Silver Sparks: An Author Interview

Though my TBR grows daily, this did not stop me from adding J.S. Bowers’ newest novel, Silver Sparks to my list of must reads. Today, I’m excited to dive into the writing life of J.S Bowers, learning about his process for publishing his second book, finding his writing community, and making a career out of being an author.

Let’s start at the beginning, when did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Kayla, my dad's side of the family ran a newspaper in northwest Iowa, going back to 1915. I remember visiting there when I was 7, and my grandfather let me bang away on his typewriter. He published in the paper a ridiculous little piece I wrote about birds. My first byline! I was hooked.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between?

I'm notoriously unable to outline. It's embarrassing to admit it, because I harbor in my hard little heart the conviction that good writers view their stories in panoramic start-to-finish visions before they ever set a word to paper. My strength as a pantser is that I love to surprise myself, and I'm not reluctant to throw out chapters when I realize they're not working for the story.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I'm so fortunate to have a beautiful back porch that overlooks a small wooded wetland area. For the winter, I will have to take the same zero-gravity recliner chair into the basement and write there. I've trained myself as best I can to write anyplace. I write in my car, but first I park and get into the passenger seat.

Did you curate a playlist for Silver Sparks while writing, or is music too distracting for your process?

I prefer to have quiet while I'm writing. I write songs, in addition to writing fiction. When music is playing I tend to give at least half my attention to it, you know, figuring out the chord changes, listening for passages I like. See my website for more about songwriting. I've been working with the same collaborator for more than forty years.

Without too many spoilers, which was your favorite scene to write in Silver Sparks?

I tried to make Silver Sparks a fun and lighthearted book, but there is a sequence in the middle where Kaneia has run away from home after witnessing a crash. She is really quite ill, and she's hiding out in an underground hovel, undergoing a personal transformation. That scene allowed me to write about depression and metamorphosis.

When I wrote that scene during my first draft, I recognized that it was much better than what I had written up to then. It was a turning point for me. The rest of the novel flowed easily, and then I went back and uplifted what came before. It was my favorite scene to write and is still my favorite scene to read.

Is there any advice you would give to writers considering independent publishing?

Yes, and my first piece of advice is to learn from what Kayla King has done. Kayla, you have been a role model for me and I wouldn't have been brave enough to step into this world if I hadn't seen what a success you made of it. Indie authors support each other, and there are lots of excellent free resources for getting started. I won't start banging the drum here, but I'm an enthusiastic advocate for authors to publish their own work.

What comes next? Is there another project you will be working on following publication of Silver Sparks?

Silver Sparks is really special for me because it was the first novel I wrote and finished. But it wasn't the first novel I published. When I moved to New York in 2019, I started working more diligently and my writing skills improved. I wrote a novel called Wash Away that introduced some characters and storylines that I really loved.

So my next project is the sequel to Wash Away, tentatively titled Fast Asleep, and I'm well underway with writing it. At this stage in my career, I'm more interested in finding readers than in making money, so Wash Away is priced to steal at 99 cents.

What is your favorite thing about your book cover?

Oh, boy. I am so happy about my book covers. Both of them were designed by a talented Romanian artist named Tudor Popa. He gave me wise guidance as I figured out what I wanted. What I most love about the Silver Sparks cover, and this is silly because it's a tiny design element, but there's an almost-invisible row of interlocking salamander silhouettes right above my name. It utterly delights me.

What did you learn after publishing your first book?

It takes work to find your readers, your audience. It requires patience and strategy. I have used free promotions on amazon.com, and inexpensive paid placements in book-promotion newsletters, to try to get Wash Away into as many hands as I could.

Months passed before I started to get signups to my author mailing list and reviews from strangers. But the other thing I learned is that self-publishing is a really forgiving endeavor. If you recognize that something is not working the way you want, it's generally easy to fix it. I try to live by the attitude that this is my career now, and I'll get better and better with every book.

Was there any part of the process, either writing or publishing that you changed the second time around?

I involved a larger group of beta readers for my second book. I hesitate to confess this because I know it violates best practices, but I didn't hire a professional editor or a proofreader for either of my books. I used to work as a proofreader, so I have a pretty high level of confidence about it, but when you read your own work, it's hard to apply the focus and discipline necessary to find typos. I had the (possibly deluded) hope that having more beta readers would mean they were more likely to find typos. So far I have not discovered any errors in either finished book.

Have there been any recent books you’ve read that stood out or that you would recommend?

I'm a fan of Susanna Clarke. I liked both Piranesi and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. Her two books are not at all like each other, and I admire that she stepped off a ledge that way, and didn't try to duplicate her first book.

As someone who has found a writing group, can you share why you sought one out in the first place?

The answer to that question has a lot of facets for me, but the most simple truth is that I couldn't get better as a writer without sharing my work and listening to feedback. I had my first writing group while I was in college.

I like a group where we read our work aloud, and I've tried to develop the skill of spotting awkward sentences and other problems while I'm reading. If you stumble over a phrase while you're reading it aloud, there's a problem with that sentence.

Can you share he benefits of being part of a writing group?

Something I've recognized about myself is that I really like to talk to other writers. That's one of the reasons I signed up to be the Buffalo-area municipal liaison for National Novel Writing Month. I enjoy the company of writers and I like "talking craft," as they say.

For me it is immensely rewarding just to be able to chat with the other five members of my writing group. We chose each other and I think we have a high degree of commitment. I am lucky to know people so insightful. I learn by listening to other people's work and by trying to understand it well enough to give practical, helpful comments.

As you know, Kayla, I'm not somebody who blithely smiles and bounces back complimentary patter. Nobody in our group is like that. We're honest and we're vulnerable, and we passionately believe in each other.

Are there any writers who inspire you to keep pursuing this passion?

This may be an ass-backward answer to your question, but lately I've been thinking about Franz Kafka. He didn't publish during his lifetime, and in my opinion, he didn't wish to publish his work. He wrote for himself and that gave him the freedom to be as innovative and as unconventional as he wanted to be.

I would like to find that same kind of freedom of imagination, to envision a story that begins with a man waking up as a vermin without any further explanation.I like authors who throw commercial considerations to the wind. Kafka wrote one of my favorite quotes about writing: "You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet."I

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Kayla, thank you for sharing your good will with me so generously! To anybody who has read this far, thank you and I would love to hear from you.

