Kat Cho is the international bestselling author of Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits and the co-host of the Write or Die Podcast. In our conversation, we reflect on our experiences navigating the pandemic as a human, a creative, and an author. Kat shines a light on the act of writing as a transformative source of solace and joy in the most challenging of times as we discuss her journey moving through grief, and fleshing out her stories that emerged from the rawest heartbreak that evolved into the most powerful form of hope. In a conversation lined with transparency and vulnerability, Kat shares wisdom on the human experience beyond her years.
Books and resources:
- 88 Cups of Tea’s 88th podcast episode featuring Kat Cho before she became a published author
- Kat Cho’s Youtube Channel
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds (Listen to his 88 Cups of Tea podcast episode here!)
- Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Listen to her 88 Cups of Tea podcast episode here!)
- Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam (Listen to their 88 Cups of Tea podcast episode here!)
Highlights throughout the episode:
- How does writing provide moments of escape? (15 min)
- Discover how Kat solidified her long-term love for writing while she was working her full-time job in clinical research. (20 min)
- How did the act of writing provide Kat healing and joy as she moved through the grieving process? (23 min)
- We examine the Asian-American identity and the complexities of her relationship with her Korean heritage. (27 min)
- Discover the catalyst that encouraged her curiosity to learn more about Korean culture and her identity. (36 min)
- Why is humor is a key factor in life and in our stories? (37 min)
- Kat answers a listener question about the virtual and digital presence authors are now a large part of due to Covid-19, and how this influences future logistics of book publication and promotion. (41 min)
- All things finance for authors and creatives. (47 min)
Learn more about “Vicious Spirit“:
New romance and dangers abound in this companion to the crowd-pleasing Wicked Fox.
After the events of Wicked Fox, Somin is ready to help her friends pick up the pieces of their broken lives and heal. But Jihoon is still grieving the loss of his grandmother, and Miyoung is distant as she grieves over her mother’s death and learns to live without her fox bead. The only one who seems ready to move forward is their not-so-favorite dokkaebi, Junu.
“You might keep it together for a week, or for a month, or for even longer than that, and then randomly fall apart. And it’s okay if that happens.”
Kat Cho on grief via 88 Cups of Tea
“When we’re in mourning, there’s no expiration date to that. And it’s okay to acknowledge that.”
Kat Cho on grief via 88 Cups of Tea
“When we start to take ourselves too seriously is when we start to lose sight of things.”
Kat Cho
“Stop self-rejecting. There are enough barriers for us in this industry and in this profession that we do not need to be our own enemies.”
Kat Cho
“My writing is a gift to me in that it has opened up my curiosity for my culture. I know so much more about my culture and my heritage because of my writing, and that’s a gift I will always be grateful for. I hope that other diverse writers also get that gift as well because it’s invaluable.”
Kat Cho
Say “Hi!” to Kat:
Learn more about Kat Cho:
Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt. Kat is the international bestselling author of Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits.
