We celebrate our newest addition to the Words Alive Team: our Celebration Intern, Lily Chen! Read on to learn more about Lily!
Lily remembers cultivating her love for reading and writing during her childhood as she spent hours reading alongside her older brother and endeavored to read all the same books as him, even if she wasn’t quite as able to keep up! As she studied literature/writing and Chinese Studies at UC San Diego, Lily also worked as a tutor for first-year students learning college-level writing. She not only found it rewarding to work with students individually and help them understand new concepts, but also came to realize the importance of good communication skills and power of reading in opening up a whole new wealth of knowledge. After graduating in 2020, she continues be a lifelong reader and learner and contributes her skills in communication and public affairs. We’re so glad to have her on the team!
In her free time, Lily likes reading, writing, playing video games with her friends and watching trashy reality TV. On the weekends, you can find her trying new coffee shops and restaurants in North Park or picking up new books at the library.
Here’s a few words from Lily!
How did you discover Words Alive? What drew you to interning/working here?
I discovered Words Alive by looking up organizations around the San Diego area to volunteer with. I was drawn to the mission at Words Alive because I think the work we do here is incredibly crucial, especially in designing curriculum to include books that have good representation for the students. I also think that it’s so amazing that the volunteer count at Words Alive has exploded since the pandemic, with so many people from across the nation (and even world?) being able to support Words Alive virtually.
What is your favorite aspect so far of the work you do?
It’s only my second week at Words Alive so far, but my favorite part of working here is the amazing staff. They’re so warm and welcoming and they all clearly love and support the mission so much. It’s inspiring to do work that helps people and with people who are passionate about it.
What book or story has had a big impact on you?
A book that has had a big impact on me is Draw Your Weapons by Sarah Sentilles. I read it during my senior year of college for my honors capstone course. This book introduced me to the concept of lyric essay and creative nonfiction, which inspired my own honors thesis later on. Sentilles herself was invited to speak with my class virtually and hearing her explain her reason to utilize the lyric essay format struck me. She likened it to how we as people absorb little bits of information from everything we do, read, or see, and all those tidbits come together to inform our thoughts. We are each a collection of everything that’s ever happened to us, and our thought process is anything but linear.
The book relayed Sentilles’ own experiences, philosophical texts, and historical accounts to create a complex tapestry that delved into the intricacies of human survival. It wove together so many seemingly disparate threads into a cohesive, striking essay about violence, trauma, and the beauty of art in devastating times.
What is your favorite recent read?
“There she is, a human being, diving into the unknown, and she is wide awake.”
One of my favorite recent reads is My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh. I know, a pretty controversial choice given the narrator's general terribleness, but something about the idea of being asleep for a whole year in a drugged out, fugue state seemed similar to how I was feeling about everything going on with the pandemic. Constantly bombarded with bad news and my own anxieties about an uncertain world wracked with tragedy, I could see the appeal of going to sleep for a while and hopefully waking up to a better place without having to deal with it head-on. The ending struck me hard emotionally, and I found myself carrying it with me days after.
Can you share a photo of something you love?
My two cats, Violet (the gray one) and Poppy (the orange one)!
