When putting together collections of their short stories, some authors do so around a theme. And some of them pick a theme that’s big: love, life, family.
But in the following email interview about her short story collection, An Astonishment Of Stars (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), author Kirti Bhadresa says she assembled hers around something small: kitchens.
To start, is there a common theme to An Astonishment Of Stars?
Yes there is. Every story has a kitchen in it. That was the idea that began the collection.
Did you start out wanting to assemble a collection around this theme, or did the theme emerge as you were putting An Astonishment Of Stars together?
A long time ago, I wrote a list poem around different kinds of kitchens. This was back when I was a new parent, and so much of my life seemed to center around food and cooking. Thinking about food was the way I kept myself from feeling overwhelmed. As long as we were fed, we were okay, I thought. Each line of the kitchen poem list expanded itself into a paragraph, a micro story. It was in the back of my mind for a long time to expand each one into a longer story. And then, one day, a long time later, I sat down and started writing those stories. That’s when this collection began to really emerge.
I picked up Naben Ruthnum’s essay collection Curry: Eating, Reading, And Race. It is great. And it got me thinking a lot about being a writer of South Asian background and the nostalgia we are often expected to have around food. My idea of kitchen stories then merged with the desire to feature characters in kitchens who are not just nostalgic about food and cooking, but who are complex and unique, thoughtful and frustrated. The ideas for the collection of kitchen stories evolved further.
I am a woman of South Asian background born in Central Alberta. My family’s migratory path spanned generations and was quite complicated. By the time I was born we had very little connection to our original language and culture, especially because of where we lived (not exactly known for its multiculturalism, especially back then!). There is a feeling of loss sometimes when I think about past generations, but I also don’t fully know what I am missing.
I don’t walk around thinking about my identity all the time either. But others, especially when I was growing up, defined me by it. It’s a strange tension to live with.
I wanted this story collection to consider that complexity.
The theme was intentional, engulfing. I loved it and was kind of obsessed with it. I hardly looked up from these stories. Each character seemed to arrive, ready to go explore the story with me.
At some point I became ready to steer away from the theme more, and allow the characters some space to be as complex as they wanted to be. The kitchens faded to the back as the more complex story developed, though there is still one in each story.
What genres are represented by the stories in An Astonishment Of Stars?
I’m a big reader of literary fiction, so my writing leans that way too. There are a couple of elements of magical realism in the book, too. One day I’d love to get more imaginative in my writing, but this wasn’t the book for it. I might not be the writer for more imaginative styles either though, now that I think about it! In general, I’m a very literal thinker. I enjoy simplicity in a lot of ways in both writing and life. But as a reader I love a bit of magic.
The press materials for An Astonishment Of Stars repeatedly say things about how these stories explore “the often invisible lives of racialized women” and how this collection “cuts to the heart of contemporary womanhood.” Given that, what do you think someone like me — a straight, white, cisgender, middle-aged man — will get out of reading Stars? And, more importantly, what do you hope I’ll get out of it?
My best friend and first reader is my husband, who is also a straight, white, cisgender, middle-aged man. We’ve been married for 15 years, and for most of those years I didn’t share my fiction writing with anyone, including him. When I did, it was the best. We have become closer because we understand each other even better.
In our divided times, I think it’s especially important that we open ourselves up to the stories of those who are different from us, even when they are the people we think we know best. I realize that my struggles aren’t so extraordinary that they can’t be spoken about, and he realizes that there’s a lot going on in our lives that he isn’t always aware of from his position of privilege. Also, the stories aren’t necessarily heavy. Some, like “The Fundraiser,” are actually quite funny. I like to think that they’re all relatable, too. We all feel grief, loss, joy and love. These are some of the themes the stories in Stars‘ center.
But also, I’ve spent so many years reading and considering the literary works of white men. So…your turn?
An Astonishment Of Stars is your first book. What authors do you consider to be the biggest influences on your writing style?
Discovering Jhumpa Lahiri’s work was mind blowing. A writer I could really relate to. Another book I comfort liked to read often is Laurie Colwin’s Home Cooking. She loves food and writes about it beautifully but in an uncomplicated way. Derrick Jensen is similar in the way he talks about nature. I love writers that show that the story doesn’t have to be complex to be evocative and important. Beautiful, even.
What about non-literary influences; were any of the stories in An Astonishment Of Stars influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games?
While I was writing this collection the people around me started playing a lot of Dungeons & Dragons. It was interesting to talk about craft with my family. How do you keep a group of (then) pre-teens engaged in a story and help them develop their characters? It was fun to watch and talk about, even though I’m not into playing (like, at all).
You’ve had stories published in different journals. Are any of those stories in An Astonishment Of Stars? I ask because I’m wondering if the versions of those stories in Stars are the same as they were in those journals, or if you changed them in any significant ways?
Three of the stories in the collection were first published in literary magazines. Which means that they benefited from being well edited by people I admire. The joy of bringing them into the collection is that they could get longer. I was able to take the stories and “breathe into them,” as my amazing editor Jen Sookfong Lee suggested. Because I didn’t have to stress so much about word count, I was able to expand the stories as they needed, which allowed me to make them better. The characters became fuller and the situations less hurried.
Hollywood loves turning short stories into movies. Are there any stories in An Astonishment Of Stars that you think would work particularly well as a movie?
Yes! I dreamed that the story “Daksha Takes The Cake” was made into a rom com. In my dream, I watched the whole thing and loved it. The story is relatable, especially for those who like watching baking shows. The protagonist is likeable, the settings colorful, and the love story in it quite sweet, I think. There is enough tension in the story to carry it forward at a good pace too. It would make the kind of light movie I’d like to watch on a Friday night. I hope this happens! I’d be happy for Daksha if it does.
So, is there anything else people need to know about An Astonishment Of Stars?
I’m not going to lie, I have some favorites in the book. The vulnerability of writing a short story collection is that some stories will resonate with some people, and some might not. I’m curious to see how that will go.
Finally, if someone enjoys An Astonishment Of Stars, what short story collection of someone else’s would you suggest they read next?
Anuja Varghese’s collection Chrysalis is brilliant. It deserves all the attention it has received and more. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read her next book.
