As part of the University of Detroit Mercy’s Triptych virtual visiting author series, I had the privilege of attending K-Ming Chang’s reading—an electrifying journey through her surreal, poetic storytelling. Hosted by Dr. Stacy Gnall, Detroit Mercy’s poet-in-residence, the event immersed the audience in Chang’s world, where identity, family, and the uncanny intertwine in haunting and unexpected ways.
Who is K-Ming Chang?
K-Ming Chang is an award-winning writer celebrated for her bold and distinctive storytelling. A recipient of a Lambda Literary Award and an O. Henry Prize, she was also named a National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree. Her works include Bestiary, Gods of Want, Organ Meats, Cecilia, and the upcoming Straight to the Source. Widely recognized and translated into multiple languages, her writing captivates readers worldwide. Beyond her fiction, she is an experienced speaker and educator, leading workshops and talks at universities and literary festivals.
A Reading That Captivated from Start to Finish
Chang’s energy was infectious throughout the event, during which she read from her flash fiction, shared an excerpt from a novel-in-progress, and reflected on her creative process. Those in attendance had the privilege of being her first audience of the year, making the experience feel especially intimate—like stepping into the raw, unfiltered heart of her work.
Her reading began with Gloria—a story born, she explained, from an alphabet-inspired writing exercise she created. It explores the narrator’s entanglement with Gloria Gao, a church girl who embodies both devotion and temptation. Tension crackles in every line as femininity and queerness collide, capturing the ache of longing and self-denial. Chang’s prose here is both sharp and tender, making readers feel the weight of desire slipping through the narrator’s fingers.
Next, Extinction, inspired by a misread headline, reimagines a world where whales stop reproducing and instead exhibit signs of lesbianism. Scientists scramble for solutions—artificial insemination, hormone injections, even human-generated mating calls—yet every effort proves futile. Beneath its satire, the story meditates on loneliness, survival, and the way humans impose their fears onto nature. The whales’ silence speaks volumes, echoing a world slowly losing itself.
In Life Cycles, reincarnation is as simple as stepping into a washing machine. The setting of a laundromat becomes a portal where souls dissolve and reform, where past lives stain the present. The narrator’s grandmother, Ama, refuses modern appliances, clinging instead to ritual and fate. Meanwhile, Lai Ayi, who has cycled through 2,000 lives, emerges yet again—this time as a fragile barn swallow, desperate to escape the cycle. The story aches with generational trauma and the weight of inheritance, questioning whether life is something we choose or something that simply happens to us, over and over again.
Perhaps the most enjoyable moment of the night was Chang’s excerpt from a novel-in-progress, introducing Dina, a cannibal whose packed school lunches consist of human body parts. Chang has a way of making horror poetic, transforming grotesque fascination into an existential mirror, and this was on full display in the excerpt that she shared.
A Glimpse into Chang’s Creative Process
During the Q&A, Chang shared insights into her writing process—how poetry shapes her fiction, how she lets language lead her creativity, and how titles serve as her “North Stars.” She spoke of writing as an act of risk and vulnerability, embracing the uncanny to unearth something raw and true.
Final Thoughts
Chang’s Triptych reading was mesmerizing—a masterclass in pushing narrative boundaries while remaining deeply personal. I left inspired, eager to read more, and certain that anyone who experiences her work will come away transformed. If you ever get the chance to attend a Triptych event, don’t miss it.
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