The Stacks – Ep. 395: DIY Fame with Jade Chang
Host: Traci Thomas
Guest: Jade Chang (author of What a Time to Be Alive)
Date: October 22, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode dives into Jade Chang’s new novel, What a Time to Be Alive, which follows Lola Treasure Gold, a thirty-one-year-old woman thrust into accidental internet fame after her impassioned speech at a friend’s funeral goes viral. Traci Thomas and Jade examine the intersections between influencer culture, grief, personal reinvention, and the commodification of self. They also touch on writing craft, audience, and the realities behind both literary and influencer economies. Through vulnerable and lively discussion, they expose the double-edged nature of online visibility and unpack the emotional currents underpinning virality, grief, and guidance.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Novel’s Premise and Genesis
2. Influencer Culture & DIY Fame
3. Grief as Core Motif
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Centrality of Loss:
- Chang insists that Lola’s journey into internet fame is inseparable from her grief; every story turn is meant to be “emotionally earned.”
“You feel like you’re interacting with the world in a different way ... you’re also...you do have this sense that life is short, you don’t know what’s going to happen. Let me try.” – Jade, [17:30]
- The co-existence of pain and strange delight in grief is explored, capturing the unexpected “pleasure” in shared mourning:
“We never talk about how there’s a corner of grief that feels like pleasure...To experience something so overwhelming that there’s no room in your body for a single other thing...It’s a kind of love.” – Traci quoting Jade’s novel, [18:10]
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Literary Approach:
- The aim was to interrogate grief from all possible angles, challenge “taboo” feelings, and seek honesty in emotional depiction.
4. The Writer’s Craft: Voice, Audience, & Process
5. Naming, Details, and Character Construction
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On “Lola Treasure Gold”:
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The main character’s name originated from a blend of cultural influences and maximalist sensibilities. Treasure is a common endearment in Chinese families; the last name Gold, a translation/adaptation of a Chinese surname, is part of the character’s backstory.
“I like a name that packs a punch...her mom is ready to just give her a Chinese name...but there is another influential caretaker...Treasure is a very common nickname in Chinese...her actual Chinese last name...she changes it to the English.” – Jade, [35:22]
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Astrological Details:
- Lola’s birthday is in December (Sagittarius).
“I 100% thought about it in the sense that...I didn’t want to make her a Gemini and have people read so much into that Gemini designation...” – Jade, [41:22]
6. Book Recommendations and Literary Kin
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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“I really, really wanted every story turn to feel so emotionally earned.” – Jade, [00:00]
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“Did you feel attacked or did you feel seen?” – Jade, playfully teasing Traci about recognizing herself in influencer culture, [05:56]
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“You can just, like, put yourself out there. DIY fame, baby. It’s true.” – Traci, [10:49]
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“I think we really seek emotion. You know, I think we...want to be filled with emotion. And that is especially in those moments where you have a shared grief.” – Jade, [19:00]
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“You do not know who your audience is. Like, the range of people. It was thrilling, actually.” – Jade, [27:13]
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“There’s a version of this book that is like satire. And then there’s the version that you wrote that is like, very—it’s like big hearted.” – Traci, [30:07]
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“I like a name that packs a punch...Lola Treasure Gold.” – Jade, [35:22]
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“We would gather...during the Pomodoro times, which are 45 minutes apiece, where we’re working. If we have any funny comments or little bits of gossip or questions, Emma makes us write it down on the agenda...” – Jade, on her writing group, [44:43]
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“My favorite is...a slow beer I love to have. Truly a beer that takes an hour and a half to two hours to drink.” – Jade, on writing snacks, [48:18]
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“Embarrass is so hard. I can’t spell embarrassed.” – Traci, [49:18]
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“If you could have one person dead or alive read this book, who would you want it to be?”
“...I guess my answer would be Maxine Hong Kingston, who was the first Asian American author that I read when I was younger, who wrote a book that I felt, like, blown away by...” – Jade, [55:41]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Book Summary and Premise: [03:09]
- Influencer Culture and Personal Reflections: [05:21–15:22]
- On Grief as Motivation and Motif: [16:04–20:19]
- Craft, Voice, and Audience: [21:44–30:07]
- Satire, Heart, and Book’s Tone: [30:07–32:05]
- Naming Characters & Personal Process: [35:01–38:35]
- Writing Group & Pomodoro Process: [41:44–46:01]
- Writing Snacks & Fun Questions: [47:40–49:40]
- Book Recommendations & Literary Kinship: [52:43–54:44]
- Who Should Read the Book: [55:41]
Tone & Takeaways
Jade Chang and Traci Thomas foster an atmosphere of conviviality, candor, and intellect, with much laughter and mutual respect (as well as a healthy dose of self-deprecation). Listeners leave with a richer understanding of how internet fame and grief can intersect, how novels navigate between satire and ‘heart,’ and how the work of writing is both solitary and deeply communal.
For readers and writers interested in the emotional realities of online culture, the role of grief in personal transformation, and the hidden architecture of novels, this episode is essential listening.
