You may not know this, but in the midst of the sleepy Tuanjiehu area lives a gentle, literary giant who left New York to look for something very special in Beijing. Brian Keith Jackson, whose novels The Queen of Harlem, Walking through Mirrors and The View from Here, have won acclaim for their ability to tackle some of life’s more sensitive topics with great élan, experiences all walks of life in Beijing, whether it be at dinners with China’s elite or slurping miantiao at his local, unnamed noodle shop. Agenda met up with Brian at one of his favorite places, the Ritz Carlton Bar, to talk about how Beijing has influenced his work.

What brought you to Beijing? I initially came in 2007 to look at the art scene, and then again in the summer of 2009 to do two writing residencies one in Beijing and one in Shanghai. I really liked the cultural aspects of Beijing, despite the rampant changes. In New York you became so consumed with the notion of being a writer, and all the things that come with that after you’ve done a lot of work, that you don’t write as much anymore. You become larger than the work, and that wasn’t something that I liked. Ironically, I came to Beijing looking for a sense of stillness, and I found a sense of stillness here that I could no longer find in New York.

How has living here changed your writing? It definitely allows me to take more risks. When you are used to an environment, there is a tendency for people to know your style and your voice, whereas here I can play a bit more with [those things] and take the larger risks that I think one should take during the course of their careers, and their lives.

How do you think being a writer from New York has influenced your relationships here? [It really influences my life] from a cultural standpoint, because this is a really culturally influenced place. People really read here. The amount of readers is amazing. As a writer that is just amazing to see, particularly in a culture that really depends on the internet. The internet is such a powerhouse here – much more than in the United States – because it’s how people have a sense of freedom and communicate with each other. On the flipside, it only takes you so far. It’s the arts. It’s something that people can pat you on the shoulder for and say, “Oh, that’s nice that you do that.” But in their minds, it’s not business – It’s not a lucrative thing, but a vanity. Socially, it does help, but if you’re not able to contribute, then it’s pointless to say that you even do it. I usually evade what I do for various reasons – sometimes people are suspicious of writers here, and I don’t want people to clam up on me because they think I might be utilizing [our interactions].

Are you planning on setting any future works in China? I actually just printed a draft of my new book called Sik. It’s set in the New York of 1992, but the character is informed by China – the innocence of young people, and their quest for love. They really take it seriously here. Love. What does it mean? This character is on that journey. Now I really want to focus on a collection of short stories set in Beijing. I think that short stories are really excellent for Beijing because it moves so quickly that it lends itself to that form. But hopefully, in the long run, I’d like to do a larger work here. It takes time, at least for me – I’m not one to show up at a place and claim to have an understanding. I think that people do that. Living here and reading things that people have printed in the West shocks me. Sometimes I feel like they are just making things up. I’m very aware that I am a guest here – a cultural ambassador. I really think you have to be here a while to get a really good sense of culture before you tackle it on paper.

Do you deal a lot with cultural and class issues in your work. Has it been difficult fitting in here, particularly as a black male? For me,I think it’s a benefit that I am not in industry, that I am an artist, because that allows me a lot of time to be alone, and I find that familiarity works everywhere. I live in Tuanjiehu, and I walk around every single day. When I go to my corner store and have left my wallet at home they’ll just tell me “mingtian, mingtian” [tomorrow, tomorrow], and I’m told that that’s never done in China. I really make a point to participate. That being said, it also doesn’t hurt that the President of the United States is an African American as well. People do take pictures, but they take pictures of everyone. And truthfully, if there is something, I don’t notice it because my mind doesn’t work that way. I almost feel invisible here. You’d think it would be opposite because I am a tall black guy who walks around all the time, but I feel very invisible, unless I come out of my headspace. I feel it less here than I do in the States, actually, as far as feeling different or other. Here, being the only westerner in a room I feel quite comfortable, but for me to be the only black person in a room in the States makes me less c o m fo r t a b l e, b e c a u s e I s t a r t questioning why that is.

