Cleo Qian (she/her) is
a fiction writer and poet from California. She received her MFA from NYU. Her work has appeared in over 20 outlets; was a winner of the Zoetrope: All Story Short Fiction Competition; has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, twice longlisted for the DISQUIET Prize, and supported by Sundress Academy for the Arts. By day, she works at a nonprofit. She currently splits her time between Chicago and New York.
Her debut short story collection, LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO, is out now and on tour.
Her debut short story collection, LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO, is out now and on tour.
A TIME BEST BOOK OF SUMMER |
A NYLON, PUREWOW, MS. MAGAZINE, GIZMODO, DEBUTIFUL & ALL ARTS BEST BOOK OF AUGUST |
A DEBUTIFUL, POWELLS, AND LGBTQ READS MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2023
Praise for LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO
“Perfectly askew, the stories in LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO thrum with restless questioning and acute longing, shot through with tart, knowing observations. It seemed to vibrate in my hands as I read it.” —Ling Ma, author of Bliss Montage
“Mischievous and hypnotizing, LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO takes us to manifold narrative realms where stories self-proliferate and artificial simulations often hijack and replace reality. Formally complex and emotionally potent, this is a collection I’ll return to again and again.” —Yan Ge, author of Strange Beasts of China
“Cleo Qian’s LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO is an uncanny Asian American fantasia where fringe artist collectives, melancholy K-pop stars, anxious piano prodigies, disembodied digital ghosts, and lovelorn alchemists converge. Deeply psychological, these stories confront the bizarre horrors of modern life, finding surprising beauty and supernatural catharsis. I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long, long time.” —Jean Chen Ho, author of Fiona and Jane
“LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO is sharp and unprecious about the sticky aspects of having flesh. This collection is riddled with outsiders of different shades, of people who stand back from their realities with secret and burning questions. There are really tender portraits of yearning, of the unsteady but precious entanglements of both platonic and romantic love. It’s careful and soberly rendered, and it was a pleasure to read.” —Raven Leilani, author of Luster
“In LET’S GO LET’S GO LET’S GO, Qian devastates like the best photographs from our youth, making us long for what’s lost while never losing sight of what is necessary for survival. The stories remind you that what you observe is already gone, and make you want to pay closer attention to what is already passing into memory.” —Kyle Dillon Hertz, author of The Lookback Window
“Qian’s bold and affecting debut collection explores aging, desire, cultural identity, and queer love among Asian girls and women…Qian depicts with honesty and compassion her protagonists’ complex inner lives, portraying people who are by turns thrilled and afraid, desirous and resentful as they grapple with the anxieties of growing up. This is necessary and poignant.” – Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)