If it’s meant to be, there’s no stopping it- The success I’ve achieved has come from surrendering. The lessons that are meant for me come my way. Opportunities that weren’t meant for me go to someone else. The lessons in those other opportunities were specifically designed for them.
Books have the power to shape, influence, and change our lives. Why is that so? What goes into a book that can shape lives? To address this we are interviewing people who can share a story about a book that changed their life, and why. As a part of our series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jodi Lin.
Their poetry can be experienced in a video diary called Leaving Beauty on YouTube, Open Fruit Magazine, Amethyst Review, Poetry Project’s Footnotes and others. Graduate of the ART Institute at Harvard, Sarah Lawrence College and a Brooklyn Poets Fellow. Their short film, Borte, Queen of Tibet was nominated for the festival prize at Soho International Film Festival, was exhibited at New York City’s Center for Art, Research and Alliances, and received numerous other screenings. Their writing practice is enriched by the certified peer recovery coaching and support they provide.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory” and where you grew up?
I was born in Queens, New York. My parents relocated from the tropical climates of Taiwan and didn’t care much for the snow. When I was four, we moved to Los Angeles. I was known for my stories. I started putting them to paper by age nine. I wrote myself into a popular television show as the adopted child. Writing was an escape from hard things that were happening to me. I dreamt of new worlds and created them.
Let’s talk about your forthcoming book, The Tenderness of Glass. How do you conceive of the inspiration behind this book?
The Tenderness of Glass was written in celebration of love and inclusion. I am a person of intersecting identities. I hear voices, have expansive gender and am Taiwanese of the Seediq Tribe. One of the voices I hear is named WIm. I’ve identified her as the voice of my wiser self or “wise mind.” The “I” in her name is capitalized because her voice is for me, about me and only I can hear her. WIm tells me that I am the reincarnation of a sacred queen, a reality that others do not concede to; a non-consensus reality. I wrote The Tenderness of Glass to reconcile the two realities I am part of. By keeping the worlds separate, my writing practice allows me to live in both worlds simultaneously. I write as an expression of love that is inclusive of all my identities.
Which three character traits do you think have been most instrumental to your work?
Open-mindedness, fearlessness, willingness. It takes openness to accept the voices I hear. I accept rather than fight, ignore or attempt to silence them. I am fearless and stay willing to collaborate with the voices. I hold to my truth and stay teachable.
What’s the inspiration behind your work?
When I get quiet, I receive an incredible amount of information from the voices about my past and future lives. This experience of phenomena is a complex mixture of magic and fright. I have to believe that at their highest good, the voices come from a place of love. It can be difficult to discern, but sometimes, the messages are warnings that serve as protection. I write to better understand their love for me. I write to resist negativity and find hope.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Yes, I saw Ira Silverberg in a vision before I saw his picture online. The voices told me to pursue him for editorial support and I did. He took a chance on me. I was persistent, but my story had some resonance with other spiritual work he was doing then. Ira’s notes shaped the journey of my book in miraculous ways. I will be forever grateful.
Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. I’m an author and I believe that books have the power to change lives. Can you please tell our readers about “The Book That Changed Your Life”?
In her book All About Love New Visions, Bell Hooks states that “Profound changes in the way we think and act must take place if we are to create a loving culture.” Reading this work was an awakening. Brilliantly, she blends her arguments with psychology, science, sociology, spirituality and personal experience. Bell Hooks uses her entire being to explore the meaning of love. Her journey in the book is personal and expansive. This expansiveness encouraged me to explore what love means to me, in my entirety — of mind, body and of spirit. Analyzing and building my own parallels to her vulnerable journey, increased love’s mystery for me. I was changed.
Can you describe a moment or share a story about how “the book that changed your life” inspired you to make big changes in your life?
I also search for the meaning of love in my writing. I started reading All About Love New Visions when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I felt disoriented and out of body. This book was what I needed to feel connected again. I was soothed by Bell Hooks’ search for meaning. Her personal stories are transparently courageous, allowing for easy identification. Chapter after chapter, I was reminded that love is my favorite superpower.
Can you articulate why you think books have the power to create movements, trends, and change?
Books carry the power of our stories. Stories connect us to one another, break isolation and inspire us into action. Love is so attractive in Hooks’ book! Her inspired analysis and journey inspired my own call to write, to wonder and to participate in life.
A book has many aspects, of course. For example, you have the writing style, the narrative tense, the topic, the genre, the design, the cover, etc. In your opinion, what are the main, essential ingredients needed to create a book that have the power to impact lives?
I want the title of a book to make me feel something. It’s a chemical response I look for. If the feeling is right, I’ll engage with the book. Themes that resonate with my own life attract me. I want a book to lead me to ask the right questions. Asking questions inspires me to find the right answers. This seeking is an impactful call to action.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started My Career” and why?
- If it’s meant to be, there’s no stopping it- The success I’ve achieved has come from surrendering. The lessons that are meant for me come my way. Opportunities that weren’t meant for me go to someone else. The lessons in those other opportunities were specifically designed for them.
- Therefore, worry less- I have very few grey hairs and not only because my grandmother told me to eat nori strips to keep my hair dark! I worry far less than I used to. If I want something that wasn’t meant for me, there’s no forcing it either.
- Force will get you nowhere- I wasted my creative energy in my earlier days forcing my way into things to get noticed. Maybe I did get noticed, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.
- Stay dignified- My values are important to me today. When I was younger I was willing to push the envelope which in turn, pushed people to their limit.
- Be specific when asking for help- The intrinsic nature of everything is that we are interconnected. People want to help. I’ve learned to choose my favors wisely though. It helps other people to help me when I am specific.
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
As I mentioned, I am a person who hears voices. I refer to myself in this way because I am a person first. Being neurodiverse is only one aspect of my entire being. I struggled with the voices alone and in isolation for many years. I thought if I were too honest, I’d likely be locked away again or medicated further. Today, I am a poet who works in mental health as a peer worker. I have had the privilege of working with other people who hear voices. That connection with someone else who has lived through it means everything to me. There exists a hearing voices movement in the UK. I’d like to expand on that movement to include peer workers’ perspective as caregivers who are also people who hear voices.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
My website is www.jodilin.com and my instagram handle is @hellojodiii
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us and our readers. We know that it will make a tremendous difference and impact thousands of lives. We are excited to connect further and we wish you so much joy in your next success.
Author Jodi Lin On The Book That Changed Their Life was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.