How would you compare the Beijing art scene to that in New York? I think the difference is that, because people from all over the world gather there, New York tends to have everything, so it allows them to draw, or steal in some cases, from everything, and it becomes a part of the dialogue. I think here in China the cultural aspects are still shaping. People are pushing a little bit more to see what they can get away with, but they are doing it in baby steps. Even I think about this when I am writing essays for art exhibitions. I ask myself what I can say as a guest. Is this too much? In New York, one doesn’t really have to consider that. I also feel that way when I go to art exhibits. It’s a destination, but is it a destination because people are really encouraged or inspired by what they are seeing? Art, commerce and fashion – all of these things really come together, and they are all coming together simultaneously here in Beijing, which is really exciting to me, because in places like New York those things are all separate. I think we’re going to be seeing something really spectacular. You can’t blink, because it’s happening so quickly. Another thing that fascinates me is the term “developing.” People always say China is a developing country, but what does that really mean, and are we going to have to start looking at that definition and changing it? We are all developing…

Is writing a tough business to be in? It has its moments. I can be here [The Ritz Carlton Bar] one night, and quite comfortable with an eight kuai bowl of noodles the next. And they are both the same at the end of the day. I enjoy that aspect, and I think that anyone creatively inspired has to have a great understanding of high and low. It’s how you learn, and how you keep yourself really viable in what’s going on, both on the streets and in the penthouse. But ultimately, they are the same.

What are your favorite places around town? If  I’m  meeting friends I  love Madam Zhu’s  Kitchen . It’s comfortable without being pretentious. It’s easy and fun. I like coming to the Ritz Carlton Bar for drinks, of course, and I also really like the Half Bar. The Second Floor is nice because it’s small and cozy. I really don’t like forced fun, and with all of the newness that’s going on here there is this energy that you’ve got to have a good time. I try to avoid that. I seek out places where I feel there is a sense of grace, it can be a dive bar, it can be a very elegant place, but it must have a sense of grace and fluidity. I shouldn’t have to work hard to spend my money. Environment and story are really important to me, especially in locations. Haidilao is a good one as well, although I am still learning to enjoy hot pot. I like the community of it, but I don’t ever feel like I’ve eaten anything. Sureño is a sure bet, and Capital M is nice at night, especially in the summer when you can sit outside. I’ve been to Atmosphere at the Summit Wing of the China World Hotel a few times, and the service was really nice. I like the “Gotham” aspect of it – I feel like at any moment a super hero will swing in and rescue us from the enemy.

Interview by Jennifer Thomé

Madam Zhu’s Kitchen Daily 11am-9.30pm. B1/F, Bldg D, Vantone Center, 6A Chaoyangmenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (5907 1625) 朝阳区朝阳门外大街甲6号万通中心D座地 下1层

Ritz Carlton Bar Daily 5pm-1am. The Ritz Carlton Beijing, 83A Jianguo Road, Chaoyang District (5908 8131) 朝阳区朝阳区建国路93号华贸 中心

Second Floor Sun-Thu 11am-2am, Fri-Sat11am-4am. 1/F, Tongli Studio (southwest of 3.3 Shopping Mall), Sanlitun Houjie, Chaoyang District (6413 0587) 朝阳区三里屯后街同里1层

Haidilao Daily 24hrs 2A Baijiazhuang Lu (next to No. 80 Middle School), Chaoyang District (6595 2982) 朝阳区白家庄路甲2号 (八十中学西侧)And many other locations around town. www.haidilaohuoguo.com

Sureño Daily noon-3.30pm, 6-10.30pm. B1/F,The Opposite House, Sanlitun Village, 11 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District (6410 5240) 朝阳区三里屯路11号三里屯Village瑜舍地下1层 www.surenorestaurant.com

Capital M Mon-Fri 11am-2.30pm, 6-10.30pm,Sat-Sun 11.30am-5pm, 6-10.30pm (afternoon tea between 2.30-5pm). 3/F, 2 Qianmen Pedestrian Street (southeast of Qianmen), Chongwen District (6702 2727) 崇文区前门步行街2号3层 www.capital-m-beijing.com

Atmosphere Mon-Fri noon-2am, Sat and Sun noon-4am . 80/F, China World Summit Wing, 1 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Chaoyang District (6505 2299 ext 6433) 朝 阳区建国门外大街1号北京国贸大酒店80层