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About Silver Sparks

When you land a flying bicycle on the water, keep the wings level! And wear rubber gloves while handling the swamp dragons, or you will get very high. Silver Sparks is a young adult eco-adventure with a dash of magic and first love. Join Kaneia and Jasper in their fight to save the salamanders of Trevian Bay.

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About J.S. Bowers

Fiction writer and novelist from western New York. Guitar jackhammerer. My science fantasy satire novel Wash Away was published in February 2022. Editor of the memoirs of Joan Haverty Kerouac, Nobody’s Wife. You can follow more of J.S. Bowers’ writing journey at his website, or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Something True: An Author Interview

Upon compiling advice to young writers, I wondered what wisdom those youthful storytellers might be able to share. The search for such a person was not difficult, as one of the most dedicated writers I know happens to be younger than most.

Meeting at Lock Keeper, the namesake for our writing group, proved to be the perfect place for this interview. Keep reading for a behind-the-scenes look at the writing life of Uriah Allis!

When did you know you wanted to be a storyteller?

Prior to telling stories on paper, I told them in my head. This mostly involved me being Peter Pan or Spider-Man. There are pictures of kindergarten-era Uriah in a Spider-Man costume poised on our roof in that iconic pose like Tobey Maguire, who was my Spider-Man growing up.

One day, when I was about five, my mom was upstairs and heard this huge bang. Downstairs, she found an enormous circular crack in our drywall. Of course she asked me what happened. In complete seriousness, I explained: “Mom, an elephant walked through the living room, kicked the wall, and then walked out.” She started laughing. That might be the earliest moment when looking back, I can say, oh, I’ve been a storyteller for a long time. (Just to clarify, no elephant came through the house. I was likely Spider-Man climbing the wall and finding the task beyond my human abilities.)

It’s interesting you say “storyteller.” I didn’t have a television in my house until I was fourteen. I read books, listened to audiobooks, and told my own stories. It was my way of processing my role in the world.

Perhaps I’m giving human beings too much credit, but it seems our way of interfacing with reality encourages telling ourselves stories about the world as it exists, about how it could be, and how it should be. In that sense, we’re all storytellers. It just takes a certain kind of person and/or set of circumstances to share those stories.

Stories are a safe way to make sense of ourselves and life itself. It can be very scary in “real life” to make mistakes you might otherwise avoid by imagining those scenarios through stories. I believe there’s inherent value in doing that from a young age—of asking yourself what ifs. With age, what ifs mature as you grasp a more holistic view of the world. You meet people and garner experiences. You see human patterns of behavior repeat. At the end of the day, we have a choice to stand in the midst of it all and realize, wow, this is an extraordinary maze in which I’ve found myself—this horrifying, beautiful, extraordinary, terrifying world.

Knowing that you have a passion for stop motion stories on screen, can you share what inspires you most about this form of storytelling?

Though I didn’t have a television until age fourteen, I discovered many classic animated films by visiting my grandparents’ house. Their VCR rack was a treasure trove that included all the old Disney films and Bob the Builder, which was my introduction to stop motion.

What I value about stop motion is that you can literally see the fingerprint of the artist. In one way or another, I uncover that same human DNA in almost all mediums, apart from some CGI. There’s something magical about that. It at once reveals the artifice of the art while inviting you to see a more holistic picture of not only the art but the artist.

Another example of this motif in stop motion is called, in the industry, “chatter.” This describes the micro-movements of a puppet designed with hair or fur. You’ll notice the fibers move from frame to frame. It reminds you that an animator must reposition those puppets between every single shot.

Those examples from stop motion all add another layer of humanity to the art in question. In the same way, as a child I loved the art in Peanuts by Charles Schultz. Interestingly enough, my favorite cartoons are the ones he illustrated after having a stroke. His fine motor movements became limited, almost parkinsonian, resulting in illustrations that are “jagged.”

What I love about those jagged lines is they remind you there is no ideal “perfect”—either in art or life. I believe it’s our responsibility as humans to open our eyes to the beauty in the world. Often that can only come through accepting something as a whole. That includes the artifice and broken bits.

Art criticism is complicated; art is created by imperfect people. Nevertheless, the art itself—sometimes heightened by problematic elements—can provide a wonderful human reflection to consider and ask, what is here for me?

As you were not always a self-proclaimed poet, when did you begin to immerse yourself in this world?

It was only in January of this year, 2021. That was after my first semester of nursing school, which was extraordinarily stressful on many fronts.

Over my winter break, I decided to carve out time to explore new things. In writerly terms, I chose to set wider margins for my life—spaces where I could find respite from the constant doing of life.

During that break, I visited my cousin. We intended to visit an ice rink because she adores ice-skating. Unfortunately, the ice rink was closed, so we decided to visit Barnes & Noble. With my new “wider margins” philosophy in mind, I waltzed into the poetry section and found Rupi Kaur’s poems. I devoured her first collection, milk and honey, in thirty minutes.

Until that point, I viewed the ability to read and write poetry as an ethereal gift the gods give to a select few. What struck me about Rupi Kaur’s poetry was just how accessible it is without sacrificing any of its emotional or thematic integrity.

I felt like her poems simply said, here is my soul. The vulnerability she exemplifies in milk and honey and her subsequent collections is incredibly striking.

From that moment in Barnes & Noble, I knew poetry was not only something I wanted to be part of, but realized, I’m already a part of this. I just need to write down my experiences.

Shortly thereafter, I discovered Sharon Olds’s poetry. I was inspired by how she discussed complicated relationships and traumas she survived in such a frank yet tender manner.

Both Rupi Kaur and Sharon Olds showed me the potential poetry has to create what may be likened to taking a Polaroid of an emotional landscape. More than any other medium, poetry can capture the subjective experience of being human in relatable snapshots that would be diminished by recounting objective facts. Poetry can lift you up in a way that goes beyond words.

While discovering this fresh world of poetry, I began to write my own poems. Early on, I was insecure about the quality of my work. I shared my poetry with two people: you and Amanda, a mutual friend of ours. The feedback and encouragement you both provided was very heartening.

