You can read the interview on the Peahce Project site here.
Ally Gong is a writer and Youtuber based in California. She has lived in Palo Alto, Los Angeles, New York, and Shanghai. LA baby, her first book, is a poetry anthology about her undergraduate years in Los Angeles, where she studied Economics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She loves translating her life experiences into writing and videos. Her second book, Isolation, which is about quarantine and social media habits, will be published by the end of 2020.
Tell us more about your experience at UCLA. Why did you choose to attend the school and why did you major in Economics? Did you ever study abroad during your time there? Is there any advice you’d want to give students who are in the throes of college at the moment?
I chose to major in Economics because I wanted a fundamental understanding of market dynamics and financial structures. I liked the logical and mathematical process of economics because it challenged my more naturally creative personality. Before I became an advocate of focusing on your strengths, I thought you should work hard on your weaknesses.
I studied abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul in my sophomore year, studying Korean, finance, and marketing and interning at a fashion company.
To current students, I would encourage you to use college as an explorational grounds for the real world. It’s so often that college students have conversations saying, “I have no idea what I want to be or want I want to do.” It’s totally normal and we all go through this, but I would challenge you to start trying to figure it out step by step—it’s not going to necessarily become clearer just because you have a diploma in hand. While you’re in college, study hard, meet people, and learn more about the things you love. Say yes to the things that excite you. Surround yourself with people who motivate you.
You recently published a college anthology. Congrats, by the way! That’s so exciting to get published at such a young age. Could you tell us more about your experiences with writing? Have you always been a writer?
Being a writer was one of my earliest dreams. English is actually not my first language, so when I first moved to the US, there were a lot of foreign experiences I had growing up in Shanghai that I couldn’t easily translate or bond over with others as a kid. In elementary school, I wrote stories, poems, newsletters, and even made an advice column website (circa 2008). I can recall a moment vividly in fourth grade, where I was sitting in the backseat of the car with my family, thinking about this amazing fantasy book I had just read, and knowing that something significant had just clicked in my destiny. From that moment, I knew I needed to tell stories. As I grew up, I continued writing, attending CSSA (an in-state art program) during high school for creative writing, and towards the end of college, I worked on writing LA baby. I had actually considered majoring in English but was heavily persuaded against it by my parents (haha).
What gave you the idea to publish a book after college and how long did you work on it? What was the publishing process like for you?
I wrote my book throughout college, mainly towards the last two years of college. Initially, I wanted to publish LA baby as I was graduating from UCLA, but I couldn’t wrap up the writing on time. I definitely underestimated the writing process. It took me another year of editing and working on illustrating post-grad while I was working in New York before LA baby was published. I read through my own writing maybe a hundred times over. It was also incredibly nerve-wracking to share my poems—I didn’t expect I would be so nervous.
Could you share with us one of your favorite poems or artwork from the anthology? Could you provide, as much as you’re comfortable with, some story behind the poem and why you wrote it.
One of my favorite poems and artwork from LA baby is “LA Ramblings on Ventura Boulevard.” Sitting in the backseats of Ubers, looking outwards to the nighttime highways of LA felt quite symbolic of my college years. The person driving the Uber was always a stranger, and there were so many strangers in my life throughout college.
For those of us moving away from home in college, there’s so much freedom and excitement, but it can also come with this overwhelming sense of loneliness or vagueness. These lonely drives from place to place marked my transition from childhood into adulthood—loneliness, which I eventually began to overcome, was definitely amplified by the glamour and ambition of Los Angeles.
After having your work published, what has been the reaction like amongst your friends and family? Have there been any fans or reviews of your book that deeply impacted you?
They have been super supportive, I’m shocked by the overwhelming support I’ve gotten from everyone, including readers who have met me through the book. There were definitely some notable conversations where readers have reached out to me to talk about the book, sharing their own stories about identity, college, and experiences of love.
In the book, I talk about how I have struggled with self-acceptance, toxic relationships, academic and career pressures, all before finally coming to peace with my own unique identity in LA. Although I write about my experience in an unfiltered and specific way, it was amazing to hear about how other people resonated with these experiences in their own lives, how they were able to connect and recall emotionally through my stories, and most importantly, new and profound thoughts and mindsets they would take to heart moving forward after reading LA baby.
As for my family, I think my parents were pretty touched when I announced and showed them the book. We are from different cultures, different mindsets. It’s something I told them I would do throughout the years, so the day I finally showed them my first book, I think they were really quite surprised.
You’ve been a Youtuber for quite a number of years. What has it been like to, in a sense, grow up on Youtube and be on a very public forum? Is there something you wish more people knew about being a Youtuber that you think is often overlooked? What was it like to shift mediums for your creative expression in publishing your book?
With the rise of influencer marketing and social media marketing, it’s really easy for people to overlook the profound impact Youtube and other digital content can have on people (outside of the consumer scope). I love Youtube because I love people, and Youtube is how I can connect with people of any age or country. I think the weirdest thing is seeing how the landscape and trends change over the years.
Actually, I’ve always been a traditional or more old-fashioned person. As you can see, I’ve written a book, which I consider to be somewhat traditional nowadays. My work heavily involves social media, but the things I love most are still very simple and haven’t changed much from when I was younger, like a notebook, coffee with a good friend, writing, and seeing the world. In college, I was so focused on the digital landscape, but I knew that it would still be important for me to write LA baby. I just knew it. It’s symbolic to come full circle with my childhood dreams as I’m stepping into my own sense of adulthood. It’s a totally different experience and result from creating a Youtube video but really meaningful all the same.
What advice would you give to young people who have similar interests (writing, Youtube, beauty, etc.) to you and want to pursue a similar or related career path, or for those who would also like to get their writing published in a book form?
I wrote LA baby for the dreamers. Growing up, I hated being told no or to stop doing the things I loved. Dreams die every day and that’s a really sad thing. So if there’s something you love and are passionate about, do the work for the sake of your dream. And do it for the other dreamers out there too, because when we create from our dreams and our deepest experiences—that’s what moves the world and brings more amazing ideas to life.
To the young creatives out there, you need to surround yourself with the right people, you need to love yourself hard, and most importantly you need to continuously work on your craft. It’s a never-ending process. Don’t overlook the little steps and don’t ever forget or give up on the things you love.
Her new book Isolation: Modern Manifesto is now available for purchase on Amazon.
Interviewed by Angela Kong
