless Most Anticipated Books. It’s made me forget everything I’ve tried to teach myself. It’s made me think maybe my new book sucks.
Those thoughts will always happen. It’s like what I said earlier: it’s not just that the habit has formed and it’s good to go. It’s something you have to remind yourself of. There are things that have happened in the past few days that have sort of knocked me out of orbit. There are things that have made me very happy for fleeting, beautiful moments. It’s all about me trying to take those little things in stride and not let the others impact my psyche.
To put on my Marketing Director hat for a minute, I always try to remind writers that it’s not about trying to impress fancy editors. It’s about the normal people who will read and connect with your work.
I got an email from a high school student who’s interested in journalism and entering the publishing industry. She’s coming to my event at The Center for Fiction and wanted to know if I had two minutes to talk to her about what it’s like to be a writer, to offer any advice. It made me feel so happy that somebody felt compelled enough to reach out. That’s what it’s about. It’s about readers.
Jinwoo Chong is the author of the novels I Leave It Up to You and Flux, a New York Times Editor’s Choice, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel and the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, and named a best book of 2023 by Apple Books, Amazon Books, Esquire, HuffPost, GQ, Cosmopolitan, and Goodreads. His work has appeared in Guernica, The Southern Review, The Rumpus, LitHub, Chicago Quarterly Review, and Electric Literature. He lives in New Jersey with his husband and cat.
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INTERESTING interview - read every word as the questions and answers kept me captivated. Was a thoughtful read. Everyone should enjoy!! :)