My only goal in writing poetry was to be as honest and vulnerable as possible. Frankly, my standard for poetry has not changed. There is no mathematical equation—in terms of rhyme and meter—that equates to a “good poem.” My only parameter is that everything I write must be honest, visceral, emotional, and true.

Poets have to bring themselves to the page. That can be painful. You must strip away your defense mechanisms. Only then can you see yourself as you are.

I imagine that’s why my poems often come to me when I am meditating. I am as vulnerable to myself as I can be at that time. Poetry has the power to capture those moments, giving it a magnetism that draws me as no other medium does.

Kayla King: What I love about modern poetry is the approachability, which I hear when you speak about your first reading experience with Rupi Kaur’s work. This kind of poetry presents an invitation, calling you in, and then breaking your heart. As humans, we find ourselves addicted to tragedy and heartbreak, in part because those emotions are so deeply ingrained in us. Seeing that another person has experienced something similar and found a way to work through, allows us to move forward in a way we might not have without those words. This is something I continue to admire in your poetry, so raw and honest. 

If the modern age of Instagram poets and social media taught us anything, it’s that we can very quickly put something out in the world. It might seem less intimate than a relationship with another person, but sharing words without knowing what’s going to come back, saying, this is who I am at the deepest roots of self, there’s power in that. 

Uriah Allis: I agree. There is something that creates a sense of triumph when you read a resonate poem. Poetry can grapple with profound realities we face in our everyday lives, yet rarely confront—life, death, and love. Poetry gives us a safe space to process and talk about these concepts not only in broad terms, but in their minutia.

The mere fact that a poet made it through the experiences they’re writing about, that someone else saw it, published their work, and somehow it reached us—the readers—is powerful. Although the lives of many poets ended in tragedy, that doesn’t mean their poetry will catalyze tragedy for others. It can mean quite the opposite. Poetry can allow us to recognize our own tragedy, and reconcile with it.

KK:  In a sense, poetry is the most human form of writing. Poems don’t have to be any one thing. Unlike typical novels where we can pinpoint a beginning, middle, and end, there is no need to be linear. The poems that strike me most are often a random collection of images from points in the author’s life that add up to something magical. Similarly, life is a random collection of moments that make us who we are. This stuns me time and again, and I’ve found those points in your poetry as well. 

UA: I appreciate that, thank you. To add on, we may not only be inherent storytellers, but also the inherent story. 

I’m not a believer in a finitely tuned timeline to humanity in which we are cogs in a system and there is a fate we are all headed for. Rather, as you say, I believe we are like pinballs in a pinball machine. Stories are a wonderful way to conceptualize the many random—or seemingly random—events in our lives. Stories allow us to see the gradations of beauty along the way.

I’m not even sure it’s about searching for some conclusive meaning at the roots of our lives. We seem to designate those meanings as we try to make sense of life. That’s what I mean by saying it’s almost a self-imposed responsibility to tell stories.

Stories also give us reason to believe the world needs to make sense. I doubt other animals are the same way. (That said, maybe I’m not giving dolphins enough credit.)

Weirdly, humans believe there needs to be a genie in the bottle. The truth may be far less tantalizing: a factory may process the glass; distillery workers might pour an alcoholic spirit into the finished container; the bottle could be lost in an ocean and wash up on shore.

Through that lens, many of our stories might try to make sense out of broken glass. But we believe there needs to be something deeper.

I think that says more about us than anything else.

While you touched on utilizing meditation while writing poetry, does your process for writing differ for fiction?

With fiction, I feel it’s necessary to just get words on the page. Whether or not those words become anything is what revision is for.

Regarding poetry, I don’t put that same pressure on myself. I don’t plan to write poetry. Rather, poetry really does come to me out of the ether. Sometimes it goes somewhere. Sometimes it doesn’t. 

However, I see false starts in poetry as valuable. I often find there’s something deeper I’m trying to get at. After writing one or two false starts, I usually stumble upon what I’ve been searching for the whole time.

As far as my process goes, I write freehand in my hardback Minimalism Art notebook.

Before I wrote poetry, I decided to try my best to keep from compartmentalizing my life. I reflect this in my notebook—you’ll find writing in it for nursing, journaling, writer’s group, fiction, and poetry. When it comes to creativity, I find it valuable to take in the whole of your life to create inclusive and honest art.

I write in several different colors, usually with G2 gel pens. In my first drafts, you’ll notice a lot of scribbling, illegible lines, strike-throughs, and so on. I’m a messy writer.

For instance, in my poem “fireflies” —which won first place in a poetry competition my college put on—I circled the second line and drew an arrow to denote it should be the last line.

One rule for myself comes from something I first heard Billy Collins talk about. He purely revises his poetry for what he calls “sound pleasures.” I only revise my poetry for phonetic readability. I don’t alter the original intent or theme of the poem.

If you were to Candid Camera my process for drafting a poem, you would probably find me doing a menial task like washing dishes or folding laundry. By doing something that doesn’t involve a lot of thought, I can allow my mind to wander. Then poems come to me. You might call it the “Bugs Bunny effect”: my ears perk up, I dash to my room, pull out my notebook, and write down my ideas.

Have there been any recent books or poems you’ve read that have stood out?

Over this summer, I went on a Civil War history tour of battlefields on the East Coast. During my trip, I visited a bookstore in Fredericksburg, VA, called Riverby Books. There I found a beautiful poetry collection called Conversations During Sleep by Michele Wolf.

There’s a handwritten message on the front cover from the poet encouraging the reader to “keep writing those beautiful poems.” It felt like inheriting my responsibility as a poet: to tell the truth.

I know you have a book with important postcards left by the original owner. Those details in secondhand books add a history to the paper and ink in our hands.

In Conversations During Sleep, there’s a poem called, “Response to a Reading.” In it, Michele Wolf critiques two poems that quite unsettlingly portray sex with the undertones of sexual assault.

What struck me about Michele Wolf’s poem was her approach to critiquing this very disconcerting language. She uses such gentle rhetoric to draw a line and say, this is very fucked up.

That poem reminds me poetry has the power to take issues that can become so emotionally charged that no productive conversation is able to develop around them. Poetry finds a way to cut straight to the human heart. I believe it is the perfect vessel to circumnavigate the political divides we face. It allows us to discuss timeworn, problematic, patriarchal ideals especially prevalent in this country.

