When I saw that Kim Liao had a new book, I knew I had to reach out and ask her this series’ three key questions about how she balances caregiving and creativity. Her book Where Every Ghost Has a Name: A Memoir of Taiwanese Independence is available now, and if this description doesn’t make you want to learn more, I can’t help you:
“In 2010, Kim Liao traveled to Taiwan to learn the truth about her family. After WWII, her grandfather Thomas Liao became the leader of the Taiwanese independence movement, his land was seized, his relatives were arrested, and his nephew was sentenced to death. With their lives at stake, Thomas’s wife Anna brought their four children to America to start a new life—never speaking a word about Thomas again.
When Kim arrived in Taiwan six decades later, she was shocked to learn that the KMT government had erased much of the story of Taiwanese independence from the official historical record. For years, Taiwanese citizens were kept in the dark about the violence that transpired during four decades of martial law, with the silenced voices of the White Terror Period mirroring the silencing of the Liao family’s story.
Despite this suppression, she learned that former independence leaders had preserved this history in their memories and personal archives. With their help, Kim discovered two stories: her family's story of love and loss, and Taiwan’s fight for freedom.”
I first came across Kim’s work when, many many moons ago, I had the great pleasure of guest editing an issue of Cha: An Asian Literary Journal and Kim had submitted an essay for publication. I still remember sitting on the starchy blue carpet of my Los Angeles apartment with Kim’s words in my hands and feeling viscerally moved by her use of language. I honestly have not had that experience often and still think fondly of how rocked I was by her work.
’s Substack, Writing Under the Full Moon, is similarly a delight; it offers insights into her creative process, blending personal stories with reflections on writing and inspiration. It's a space where she shares thoughtful essays, advice, and musings on living a literary life, often tied to the cycles of the moon.A former Taiwan Fulbright Creative Research Scholar, Kim’s work has received support from the Vermont Studio Center, the Jentel Foundation, the Hambidge Center, the Anderson Center, and the Ragdale Foundation. She lives with her family near New York City and teaches writing to students of all ages.
Take it away, Kim!
1) Where is the most unexpected place you've found inspiration as a parent?
I'm a new mom, son Jonah is almost 5 months, so my journey as an artist-mother is fairly new and still somewhat sleep deprived. The two most joyfully unexpected places I've found inspiration, though, were from other writers who are moms: one is a former member of my writing group, who I met at my friend's book launch party while 6 months pregnant; the other is the writer Anne Lamott in her book Operating Instructions.
The former member of my writing group was friends with my friends, but I had just met her that night. I said something about not putting pressure on myself to write after giving birth, and she said, “Sure, don’t stress about it. But you also might WANT to write. It could be healing, or nourishing. Something that’s for you, that connects you to yourself.” And I thought, OH RIGHT.
Writing is now how I figure out who I am in the world, and that doesn’t have to change, even if I have less unstructured leisure time for writing… or less easily earmarked writing time. My brain still wants to write, so I should let it write.
Anne Lamont’s treasure of a book Operating Instructions is framed as a diary of her son’s first year. I also read it while pregnant but returned to it almost every day of my son’s first two months. Every mom should read it; every writer should read it. I found myself laughing so hard and also feeling seen and aching my heart. It was confirmation that what little you can do on a given day of new motherhood is enough.
2) When you parent your creative self, what form of discipline do you use?
I’m not sure if you mean discipline like punishment (I’m very hard on myself!) or constructive boundaries, or genre, but I’ll take a stab: about 6-8 weeks after my son was born, I found myself during naptime with the urge to write again. So I gave myself 15 minutes to just jot down some thoughts about life as a mom.
I’ve done that several times since then, and worked on other short pieces (Substack newsletters, articles, interviews, etc.) by tackling them in one short burst during a long naptime. I’m a nap writer! So that’s my current discipline — genre and technique and constraint. If I don’t work, the punishment is no pages at the end of the nap! But I can always try again later or tomorrow.
3) Who are your caregiver-artist inspirations?
Most of my writing group members are mom-writers, and I look up to all of them! Anne Lamott, as I mentioned.
, whose book 100 Essays I don’t have time to write is another mastery of the short form. , who talks about the business of being a mom and a writer in frank and honest terms. Her Substack and book Before and After the Book Deal are both tremendous.To learn more about Kim, follow her on Instagram and Substack, and order her book on Bookshop or Amazon.
And Some More Recommended Reads from our Postpartum Production team
- . This is so true. The increase in the cost of raising a newborn from 2022 to 2023 is staggering.
No Longer A Baby Class Mum, by
, a Substack that is always a refreshing read! I also had this same realization, last week, dropping my youngest of three off at preschool and seeing a flyer for the “Mazel tots” class I attended with all of my kids (ages 0-18 months) that I am no longer a baby class mom. The feeling hit me in a wave of sadness and nostalgia (I’m one of the “love the baby phase” moms) and yet also a strange hint of pride that I’d done it - graduated from the baby phase into full fledged school aged kids. Either way, some baby classes are great, some are duds, but I’ve made some lifelong friends in them, so that’s saying something.A Eulogy For The Placenta, by Jules Howard for Slate. By the way, here are the places you can find my kids’ three placentas: in the freezer in cubes, dried in a Ziploc bag, and printed onto cardstock paper in our dining room hutch.
- . This feeling she describes about being year three postpartum: yes.
Scams, Pediatricians, and Pharmacies, Oh My, by
. This Substack and the affiliated journalism is from a friend who is a journalist and mother. Her work on understanding why maternity care is underpaid is fascinating (read her interaction with the AMA). Please subscribe and follow her work!Adventure Girl & The Homicidal Husband by
. As mentioned, this is always an entertaining Substack read—and I am feeling solidarity with the Artipoppe baby carrier envy (IYKYK - did I use that right?). I did once consider having another child JUST for the excuse of being able to try out a new carrier, which just proves how insidious scarcity mindset capitalism is.Sara Mauskopf Knows What Child Care Needs, by
. Hear hear.
And One *Highly* Recommended Watch…
Another Happy Day is available now on Apple TV+! For those curious, Another Happy Day is a slice-of-life comedy-drama about Joanna, a new mom played by Lauren Lapkus, struggling with postpartum emotions and the challenges of motherhood. Feeling overwhelmed and isolated, she forms an unlikely bond with her estranged aunt-in-law, Miriam, played by Marilyn Dodds Frank, as they navigate their unexpected connection. The film offers a raw, relatable portrayal of new motherhood, balancing dry humor with genuine emotional depth. At its core, it's a story that captures the realities of parenthood with sharp writing and heartfelt performances.
It stars Lauren Lapkus and was written and directed by Nora Fiffer, both guests on the pod. I am honored to have helped out as a co-executive producer. Give the podcasts a listen and please watch and review (and share!) the film!