Why essayist Durga Chew-Bose feels a connection to fellow Montreal writer Mavis Gallant
Durga Chew-Bose is a Brooklyn-based, Montreal-born writer. Her first book, Too Much and Not the Mood, is a collection of personal essays exploring what it means to be a young, first-generation writer today. Chew-Bose feels a strong connection to fellow Montreal-born writer Mavis Gallant.
I'm a Montreal-born writer, and another Montreal-born writer I feel a nearness to is Mavis Gallant. I lived in the U.S. for almost 13 years, and when I first discovered Mavis Gallant's writing I realized she was Montreal-born. I immediately loved the idea of a Montreal writer abroad. I loved reading her short stories that are detailed and particular to how she perceives the world. I do believe somewhere deep down they're formed from being from Montreal, which is how I approach my own essay writing. I think her origin story has a lot to do with what it's like to see the world once you've left where you're from.
Durga Chew-Bose's comments have been edited and condensed.