Michele Wolf reminds me that poetry is a brilliant mode of self-reflection—not only on one’s own beliefs and perspective, but on how one’s beliefs and perspective are born out of the culture we grow up in. It can make something that is otherwise inaccessible quite accessible, something that is otherwise taboo no longer so.

One thing I love most about poetry is the ability to access things that are understandably uncomfortable, personal, intimate, and often hard to talk about. Yet, it can do this in a way that opens up the heart as well as the mind.

What is your favorite thing you've written within the last year? It doesn’t have to be a fully finished piece. It can be a sentence or paragraph from your work-in-progress.

My favorite thing I’ve written in the past year is undoubtedly the ending to a poem called “the butterfly affect.” It was recently accepted by Eclipse Magazine. Very rarely do I write a line I repeat to myself every so often afterwards. This was the exception.

To set up the poem, “the butterfly affect” portrays the metaphor of metamorphosis—the transformation of a chrysalis into a butterfly—as possessing more than superficial beauty.

The last line is:

            in the butterfly,

i find my delivery:

     the violence of many things

            broken together,

sprouting wings

When I wrote that line, it took my breath away.

Those words, after I wrote them, suddenly encapsulated my adult experience of interfacing with myself. They claimed the importance of accepting all the broken and hurting bits of my personhood—not as an ending point but as a diving board into a new and more glorious existence which is the present tense.

Editor’s Note: I will convince Uriah to put this quote on stickers, tote bags, etc. so everyone can be reminded of this daily.

If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say? 

I look back on my younger years and realize I put so much pressure on myself to be “something.” I wish I had just taken a moment to look at myself in the mirror and say, you already are something.

Rather than striving for some sort of abstract ideal called “success,” I would tell myself, if you can’t accept who you are as a whole—the good, the bad, and the in-between—you’ll never grow.

I would say: be kind to yourself on many fronts, and give yourself time to figure things out. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to know the answers because, more often than not, the questions are far more enlightening than the answers.

If you could provide any advice to fellow young writers, what would you say?

The advice I heard growing up was, “Read a lot. Write a lot.”

At fourteen, I heard Brad Bird who directed The Incredibles and Ratatouille say, “Make me care. Take me on a journey.”

As for my advice, I would say give yourself time to shear away the dark matter around yourself to reveal the diamond that is your soul. It takes time to carve a diamond from a mountain.

Do you have a specific playlist for writing? 

I do! Curiously, music occupies a different emotional space for me depending on whether I’m writing fiction or poetry.

For fiction, I usually listen to an instrumental soundtrack in its entirety. I love the composer 

Max Richter, who composed the soundtracks for My Brilliant Friend and The Leftovers (not to mention his extraordinary work in the neoclassical genre). Other favorites include: Rupert Gregson-Williams, Ramin Djawadi, and Nicholas Britell.

When it comes to poetry, I listen to one song—usually with lyrics—on repeat. If a song resonates deeply in my soul and I can feel it there, almost palpably, that’s what I’ll play.

I really like Radiohead. My earlier poems especially featured a Radiohead-themed soundscape. One song of theirs that made appearances in poetry writing sessions is called “Give Up the Ghost.” It has a repeated refrain: “Don’t hurt me / Don’t haunt me.” What resonated with me in that song was the idea that the singer is haunted by the narrative of someone hurting them—and gives that narrative the power to hurt them—rather than actively being afflicted by a person or situation. 

Another song I found very moving is “The Rip” by Portishead. I remember sharing it with you shortly after discovering it. That one resonates largely because the lyrics are so poetic and the vocalist, Beth Gibbons, sings every note as if her heart is breaking.

If you were to sneak a look at my Spotify selections, you’d know I’m a fan of jazz, classical music, Broadway musicals, ‘90s rock, and “prog rock,” although that word sounds so pretentious. In the end, what matters most is the emotional resonance of my music preferences. I believe some of my best work is born from emotion roused in me by songs.

As someone who has found a writing group, can you share why you sought one out in the first place?

At age eighteen, in early 2019, I watched the movie Taxi Driver. It disturbed me, as it should. One thing it does well is show us who we can be at the darkest moments in our lives.

The story of Travis Bickel is of an individual who has fallen about as low as he possibly can. He’s someone who had many struggles and could have sought help, but never did. Thus, he became increasingly isolated from others and increasingly taken with his own mental illness.

I lost sleep over that story because I realized, at that moment in my life, I had no friends. However, I had not taken the initiative to meet new people.

After that, I decided to seek people who I could connect with and trust, understand and care about. I wanted to find creative people who I could share a sense of mutual reciprocity with and cultivate genuine respect for.

That led me to discovering the site Meetup, which is how I found local writer’s groups. Through that, I met you and several of the individuals in our current group. 

It took you being there and the universe, so to speak, arranging our meeting to find everything I was looking for.

I look back and am tremendously grateful. I can share the deepest, most vulnerable parts of myself through art and conversation—even beyond critiquing each other’s work. Together, we can find companionship and a sense of belonging in this world.

That’s why I like stories that are uncomfortable: because they force you to think deeply about yourself. If it hadn’t been for a movie as fucked up as Taxi Driver, I doubt I would have sought out you lovely individuals who have become very, very dear to me.

KK: The feeling is entirely mutual. It’s interesting to note that I think we were both in darker points of life before we met one another. I’ve mentioned February 2019 being the darkest point in my life and not actively doing anything to remedy the situation. I realized I had incredible people in my life as far as family and best friends, but nobody who was actively writing. After being in the Mountainview MFA program, I missed the support and growth I’d found with other writers. I wanted to feel understood. This is why I downloaded the Meetup app, only to find our writing group. It wasn’t until the second meeting that I met you, but from then on, I felt understood. To make a long and lovely story short, thank you for existing, Uriah.

UA: Aww! Thank you! The feeling is mutual. The first time I read something you wrote, I was just like, oh my god! It wasn’t even Dream Catchers, your work-in-progress. It was “the feather story.” What is the title of that piece?

KK: “How to Bind a Lover, or the Lingering Aubade of Lear Aldrich.” 

