Eddy Boudel Tan

Eddy Boudel Tan is the author of two novels, After Elias and The Rebellious Tide. His work depicts a world much like our own — the heroes are flawed, truth is distorted, and there is as much hope as there is heartbreak. He lives with his husband in Vancouver, Canada. 

Twitter: @eddyautomatic 

Instagram: @eddyautomatic

Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?

I’ve been collecting maps from my travels for years. I scour tucked-away shops to find prints and hand-painted replicas of historical maps, then I frame my favourites to be hung on the walls at home.

My favourite map is one I found on a trip to Florence last year. My husband surprised me with a treasure hunt he’d planned — he’s such a romantic. He gave me a series of clues, each one leading me to a different destination in the city. We went from the top of Giotto’s Campanile, to the carousel in Piazza della Repubblica, to the Rinascente café’s terrace for a much-needed espresso break. The final clue led me to a narrow lane with a tiny shop called La Casa Della Stampa Di Sarubbi Lorenzo. It was a cave filled with paper treasures, beasts and ancient cities hand-painted by this lovely family for generations. I chose a map of Florence during the Renaissance, its rooftops the colour of saffron.

I think my love of maps began in my childhood, when I was always in charge of charting the course of family road trips, roadmap in hand. I still have boxes filled with folded maps that span decades.  

Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?

Music certainly influences my writing, but I couldn’t pinpoint a specific genre. Rather, I find that certain songs or artists evoke the atmosphere of a scene, or sometimes the novel as a whole. I tend to need silence while I’m writing, but I often listen to these tracks beforehand to help me slip into the right mood. 

The Killers’ Battle Born album, especially the track “Flesh and Bone,” and Broods’ Conscious album were major influences on my first novel, After Elias. Whenever I listen to them, I’m instantly transported to the world of that story, a mysterious island in the Gulf of Mexico. Every song by Hozier helped shape the atmosphere of my second novel, especially “Work Song.”

Is there a work of art that you love. Why? Have you ever visited it in person?

I’ve loved Le Rêve, a painting by French post-impressionist Henri Rousseau, ever since I attempted a poor graphite recreation for a high school art project. It depicts a woman reclining nude on a divan in a jungle filled with flora and fauna. The colours and hidden details are dream-like and exotic. I was lucky enough to see the original up close and personal a few years ago at the MoMA in New York. My art project is still hanging proudly in my parents’ home. 

What do you worry about?

Oh, gosh. What do I not worry about? I’m generally a positive, upbeat person, so most people think I’m this carefree bon vivant. The truth is I’m a classic over-thinker, and I tend to get pulled into whirlpools of worry and anxiety. You can probably imagine that 2020 has not been an easy year for me so far!

Aside from the things everyone worries about — the health and safety of my loved ones, the state of the world in general — I’d say what keeps me up at night is the fear of wasting time, that I’ll wake up one day at the age of ninety and regret not having spent my life more wisely or generously, not loving enough, not being kind enough or selfless enough, not making a positive difference in the world. This worry guides much of how I live my life. I refuse to let any of it come true.

What brings you great joy?

Funny enough, I’ve been thinking about joy lately. Just the other day, I asked my closest friend about the last time she felt joyful. Happiness has a certain complacency to it, while joy is explosive.

For me, discovery is what brings me joy. Learning something new about myself, about one another, about the world. Exploring a new place, its people and its culture. Being surprised, having my perceptions challenged or completely demolished. These are the moments when I find joy, realizing how little I know and have experienced, and remembering how vast life can be if we let it.

This is the goal of my writing. I want people to feel things that are explosive and unexpected, to see the familiar in new ways. I want people to discover, and to feel joy.