People

Janie Kim

Janie Kim headshot

About

Hi! My name is Janie (she/her/hers) and I’m a senior in the Molecular Biology Department, the Program in Engineering Biology, and the Program in Creative Writing. For my more science-y thesis, I’m doing research on how a bacterium makes defensive toxins for the algae it lives inside. For my (pipette-less) fiction thesis, I plan on writing a novel on how spaces we see as “self” versus “other” shift, using maternally inherited endosymbionts to shake up gendered power dynamics. Cells and molecules and life’s microscopic whatnot.

I’m so excited to serve as a Peer Arts Advisor this year. As someone who likes the interface between the weirdness of cells and the infinitude of art forms, I’d especially love to hear from peers out there who also hang out in interdisciplinary limbo. As someone who grew up with both kimchi and In-N-Out, my writing often has snippets about being a first-generation Korean American. Overall, creative writing has been a way for me to personalize the stories inside of cells that science uncovers, and connect them with my identity and with the cultural undercurrents that are important to me. It’s taught me to appreciate the physical world around me for all of its quiet little miracles. Feel free to reach out if you want to chat about anything related to these things, tangents welcome!

The creative writing workshops at Princeton have been a valuable medium for self-discovery, learning, and exploration. The warm, collaborative vibes create a unique experience not found in typical classes. Try to take at least one workshop before you graduate, especially if you’re interested in STEM research! I think there’s a lot of creative overlap between the time spent building plots and worlds in story-writing and time spent generating new ideas and problem-solving in research.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions — I’m down to chat about anything!

 

Class of '21

Program in Creative Writing

Residential College

Rockefeller

Email Address

janiek@princeton.edu