“I arrived in Beijing for the M Residency after having put aside my creative work for the better half of a year to contend with life’s other demands. The residency allowed me the time to confront difficult revisions and continue correspondences with editors. I was grateful for the stretch of days devoted to writing without distraction and the afternoons spent in research at the Anton Library of Chinese Studies. A new atmosphere and a different schedule can change the way you work, and I appreciated having time for discovery as I found my way to surprising new work. I also enjoyed getting lost in the city, reconnecting with places I used to know, and noting the changes both in the urban landscape and in my own life. I left the residency with not only new drafts but also a renewed habit of keeping the work central.”