UA: I went to our first meeting not knowing what to expect. I was so impressed by your work. I deeply wanted to impress you and everyone else by “bringing it” in terms of my ability to critique.

KK: You brought it.

UA: I tried. There was nothing I could say about that piece—or much of your writing, honestly—that felt particularly constructive. Mostly I was just like, this is amazing.

KK: Reader, the first piece Uriah brought was a story about a daughter, so lovely and heartbreaking and complicated, which encompassed reincarnation if I’m remembering correctly. It seemed to be written by somebody who’d lived 200 years. I assumed Uriah was much closer in age to myself at the time, 26 or so. He was 19, but possessed so much eloquence and passion for writing. It was an infectious energy loved by everyone, myself included, and that hasn’t faded. Uriah, thank you for caring so deeply about life and language and myth and stories. You inspire me everyday. 

Can you share the benefits to being part of a writing group?

Being in a writer’s group gives me the sense I’m not doing this alone. Writing is a solitary profession—you’re usually by yourself with a blank page or laptop. But being in our writer’s group reminds me of the grand tradition of storytelling and storytellers.

I believe there is inherent value in that tradition. It recalls images of the lore master sitting around the community fire long ago. The villagers gathered near the flames to stay warm, but also to hear stories of places that are far away and to empathize with strangers who may only exist in fiction. These tales give us all something to think about as we go to sleep, and, when we’re asleep, they give us dreams to dream.

In short, our writer’s group gives me a sense of community, belonging, and purpose.

KK: This brings to mind the quote from Gene Wilder’s portrayal of Willy Wonka. He says “we are the dreamers of dreams,” which comes from Arthur O'Shaughnessy’s poem “Ode.” The stories I gravitate toward possess this notion of collective dreaming and storytelling, where ideas continue to be reimagined.  It’s easy to trace this lineage from Orpheus and Eurydice to Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap, effused with elements of lyricism, myth, and going through darkness to bring someone home. Neil Gaiman has often said Orpheus plays a role in his storytelling. This is most clear in a line from “Sonnet.” Then there is The Wicker King by Kayla Ancrum, a formidable unraveling of the human psyche filled with obsession, myth-making, and human resilience. We keep telling the same stories because we try to make sense of the unknowable: love and life and death. Then I see my novel, Dream Catchers, built from the embers of all these stories I’ve loved, and it’s hard to argue against their power. 

UA: And those threads not only create stories, but also weave the grand tapestry of our lives. 

When did you decide to pursue publication for your work?

It was when you inspired me to do so, Kayla.

One of the first conversations we had involved you telling me you had received about one hundred rejections that year alone. My thoughts were, firstly, oh my god, that sounds horribly painful, and, secondly, I applaud you for putting yourself out there in that way!

After writing several poems, my feeling was that if the poetry I read was speaking to me in such a deep way, I wanted to share my poetry with the hope that others might resonate with it. This is not to sound pretentious. But in the same way I can pick up Rupi Kaur’s poetry and find something that rings true, my belief is that if my poetry can connect with anybody else, I want to pay it forward.

That’s one of the best elements about the poetry community: there’s a sense of “passing the torch.” Little ego is involved. All that matters is saying something true. 

Unfortunately, I don’t think that same altruism exists in the fiction-writing community. With fiction publishing, there seem to be gatekeepers rather than individuals willing to pass the torch.

In the poetry world, there are wonderful editors who are interested in reading the work of those who decide to submit. That doesn’t mean you’ll be accepted. However, it’s not about the acceptance—it’s about the mere fact that you’re part of this community and truth-seeking tradition.

KK: While not all editors are built the same, knowing your recent publication experience, it’s heartening to know there are editors willing to say, we really love this, we think it could be just slightly better, and here are some reasons why. I want to be the best editor, but as a writer, I appreciate a community interested in publishing quality work, even if it takes a little extra finesse to get there.  

UA: I love that. I think you’re an exemplary editor in that regard. You focus on what the art needs. It’s not an ego-boosting trip.

Editing should always be about making great art. Your ability to do that is inspiring and so pure. I just wish we could clone you all across the creative industries. The world would be a better place.

What is your process for receiving a rejection? How do you move forward? How do you process this redirection?

I have been rejected many times at this point. The first rejection I received was actually heartening.

The first step is to look at a rejection and realize that somebody cares enough to read your work. It’s not about looking for the silver lining, but recognizing that all we have is silver lining! We are living in a world where people are interested in reading and writing poetry—a world where poetry is still valued.

The second step is to accept the rejection for what it is and no more: it merely means this journal or magazine isn’t the best home for the pieces you submitted at that time. A rejection isn’t a comment on you as a person, nor as an artist, nor even on the work itself.

The third step is to know that, although one door is closed, you might find another one. Regarding the current climate surrounding online publishing, there are so many avenues showcasing diverse work. Thus, to process redirection, I recommend finding a new place to submit your work so long as you still believe in it.

Rarely have I decided after a rejection that I don’t want to submit to another publication. That has only happened once or twice. Those instances are not because I felt discouraged, but because I sense the work is only half-baked. I put those pieces on the shelf and decided I might come back and revise them someday.

On the flip side, you do need (earned) confidence in your work. For instance, I wrote a poem I’m still sending out for publication called “heartbr[ache].” Several publications rejected it without any comment on the poem itself. I don’t think that’s a mark of the work’s integrity. It means it wasn’t for them.

“heartbr[ache]” emerged from a dream of mine involving a couple I know who were getting divorced. In my dream, the suits and dresses from their wedding were being sold at a yard sale outside of their house. I feel like like I capture that sentiment well in my poem.

I’m going to keep submitting “heartbr[ache]” until it'’s accepted because that dream still haunts me.

Are there any writers who inspire you to keep pursuing this passion?

I really appreciate Neil Gaiman. He’s humble, and he puts himself out there. I greatly respect how he dabbles in many mediums while remaining true to himself.

KK: Neil Gaiman was actually the first person who came to mind when I considered what my answer might be to this question. He crafts the darkest of stories, many for kids, and makes no apologies. His writing teaches us that you can beat back the darkness with light, whether it be overcoming your Other Mother or ridding yourself of an otherworldly worm intent on evil. He reminds us the world is not a perfect place. Sometimes, in fact, it is a scary place, but there are people who become heroes. They triumph over their monsters.

