Splicetoday

Pop Culture
Oct 14, 2017, 07:00AM

Memory Is Ephemeral

A 2015 Bookslut interview with Janie Chang vs. a 2002 Kronick interview with rapper Nelly.

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Janie Chang: For example, there are experiences about being a Chinese daughter and an immigrant that have been negative, humiliating, and infuriating, but I don't know whether I'll ever be ready to share them.

Nelly: You have sub-divisions. You know?

Chang: Now you can find them on my website.

Nelly: And without them, I couldn’t be me.

Chang: I'm so glad you picked up on that.

***

Nelly: Nobody that I know wants to keep being reminded that they're in poverty and that they're poor.

Chang: Longer answer—you can't write to please everyone.

Nelly: You can switch it up here and there.

Chang: I know what the odds are. Memory is ephemeral.

Nelly: Right; I appreciate that.

***

Chang: But yes, I do daydream sometimes about actually going into production and, for some reason, a Bollywood treatment keeps popping up.

Nelly: Because that’s the way of the world.

Chang: That’s all for now, please.

Nelly: I mean, I don't like photo shoots.

Chang: It was very early in the morning and no one else was up. I was staring up at the clouds.

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