Q&A With Ellie Yang Camp

I am so excited about doing this Q&A with the author of the book Louder Than The Lies: Asian American Identity, Solidarity, And Self-Love, Ellie Yang Camp. Louder Than The Lies came out today on October 22^nd and is available to read now! 

Q: Ellie would you please give a brief description of the book Louder Than The Lies Asian American Identity, Solidarity, And Self-Love? 

A: Louder Than the Lies is a primer on the system of white supremacy that centers the experiences of Asian Americans. Aimed to be very readable and approachable, it’s divided into three parts. The first part walks readers through some basic US history to see how the American system of white supremacy was built, and the role Asian Americans have been given to play in the system. The second part talks about ways Asian Americans interact with racism and the system of white supremacy in our everyday lives but may not fully recognize that’s what we’re dealing with. And the last section is about how we can help dismantle the system and embrace an existence that honors the wholeness of our humanity.

Q: How long did it take you to write Louder Than The Lies: Asian American Identity, Solidarity, And Self-Love & why was now the right time to write and release it? 

A: I would not have written this book if my agent Charles Kim hadn’t seen my work in 2020 and convinced me I could write a book. I’m not someone who produces a prolific amount of words, so when he approached me I had doubts because up until that point, I think the longest thing I had ever written was around ten pages. But I also knew that this was something that the Asian American community sorely needed and deserved. 

During the pandemic, the George Floyd protests, the increase in anti-Asian violence, I saw so many people who had questions, who were afraid, who wanted to help but didn’t know what to do, and I knew I had something meaningful to offer but I also knew it was going to take time just to get all the words out. It took me three and half years to finish the first draft of the manuscript and then another six months of intense editing. I’m really proud of what the book has become and still a little stunned that I was able to complete it. It was a lot of work. It’s a bit of a blur now. 

Q: What lessons do you hope readers learn after reading Louder Than The Lies Asian American Identity, Solidarity, And Self-Love? 

A: I want readers in general to have a more solid understanding of how the system of white supremacy is structured, how it operates from the “middle” of the racial hierarchy, how it harms everyone trapped inside of it, and how we can start dismantling it from the inside out. For the Asian American community specifically, I hope it helps us understand our racial lives more so we can more productively process our racial experiences, allowing us to imagine how to build better health and healing for our communities and our society at large.

Q: Have you always wanted to be an author?

A: Not at all! I’m the last person I thought would ever write a book. Growing up I detested writing assignments and was a slow reader. I didn’t start reading avidly until I was in my mid-30s. My approach to the book was more as a teacher than a writer. In the beginning, I had to think of it as a long lesson plan that happened to be in book form.

Q: If you are currently writing your next book, will it be similar to Louder Than The Lies Asian American Identity, Solidarity, And Self-Love, another topic, or will you try your hand at fiction this time?

A: There are no plans to write another book at this time, but I won’t completely rule it out. Finishing Louder Than the Lies was a lot of work, and I need time to recover. If I did write another book my guess is the next one would be very different, like a kid’s book where I can be more whimsical and playful. Writing books about racism is hard!