UA: As far as other artists go, I’ll add Rupi Kaur to the list. She’s extraordinary.

I admire how gracefully she approached a situation that became rather controversial regarding her work on Instagram. On the platform, she shared a wonderful selection of photographs of her bed after she had her period. Her photographs were such a brave exploration of vulnerability through art. They were initially banned by Instagram, only to be later uncensored. They opened a much-needed conversation surrounding censorship, especially around gender. It asked questions I consider constantly as a nursing student, poet, and fundamental human being: What does it say about our culture that we cannot reconcile with the reality of what is to be a woman in a woman’s body? How can we live in a world where women are expected to be more than human, yet are treated with standards that are subhuman?

Additionally, I adore anything by Margaret Atwood.

KK: Whether it be Atwood’s poetry or fiction, she tackles terrifying concepts. Her words scare us because they’re true. We look at The Handmaid’s Tale as a novel, published in a time when the world was stricken with arguments about the rights of women. Today, we’re still having these conversations. In much the same way that Hulu’s adaptation of the novel shows June moving season after season toward a life of freedom, so too have we seen incremental changes in our own world. 

What dystopian literature and Atwood especially do so well, is packaging trauma under the guise of fiction. We think we’re only reading a book, but the story begs us to stop and reevaluate. Those stories plead with readers to avoid making similar mistakes. Storytelling continues to be the cure all. It’s seeing the sameness from Gilead in the proposed Bounty Law in Texas and hoping we might find a better future. It’s about putting pen to the page, no longer hoping for a better world, but saying, I’m going to try to find a way to say something important with my art.

UA: I absolutely agree. Something else I appreciate about Atwood and Gaiman is their openness to discussing the art and craft of writing in a way that demystifies it and makes it accessible. They also give me hope by seeing how relatively well-adjusted and kind they are as people, in addition to being brilliant artists. Those two characteristics are not diametrically opposed.

As someone pursuing another career, what is the importance of a day job?

I genuinely love nursing. I am so grateful to care for every single one of my patients, and to work with doctors, technicians, nurses, and every other member of the multidisciplinary team. At a foundational level, in regards to the importance of a day job for a writer, we live in a capitalistic society. For those of us who are working class, we need to make ends meet.

After earning my Registered Nursing degree, I would like to take a screenshot of a text I sent you shortly after I met you. I asked what your thoughts were on nursing as a career in tandem with creative writing.

KK: I’m so happy that you included me.

UA: I saw something in you early-on I could trust.

Having a day job also takes a pressure off of your art to be financially successful, which is better for both your art and your own mental health. Further, a day job offers not only financial support but also the opportunity to meet people and have experiences you otherwise might never have. 

I’m cautious about approaching life as simply a means to an end for a writer—as an inkwell from which to pen stories. I am a huge proponent of finding beauty in the present, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. That includes my job.

As a nursing student, my career provides me with a wonderful wealth of knowledge and competence surrounding the human experience, including the mind, body, and spirit. It also gives me license to care for those who are hurting and in need, which is deeply important to me.

If you could see into the future ten years from now, what would life as a writer look like? 

Hopefully it would look like it does now, frankly. At least in terms of my quality of life as an artist, I am quite pleased with the emotional gratification and spiritual satisfaction I find in my art.

If you cannot find satisfaction in what your creative life looks like in the present, I imagine your satisfaction won’t magically appear in the future. I say this not to bring down the mood. On the contrary, my belief is that anyone can find at least some satisfaction in the here and now.

You’re always going to have time constraints and life situations that make it difficult to find the time to write. The key is to do what you can now, without sacrificing your mental health.

With that said, I would love to write and direct for television and/or film. Given the opportunity, I would be honored to adapt work for television—either my own or the work of my dear friends, such as your work, especially Dream Catchers.

KK: A Dream Catchers adaptation for Hulu or HBO would be very interesting.

UA: I already have a certain setlist in my mind: ethereal, 2000s and 2010s era indie pop with a few standout anthems from the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s, such as those by artists like Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker—songs such as “Dream A Little Dream of Me” and “A Kiss to Build a Dream On.” The trick would be to refrain from being too on-the-nose. 

I think in a very cinematic way, and I’d love to play with color in a Dream Catchers adaptation—shades of whites and blues, contrasting organic browns, greens, and yellows with artificial light and darkness.

Going back to your initial question, in ten years I’d love to have a few collections of poetry and perhaps a couple books of fiction published.

Recently, I’ve been pondering life as a “creative” versus a “person who created something.” I’d like to live the life of the former. For me, that looks like seeing in a way where I cannot easily separate living life through a creative fashion versus a non-creative fashion.

With that said, if no one ever knows my name as a writer, but remembers me as a good person who made a positive impact on their life, I will be more than humbled and grateful.

KK: Ten years from now I expect there will be more than one of your books on my shelf. 

And you would be the perfect person to tackle the adaptation of Dream Catchers. This fictional world is so delicate and vulnerable. But from the beginning, you’ve championed the darkness and the tough chapters because you understood how important this narrative could be to others. There are not enough thanks to adequately show my gratitude for your encouragement and understanding.

UA: Thank you, Kayla. I sincerely appreciate that.

The approach to filmmaking I want to take is one that prioritizes the working environment and mental health of everyone involved, especially the actors. For me, this is the perfect intersection of my passion for nursing and for storytelling.

I firmly believe one can both maintain their mental health and create great art. You can portray darkness without allowing it to swallow you.

Regarding Dream Catchers, which heavily deals with the subject matter of mental illness, this approach would be even more important.

What I’d would love most is to sit down with the young woman who is cast as your lead character and engage in deep conversations surrounding who this character is; what the subjective experience of having obsessive compulsive disorder can be; and how we as artists can maintain our mental health while bringing such a character to life.

Overall, I’m interested in creating a healthy environment on (and off) set while cultivating great art.

KK: This reminds me of an interview with Sarah Paulson after the second season of American Horror Story. She explained that when you go through terrible things, even as an actor, your body doesn’t know you’re just playing pretend. Often what follows is PTSD, your body going through the motions of processing trauma. The Asylum season focused on kidnapping and sexual assault for her character, and the physicality of these events left lasting impressions. We can’t trick our bodies by saying, this isn’t real, so it’s okay. 

