Nayab asked Chris Bohjalian:

When did you realize that you wanted to express your creativity and knowledge through writing? Was it encouraged by others? What creative expressions (e.g. art, dance, media, music) have you tried in the past, present or future to express your creativity through?

Chris Bohjalian Oh, I knew I wanted to be a novelist from a very young age. I was writing hideous one and two page short stories in the second grade: Tales of disembodied hands emerging from wishing wells and sibling rivalry on the school safety patrol.

I have zero talent in art, dance, and music. Zip, zero, nada.

And so while I was often in the middle school and high school plays, it was usually because no one else in the student body wanted the part.

And, yes, my parents were always very supportive of my writing.

Thanks for asking!

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