This February, GFA’s Upper School welcomed novelist Weike Wang to campus for two days of discussion centered on the craft of writing. Over the course of her visit, she shared insights into her creative process and the experiences that have shaped her work.
During Upper School Assembly, Wang shared photos from her childhood through her early 20s—a “scrapbook” of her upbringing. Moving through these images, she reflected on her early life and the role language played in becoming a writer. Language, she described, required attention to how words sound, how they look, and how they come together on a page. As she advanced in STEM fields, she came to see math and science as languages in their own right: each requiring fluency, interpretation, and an ability to make complex ideas clear.
Wang spoke candidly about a shift in college and her early 20s, when she became less concerned with needing to check boxes and excel. In letting go of that need to prove herself, she was free to make choices grounded in genuine interest and curiosity. As her interests expanded across disciplines, she pursued graduate study in both the sciences and the humanities, earning an MFA from Boston University alongside three degrees from Harvard. Over time, what began as a planned path in medicine evolved into a career in writing. She encouraged students to give themselves similar grace in their own exploration, and allow space for uncertainty and luck rather than trying to plan every outcome.
During the remainder of her visit, Wang worked closely with students across the Upper School, guest teaching a variety of classes including Craft of Short Fiction, English 10, and the Creative Writing Inquiry. She also met with Penumbra staff members to talk about craft.
Her time on campus left students with a nuanced picture of what it means to build a life—one shaped not by a single track, but by curiosity and purpose.