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Amy Y.Q. Lin
B. 1996, Washington D.C. Based in Seattle.
caretLast updated May 13 2026

Amy Y.Q. Lin is a writer and pianist. Her writing is published in Catapult, The Rumpus, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Creative Independent, One Story, and elsewhere. A finalist for the 2026 Fractured Lit Fractured and Fused Prize, she has received residencies and scholarships from The Seattle Public Library, Tin House, The Kenyon Review, and Sewanee Writers' Conference. Lin holds an MFA in Fiction from NYU and BA in Computer Science from Cornell University. She is working on her first novel.

Fiction:

  • "A Precious Stone," a short story in Catapult (Dec 2022)

Interviews:

  • "The Body and Other Sites of Resistance" with Sarah Wang in Los Angeles Review of Books (May 2026)
  • "On Working Through Discomfort" with M Lin in The Creative Independent (May 2026)
  • "Very Little of This Book Is Made-up: Talking with R.F. Kuang about her Novel" in The Rumpus (May 2023)
  • "Accessing the Truth: An Interview with Josh Riedel" in One Story (Mar 2023)

Criticism:

  • "'This Is Not a Drill': Maggie Nelson's New Book, The Slicks," a book review in The Rumpus (Jan 2026)
  • "In This Corner of the World is a Simple, Perfect Exhibit of Life," a film review in The Cornell Daily Sun (Nov 2017)
  • "Not Strange At All," a music review in The Cornell Daily Sun (Aug 2016)
  • "Stardew Valley: Pushing The Boundaries of Farming RPGs," a video game review in The Cornell Daily Sun (Feb 2016)
  • "Appreciating Miyazaki: Insight Into a Master's World," a film review in The Cornell Daily Sun (Jan 2015)
  • "A Lost French Classic Remembered," a film review in The Cornell Daily Sun (Jan 2015)
  • "Movie Review: The Maze Runner," a film review in The Cornell Daily Sun (2014)
  • "Spinning Singles," a music review in The Cornell Daily Sun (2014)
  • "Cover Boy: An Uncensored Observation on LGBTQ Struggles," a dance review in The Cornell Daily Sun (2014)

Journalism:

  • "Interview with Sehnbon, Best Of Broker" in Piltover Archive (May 2026)
  • "Exclusive: RQ Houston Champion Miss Fortune card sells for $100,000," a feature in Piltover Archive (Apr 2026)
  • "Interview with GhaelWinds, Houston's Best Of Yasuo" in Piltover Archive (Apr 2026)
  • "Literary Roundup: Washington Square Review's 2022 Staff Picks," a listicle in Washington Square Review (Jan 2023)

Content Marketing:

  • "Video Game Testers Hiring Guide," an article in Toptal's Engineering Blog (Sep 2024)
  • Copy for Web and React pages in Toptal's Engineering Blog (Aug 2024)
  • "Going Serverless: Benefits and Considerations," an article in Toptal's Engineering Blog (May 2024)

"'This Is Not a Drill': Maggie Nelson's New Book, The Slicks"
The Rumpus
January 2026

maggieNelson
I wonder if there is great irony in the brilliance of Nelson's work: even a poet and scholar of her caliber cannot pour too much of herself into her writing—or at least she has taken great care not to be considered "emotional." ...more
"A Precious Stone"
Catapult
December 2022

sirinThadaIllustration by Sirin Thada for Catapult
A humble name. Shi Tou cannot be mistaken for a precious stone. To be something ordinary makes you less fragile. ...more
"Very Little of This Book is Made-Up: Talking With R.F. Kuang About Her Novel"
The Rumpus
May 2023

rfKuangAuthor photo by John Packman
I don't think there are easy answers. Should we make judgments about rudeness when we talk about artistic freedom? ...more
"Accessing the Truth: An Interview with Josh Riedel"
One Story
March 2023

riedelAuthor photo by Andrew Owen
A lot of my work asks, How can we truly know another person? ...more