How much time do you spend reading when you are working on a novel? What kinds of things do you read? 

I probably spend about half my time reading and researching, the other half — which never seems like enough — writing. What I read tends to depend on the subject, but for Painter I read a lot of contemporary and classical Chinese short stories and novels, a fair amount of Chinese history texts (anything by Jonathon Spence is highly recommended), several English-language novels set in China (Pearl Buck was a surprise discovery for me; I actually really loved a lot of her work) and, of course, books about the painting process and the art world and Paris and Shanghai in the 1920's and 30's. Some of my favorite experiences were tracking down old guidebooks to those cities (I just love old books; one of my dreams is to make enough money to buy a first-edition Wharton or Dickens) and then just immersing myself in them. It was like time travel. For the novel I'm working on now I'm reading a lot about World War II, a lot of classical Japanese novelists (Tanizaki, Mishima, and Dazai--whom I just love)  and also trying to brush up my Japanese (I was fairly fluent at one point) to read Japan-based novels and memoirs as well.  

What’s your next project? 

As you've probably gathered — Japan! Something set against the firebombings of Tokyo in 1945. There will be some familiar themes but some new stuff too, hopefully. I'm about two chapters in and already really enjoying it (well, as much as you can enjoy writing about firebombings, I guess).

Thanks so much Jennifer for you’re time and a great interview.