The same can be said for Ben Platt in his portrayal of the title character in Dear Evan Hansen. He built in certain ticks to the characterization and then struggled to untangle them from his actual personality once he left the stage production.

UA: Ben Platt, from my understanding, worked with an occupational therapist for a while after that production to regain his mobility.

To fly right into the teeth of this subject, I’ve read studies that suggest there is a much higher incidence of individuals with mental illnesses employed in the creative industries than in other industries. It is imperative to tend to our mental health as artists in this industry.

In the same way that Maggie Gyllenhaal, with HBO’s The Deuce, was an early advocate for the role of an intimacy coordinator to keep actors safe and comfortable during sex scenes, I would love to help introduce an industry standard regarding the preservation of our mental health.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I’d like to impart the importance of giving yourself a“wide margin” in your life, regardless of whether you consider yourself a creative person. Had I not given myself time away from all the doing in my life to rest and explore try new experiences, I would have never found poetry.

Allow yourself to be open to new experiences that are safe and healthy—but experiences nonetheless that might allow you to access parts of your personality you may have not previously tapped into. Hopefully I can continue to do the same for myself.

Thank you for your time, Kayla. This was an honor.

About Uriah Allis

Uriah Howard Allis, a twenty-one-year-old poet and nursing student from rural Western New York, has found pieces of his heart, mind, and soul escaping to the blank page ever since he could hold a pencil.

When he officially reached his “twenties,” he began to gladly slip into rhyme and meter, and whatever lies beyond.

Uriah is the winner of the Alfred C. O’Connell Library’s 20th Student Poetry Contest (2021). His poetry has been published by or is forthcoming from Active Muse, Ice Lolly Review, Eclipse Magazine, Moss Puppy Magazine, and Intangible Magazine.

​You can follow his journey on his website or Instagram @uriahallis.

Thank you for sharing, Uriah!

Pages Penned in Pandemic with Jasmin Lankford

Perhaps in our deepest grief, we feel more connected to the way nature, too, must give itself over to the passage of time. Jasmin Lankford's poem, "Ocean and Orca," explores just this, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Jasmin's pages penned in pandemic.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Unearth [The Flowers] by Thea Matthews and Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

I have been escaping into Disney movies, “Bob's Burgers,” “Spongebob,” and “Sister, Sister.”

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

It has been so difficult to write during the pandemic. I have pieces of poems and draft ideas, but I've been struggling to finish anything. Also, my writing is usually quite sad. So I decided not to put too much pressure on myself since this year has felt like one moment of sadness after the next.

Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?

I'm excited about my debut poetry collection, "Don't Forget to Water the Flowers." It was supposed to come out in January 2021, but due to the pandemic the date was pushed. I'm so grateful to have more time with it.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

The Kitchen Table Literary Arts community has helped me stay connected to writers in Florida and around the country. I'm so grateful for the sacred space they provide for Black women and women of color writers.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I'm usually a plotter. But the pandemic has shifted me into a pantser because this year has been so unpredictable.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I love writing at the beach! But for the majority of the year, it really hasn't been safe to go and spend the whole day there. During the pandemic, I created a cozy space on my patio to write and get some fresh air.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

I typically write in silence, but here are songs I listen to before or after writing:

1.) “Ungodly Hour” by Chloe x Halle Bigger

2.) “Beyoncé pov” by Ariana Grande

3.) “Good Morning” by Natalie Lauren

4.) “Closer” by Goapele

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene you've written since the pandemic began?

I'm in love with a scene I wrote about Paris. I'm excited to step away from poetry for a bit and focus on creative nonfiction.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

This year I am looking forward to the latest issue of L'Éphémère Review. It is my dream journal and I'm so honored to have two poems coming out soon!

ABOUT Jasmin Lankford

Jasmin Lankford’s debut poetry collection, Don’t Forget to Water the Flowers, is forthcoming from Vital Narrative Press. Her work has been published in several journals including Kissing Dynamite, Parentheses Journal, and elsewhere.

To learn more, follow Jasmin and her writing journey at her website and on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for chatting, Jasmin!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Kate Pashby

The only way to grow as a writer is by writing more. Kate Pashby discusses just this and more in today's chat about their pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

A lot of favorite local music venues and bars have folded. Most federal government offices (and the Smithsonian Museums) closed pretty abruptly, started to open back up, and then closed again. People have been flocking to parks, but for a time, police were kicking out everyone who wasn't walking a dog. Masks are technically mandated, but somehow that didn't get enforced when the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, and other far-right groups came here to protest a few weeks ago.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Diannely Antigua's Ugly Music and Kay Ulanday Barrett's When the Chant Comes.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

I've been marathoning a bizarre mix of podcasts that includes "Making Gay History," "Spooked! by Snap Judgment," and "Revolutionary Left Radio." I don't have a TV, so I listen to podcasts while cooking and cleaning (and I cook A LOT).

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

At first, all I could write about was coronavirus, which got pretty depressing, so I stopped writing. After about a month, I was able to start writing again, and recently I've been reading and writing a lot of poetry.

Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?

My chapbook! I still need to submit it for publication to a few different places, but I can tell you that it's part of the story of my life: growing up closeted in a Catholic, multiracial family, recovering from trauma, and searching for spirituality.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I'm high-risk, so out of necessity, I've only been able to write in my 485-sq-ft studio apartment. In the good ol' days, I liked going to one of DC's many free museums or gardens, armed with a pen and notebook.

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?

It's impossible to choose, but one I really like is "I bleed dysphoria every month," which is about my experiences as a non-binary person who was assigned female at birth.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

My original plan was to spend as much time kayaking during 2020 as possible, so once I get the vaccine, I'll be spending 2021 kayaking.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Keep writing! "Practice makes perfect" is a cliche because it contains a grain of truth. The best way to improve your writing skills is to write more.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I started off pandemic by learning how to bake cakes from scratch (sans icing) and ate cake almost every day for breakfast for months. Then I got tired of cakes and have been making rice pudding for breakfast instead. So far I've made Filipino, Thai, Iranian, Ukrainian, and Russian rice pudding, and I intend to continue my culinary journey through the rest of the world's rice pudding recipes.

