Kitty: The Words of a Woman Who Breathes Fire Alice: So that was in 1983. | K: Yes. | A: What was the response to that book?
K: There was a pretty big response, which was kind of amazing for it still being 1983.
A: mhm. That's your first publication. K: Yes and I always wanted to be a writer since I was a kid, and I remember the
first copy that I received from my publisher. I read it cover-to-cover, and my first reaction was
Oh my god! Of course, they didn't have that expression back. [laughter] I was like I said this and that and that
about myself? I was shocked because I was telling all these truths. You know, things that you
don't...being a nice Chinese girl, you don't talk about your attraction for women. You don't talk
about your addiction. A: Yeah. I got that book when most likely in 1986 in New Haven when I was
at school, and picked it up at a women's bookstore in New Haven, and basically was
looking for other Asian-American women's writings because I had, you know, been exposed to,
Nellie Wong, Janice Mirikitani, Merie Woo through This Bridge Called My Back and Janice Mirikitani's
books. I distinctly, you know, remember...wow, now I could see that there were other Asian-American
lesbians like you know that resonated with me because you don't obviously you can't read about
it very often anywhere. K: You know, being recognized as this year's 2016 Phoenix
Honoree, that was very humbling for me. I mean, I cried because I think I felt like part of
the reason I left San Francisco was that I was not being acknowledged, or respected, or valued.
And so I thought well maybe I need to go somewhere else and do something else.
A: Do you feel like there's something that I haven't asked you about that you want me to um or you want to share about?
K: Yes, there is one thing I kind of would like to end with is that, um you know,
when Amy Suyeoshi first came down to interview me in 2014. She called me a legend and
I had kind of an adverse reaction to that because I don't see myself as a role model.
I certainly don't see myself as a legend or an icon. A: What is it about not being seen as a role
model, like you don't think you're a role model. K: Because I didn't do these things to become a
role model. I just followed the path that I was given...that I was walking along. I'm not going
to say, yes, I am Kitty the legend, but I can say, yes, I am Kitty Tsai the writer.
A: Right. Well thank you, Kitty, for doing that, and for blazing a trail, and even though maybe you didn't
set out to blaze a trail. I don't think people usually do that. They just happen.
You've done what you've wanted to, and that in turn has become blazing a trail, so thank you for being
a role model, and thank you for being a figure for many people who need to know more
about, and thank you for your writing and I hope you continue to do so. K: Thank you.