Skip to content

Food & Drink

Writer Kim Fu Discusses Her Debut Novel ‘For Today I Am A Boy’

Belltown-based writer Kim Fu makes her debut with a gripping, insightful novel

By Brangien Davis January 7, 2014

0114kimfu

This article originally appeared in the January 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.

Kim Fu, 26, grew up in Canada as the only writer in a family of scientists and engineers. Perhaps that experience is what enabled her to so vividly capture the feeling of being an outsider in one’s own family in her powerful, timely debut novel, For Today I Am a Boy (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; $23). The story traces the coming of age of Peter Huang, the sole son born to strict Chinese immigrants hell-bent on fitting into small-town Ontario. As he grows up among three sisters, Peter struggles with an enormous secret: In his heart, he knows he is a girl.  

Did you talk with anyone who identifies as trans to capture Peter’s journey?
I never talked to someone who identified as trans or genderqueer explicitly for research, though they’re in my life and my circles. And just from knowing them socially, their stories—and stories I’ve read—are so diverse and complex that I don’t think there’s any one narrative or core feeling to capture. I hope Peter’s experience reads as authentic, true to itself.

Did you learn anything about your own femininity and masculinity as a consequence of writing the book?
Yes. I used to play up masculine aspects of my personality and dismiss a lot of feminine things as frivolous or…as giving in to “the man.” Even things I secretly liked or wanted to try. It was easier for me to write from the perspective of men, or women with stereotypically male interests. Peter is the most feminine character I’ve ever written. Peter feels shut out of a world of glamour, sisterhood and all kinds of beauty. Over the course of the novel, Peter tries on a lot of different ways of being a man or a woman, and though Peter is unambiguously a woman, there are just as many ways of being a woman that don’t fit. A side effect of living so closely with Peter’s voice was coming to peace with my own gender expression—that getting a pedicure does not negate my politics.
 
What do you hope readers will come away with after reading the novel?
I hope they feel entertained, honestly…and maybe they come away feeling the joy of self-knowledge. My generation is criticized for many things, but a lack of introspection isn’t one of them. We think about ourselves a lot. We’re mocked for spending so much time “finding ourselves,” but it’s much worse to go through life without knowing who you are and what makes you happy.

Kim Fu will discuss For Today I Am a Boy at Elliott Bay Book Company (1/14. 7 p.m. elliottbaybook.com) and at The Project Room (2/6. 6 p.m. projectroomseattle.org).

 

Follow Us

Seattle Author Wins Pulitzer Prize

Seattle Author Wins Pulitzer Prize

Tessa Hulls wins for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir

Seattle author Tessa Hulls has added a Pulitzer Prize to her growing list of accolades for Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir. The 2025 Pulitzers were announced May 5. Feeding Ghosts won in the “Memoir or Autobiography” category. As Seattle magazine wrote in a profile of Hulls last year, Feeding Ghosts “braids together the narratives of…

These Cultural Landmarks Honor Seattle’s AANHPI Community

These Cultural Landmarks Honor Seattle’s AANHPI Community

Here’s an overview of some notable spots and happenings

The first Asian American immigrants landed in Seattle in the 1860s, just a decade after the city’s founding in 1852. Seattle is plentiful with sites that tell crucial stories about Seattle’s Asian American community, whether you choose to learn about historic neighborhoods and buildings in the International District or browse sculptures and paintings at the…

Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing

Book Excerpt: Old White Man Writing

Seattle resident Joshua Gidding examines his own white privilege

In his book, Old White Man Writing, Seattle resident Joshua Gidding attempts to come to terms with his privilege. Gidding grapples with the rapidly changing cultural norms in 21st-century America while examining his own racial biases and prejudices. As Manhattan Book Review notes: “Old White Man Writing is an introspective deep dive into an eventful life…

Glacial Expressions

Glacial Expressions

Local scientist and painter Jill Pelto spotlights climate change in a multi-artist show at Slip Gallery

The divide between the arts and sciences is long-fostered and well-documented. From elementary school onward, children are often singled out for their penchant for math or artistic ability and guided toward classes — and later careers — that align with their right or left brain tendencies. For Jill Pelto — a local climate scientist, painter,…