An Interview With Kelly Murashige

My roots talk with their roots. They have no name, yet our branches touch where the wind plays in our canopy. I call them nothing, yet they know when I speak to them. They know how I feel. I haven't a name either, but there is still no doubt in them nor in me. The humans; they have names, do they not? I hear them speaking when they come running below on hot days. In my centuries, I have heard many names. But they are humans. They do not know who they are, nor do they know their history, if they carry no name.

Among the Hawaiian trees lives Kelly Murashige, a writer; now the newest contributor to the Serein Lark Review. After three consecutive creative non-fiction pieces, we are finally returning to the realm of fiction, where the stories and worlds and everything in between are made-up (impressive what our minds can conjure, isn't it?)

This Monday, Kelly Murashige's short story 'Any Other Name' will be live right here on the Serein Lark Review. Will you be there when it comes? To prepare yourself for the release, you can read more about Kelly in the interview below!

Can you introduce yourself? Who are you, Kelly?

Hi, I'm Kelly. I live in Hawaiʻi, where I was born and raised, and much of my writing touches on identity and culture. I love books, music, video games, and animals, and I'm very happy to have a piece included in The Serein Lark Review.

What would you like to tell the reader about 'Any Other Name'? Why should they read it?

This is a short, quiet piece about the meaning behind a name. It isn't the flashiest or most plot-driven story, but it's a slow dive into the importance of knowing our history.

Talk us through your writing process with this short piece.

It really did begin with the name Sable, [which ends up being a particularly significant name in the short story.] I remember coming across the name for the first time when I was playing Animal Crossing on my Nintendo DS. One of the characters was called Sable, and I never quite let go of that name. I knew a lot of other girls (and one boy) named Kelly, so for much of my childhood, I did want to change my name. I'm afraid the story behind "Kelly" isn't quite as special as the one found in "Any Other Name," though; "Kelly" was just the only name that both my parents liked.

Parts of "Any Other Name" came very quickly. Some sections, including the opening and the section touching on everything the main character couldn't have, were there from the start. The details and overall flow took a little extra work. The piece also evolved thanks to your guidance, Eva. I enjoyed the editing process and love what we were able to create.

For how long have you been writing?

I hate to be the person who claims to have been writing for as long as I can remember, but I really have loved writing all my life. I started submitting short stories as a teenager to my school's literary journal, wrote about a hundred terrible manuscripts for years afterward, and had my first novel published back in 2024.

 Is 'Any Other Name' typical of your writing style and genre?

"Any Other Name" is more grounded in realism than my novels, but I think the quirkiness in my books can also be found in this piece.

Here is an excerpt from Kelly's short story, 'Any Other Name':

As she grew older, she found herself fascinated by everything she could not have: mansions, dogs, and horses. Birds and cats and little fish. The attention of girls too cool for her. The affection of boys who found her quiet and off-putting. Yet above all else, she believed it was her name that left her unhappy.

My favourite question: Do you have any habits when you write, such as always having a cup of tea by your side or a special place you must write for the sake of the creative juices (or something more peculiar, like Victor Hugo's alleged need to write nude)?

Does "crunching myself down in my chair and chewing my lip" count as a habit? I'm afraid I don't have many others. I definitely can't imagine writing nude. Sending work to literary journals feels vulnerable enough. That being said, I do tend to listen to music at a very, very low volume while writing.

What do you enjoy reading? What are you reading right now?

Oh, goodness. I love reading just about anything. I recently had to select my three favorite reads of the year for Book DNA, and it was painful to choose only three. I just started a romance novel by Katherine Center, but I'm also working my way through Harlan Coben's book on craft. I'm also planning on reading the collected O. Henry prize stories from 2016; I've been working my way through recent years' winners, and I've found so many favorites.

Do you have any other publications you would like to point our readers to? Or is there someplace readers can follow you for updates on future work?

I am fortunate enough to have two young adult books out with Soho Teen: The Lost Souls of Benzaiten and The Yomigaeri Tunnel. My adult debut, Milkiverse, will be released with Soho Press in February 2027. I love short stories and have my published pieces listed on my website, kellymurashige.com. I have a newsletter at kellymurashige.substack.com for updates and rambling.

Thank you so much for having me, Eva, and thank you to anyone who took the time to read this interview and the piece.

I have gone by what must be a million names over the years, picking and choosing and twisting a selection of my four names to endless results. Why? For the convenience of others, of course... But I am my whole name. In my heart, I am the stepping stone in a history of names, of people, of grandmothers, and I thank you, Kelly, for your writing. I wish you the best of luck with your debut adult novel - I look forward to reading it! (I wonder what you have named the characters.)