Carmen Lok is an international student from Malaysia who received her BA in English from Southern Arkansas University and is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of South Florida. Her primary focus in her new program is fiction writing, in which her Malaysian Chinese background motivates her to explore the intersections of culture and identity in everyday life. Carmen also previously served as the Student Representative for the Southwestern Region in the past year and seeks to continue her contribution to the Society with her new position in the Southern Region.
1. I chose to become an English Major/Minor because English has always given me a way to express myself personally and creatively.
2. My favorite part of being an English Major/Minor is being able to read and learn about different perspectives and lives around the world.
3. The last book I read was What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo.
4. My favorite book/series is A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata.
5. A book character I identify with is Maxine from The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston.
6. The last book I bought was A Life in Pieces by Jo-Ann Wallace and I have red it.
7. My favorite book to movie adaptation is Crazy Rich Asians.
8. I’m more of a reader and a writer.
9. My favorite style of writing is narrative fiction.
10. My go-to children’s book is Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi.
11. My favorite childhood memory is writing scripts and acting them out with my toys.
12. Growing up, I was sure I would be a veterinarian.
13. My first job was a tutor.
14. My dream job is a writer.
15. I like to spend my free time doing watching shows and calling home.
16. The destination at the top of my travel bucket list is Bora Bora.
17. The literary place I’d most like to visit is Prythian from A Court of Thorns and Roses.
18. If I could move anywhere in the world, I’d live in Malaysia.
19. If I was stranded on a desert island, the three things I would bring with me are a water filter, an emergency kit, and a blanket.
20. What is one song you could listen to on repeat? Die With a Smile by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga.
21. The best gift I ever received was a college tuition sponsorship.
22. The best gift I’ve ever given is a pair of rose gold earrings.
23. If you find me in the kitchen, I’m typically whipping up chocolate chip cookies.
24. If I could try any food from a book or series, it would be Polyjuice from Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.
25. The author (dead or alive) I’d most like to spend a day with is Toni Morrison.
