Assistant Professor Sally Wen Mao follows threads to put pen to paper.
Though she joined Baruch as an English professor in Fall 2024, the acclaimed poet and author already exemplifies faculty excellence in the Weissman School ofArts and Sciences. Not only has her poetry been consistently ranked the best of the best, but her debut fantasy fiction collection, Ninetails, landed on The Washington Post’s “11 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Books of 2024” list.
Ninetails, rooted in ancient East Asian mythology, weaves together women’s issues, identity, and transformation through stories about the ancient fox spirit.
“I’ve always been attracted to fiction that spoke to the imaginative human brain, like folklore,” says Professor Wen Mao. “I wanted to write a story about a nine-tailed fox living in contemporary New York City. This mythological creature’s always been in the periphery of my consciousness because it’s an ancient part of Chinese culture.”
Her curiosity about East Asian mythology began in childhood from watching folklore-inspired palace dramas with her family. The nine-tailed fox spirit ultimately inspired her debut collection.
“I realized that Ninetails couldn’t just be one story, so I wrote nine,” she explains. “Because it’s a very obvious pun, right? Nine tails—nine tales. And I thought: I better write this book before someone else takes the pun.”
Although it took years of research, writing, and editing to get Ninetails from its first sentence to the bookstore shelves, Wen Mao was surprised by the accolades.
“I was feeling self-conscious about the book one night,” she admits. “The next morning, I found out about the list. I was shocked. You have to stick with the reader that you envision experiencing your work.”
Through the folklore lens, she appeals to a specific audience.
“My audience is women who are tired,” she says. “Ninetails was inspired by the collective anger of the horrendous things that women deal with, particularly Asian women. Throughout Chinese literature and lore, the fox spirit has always been a shapeshifter, border crosser, and creature associated with marginalized people in society.”
Her advice to writers in the Baruch College community?
“Foster your sense of curiosity, lean into your obsessions, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Follow the threads you find.”
— Erin McLaughlin-Davis