Today we’d like to introduce you to Monona Wali.
Hi Monona, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My life as a writer of fiction was born the day I stepped into Jim Krusoe’s writing workshop at Santa Monica College. This was back in 1986. I had an MFA in film production from UCLA Film School, but I was hitting a dead end in the film world, which was not at all open to women, and especially women of color. I fell in love with writing fiction, and I found a vibrant community of writers in Krusoe’s class, which I continued attending for many, many years. I did continue making films for a few years, but writing has sustained me to this day.
I have also found fulfillment as a teacher of writing – I’ve had the good fortune to teach “underserved” folks – older students through Santa Monica College’s Emeritus Program, incarcerated juveniles through InsideOut Writers, and Veterans through the VA. Bringing writing and self-expression to a diversity of students is a way to empower them with the telling of their own life story. I believe the more stories we can get out in the world, the better off we all are.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I struggled for years to get films made, so letting go of my dreams of being a feature filmmaker was very hard.
The publishing world has also had some of the same challenges – although I get tons of validation and praise for my writing, I also get a lot of rejections. My work does not fit into neat categories, and so I hit a lot of walls when trying to find an agent or publisher. The gatekeepers are fierce!
I’ve come to measure my success not in terms of mainstream validation but in terms of the relationships I’ve built along the way. Those have been extremely rich and fulfilling.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m primarily a novelist, short story writer, and essay writer.
I immigrated to America from India when I was four years old with my family. I come from a family of scientists, intellectuals, social activists, and artists. All of that has informed my writing – I am equally a daughter of the East and the West, and I try to tell stories that open a new lens to the immigrant experience.
In 2014, I published my debut novel, “My Blue Skin Lover”. It won the Independent Publishers Gold Award for multicultural literature. It’s a story of how a young Indian-American woman takes the god Shiva as her lover. I’m very proud of that book – I feel I took a lot of risks in the telling of the story, and I was so gratified by the positive response to it.
More recently, I completed a novel called “Sutra Americana”. It’s a saga that spans fifty years of the life of an Indian-American family who come of age in the tumultuous decades of the 60’s and 70’s. It’s about choosing love in the wake of uncomfortable truths. I feel that offering love in all its complications is a political act in a time of deep divisions. It’s loosely based on my own family and is very close to my heart. I’m in the process of trying to get it published.
I’m also very proud of the two films I made – the documentary “Maria’s Story” which I co-directed and was aired on PBS in 1991. It’s a portrait of Maria Serrano, a peasant woman who became a leader in the FMLN in El Salvador during the civil war. She fought (and continues to fight) for the betterment of her people.
“Grey Area” was my student thesis film at UCLA Film School and is included in the LA Rebellion, a series curated by the UCLA Film and Television Archives that highlights the work of BIPOC filmmakers from UCLA in the 70’s and 80’s.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Jim Krusoe, poet, novelist, and teacher, has been a huge influence on my life. His writing class at Santa Monica College is what opened the door for me to the great rewards of a writing life. He is an incredibly generous teacher and mentor. He believed in my writing from day one, and basically I learned everything I know about writing from him. He built a vibrant community of writers through his class, and that community continues to be a source of support. Jim was also instrumental in my getting my first teaching job – and I have modeled my teaching practices largely on his example.
I count many friends as cheerleaders – the artist Alexandra Wiesenfeld and writers Janice Shapiro and Grace Singh Smith. They read multiple drafts of my work and always offer honest and insightful feedback. I have relied on their faith in me and my writing.
Andrew Tonkovich, who edits the Santa Monica Review has published many of my short stories – the review is my literary home – and I’m so grateful to him for his stewardship of the journal. He is a literary powerhouse in the Los Angeles area.
My students over the years have also been a great source of inspiration to me. I feel I am constantly learning from them.
Last but not least, my two daughters Kanchan & Maya Wali-Richardson – both inspire me with their compassion, intelligence and thoughtfulness. It is not easy to be a young person today, and I am always learning from them. They keep me on my toes.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mononawali.com
- Instagram: mononawali
- Facebook: Monona Wali
Image Credits
Maya Wali Richardson