ABOUT Kate Pashby

Kate Pashby (they/them) is a queer Mexican American poet from San Jose, California who resides in Washington, DC. Their work has been published or is forthcoming in Genre: Urban Arts' House, Northern Otter Press, Embryo Concepts Zine, The Confessionalist Zine, Burrow, Rogue Agent, and Rabid Oak. Kate was nominated for Best of the Net 2020.

Thanks for chatting, Kate!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Melissa Boles

Writer or not, many of us have gotten lost in our own imaginings for better. Melissa Boles' short story, "Lukewarm Cake," explores just this, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Melissa's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

I'm in Chattanooga but just moved from the Pacific Northwest, so it's been interesting to observe the difference. Chattanooga just moved students back to two days a week in-person at school (they were going full-time in person for a while), and most restaurants and stores are open, though masks are required to enter and should only be taken off if you're eating/drinking. I live with 3 people and 3 of the 4 of us work from home, so we're home even more than normal because we don't feel comfortable in coffee shops (and most won't let you sit for very long). Our fourth person works for a cycling place that won't be opening until 2021, so her job is a little unusual right now.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, Untamed by Glennon Doyle, Miss Subways by David Duchovny (definitely recommend the audiobook), The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd, Know My Name by Chanel Miller, Sammynolie and Other Stories (a great audiobook done by a group of actors), and every lit journal issue I was able to consume.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“Madam Secretary,” The entire Marvel universe (especially anything with Tony Stark), A Rising Tide (2015), You Kill Me (2007), any episode of “Real Housewives Central Park,” folklore by Taylor Swift, “Fine Line,” by Harry Styles, “Three. Two. One.” by Lennon Stella, “Gaslighter” by The Chicks, any music released by Caamp, "Kokomo" by Holiday Sidewinder, and “This talk” by Tim Daly: Producer, Director, Actor and Activist: Tim Daly - 2018 Storytellers.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

It's been interesting because, due to losing my job and using it as an opportunity to finally try to be a writer full-time, I've definitely been writing more than ever before. It's also been hard because I sometimes feel like I don't have anything to write about stuck inside the house. And writing about love (which I love to do) can be a little tough when you're single during a pandemic.

Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?

I'm working on a short story collection about love (tentatively called "Like Swinging") and am hoping to finally complete some stage plays.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

Art saves people. I've believed that for a long time but rediscovered it during the pandemic and the current state of the world is really solidifying it for me. As a writer, I have the opportunity to share the stories that people can identify with and that make them feel warm inside. These past few months have also taught me the importance of sharing the writing (and art) of others. It makes me feel good to read the work of others, and I think their art can really save people.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

My two friends Aly and Kate, who I've known about 14 years, have been a huge support during this time. We met online over a shared love of “Grey's Anatomy,” and we've been friends ever since. They're both writers too, so they're two of my best sounding boards. My friends Jenna and Audrey, who invited me to move to Chattanooga after I lost my job and offered me a safe place to live for a new start. Jenna is a musician and her music often inspires my writing. My friend Tara, who I lived with before I moved, and who pushed me to follow my dreams. She's a teacher and is so impressive to me. I have met a whole bunch of fellow writers on twitter through following lit journals and they are truly some of the best people I know. I would not be where I am now without them.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I'm excited to see what comes for the publishing world but I'm still learning about what the changes mean, to be honest. I hope I will continue to see more diverse writers published and that small presses are able to continue to be as amazing as they have been for so many writers.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I'd say that I'm more of a pantser than anything. I often write very quickly and without a lot of planning. This hasn't really changed during the pandemic, though I am trying to do more planning for the stage plays I am hoping to write.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I have always loved writing in coffee shops, which I can't really do right now. I'm trying to find a new favorite place to write now that I've moved.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

1.) “exile” (feat. Bon Iver) by Taylor Swift

2.) “Kokomo” by Holiday Sidewinder

3.) “Running Through The Night” by Erich Bergen

4.) “Daze Inn” (Acoustic) by Carlie Hanson

5.) “This Could Change Everything” by Francesca Battistelli

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene you've written since the pandemic began?

This is one of my favorite scenes from my favorite short story I've written this year: "Later, when they’re nearing the end of Temple of Doom, he finally asks the question he’d been embarrassed to ask. 'Is his name really Indiana?' She laughs. 'No, it’s a nickname. I think his name is Henry.' There’s something about the way she says the name that is different than he’s ever heard before. 'What did you say?' She turns her head up to look at him, surprised when his voice cracks. 'I think his name is Henry?' He’d expected his body to tense when she said it a second time but it doesn’t. Instead his name, his full name, sounds like a balm coming out of her mouth. He refused to let anyone call him Henry after his grandfather died. Suddenly it’s the only thing he wants to hear her say ever again."

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

In May of 2021, my first chapbook, We Love in Small Moments, will be published through ELJ Editions and I can't wait for people to read it.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Even on the days where it seems difficult, just keep moving. Keep writing, and keep reading. Find a community, whether online or in person, who supports your writing, and be sure to support theirs. Even when you're rejected, remember that it isn't because your writing isn't good, it's just not the right fit for where you submitted it. You'll find the right space for your writing, and it will be a joyous day.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

If you have loved a writer this year, whether as a partner or friend or just someone who shares their writing, thank you.

ABOUT Melissa Boles

Melissa Boles is a writer, storyteller, and impatient optimist from the Pacific Northwest who recently relocated to Tennessee. Her writing focuses on art, mental health, love, and the human connection. Melissa has been published in The Daily Drunk, Emerge Literary Journal, Stone of Madness Press, and at Fanfare and Sexology on Medium. Her debut chapbook, We Love in Small Places, will be released via ELJ Publications in May 2021.

To learn more, follow Melissa and her writing journey at her website and on Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for chatting, Melissa!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Wim Owe

n dreams, we may find alternate version of ourselves, but ultimately reality returns. Wim Owe's poem, "[untitled]," explores this dreaminess, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Wim's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

Victoria has been somewhat protected by the Island effect, meaning we haven't had the outbreaks and lockdowns that mainland BC and the rest of Canada has been having, but it looks like the barrier is breaking down a bit, and we may be in for a rough winter.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Yukio Mishima's Spring Snow—if he can get that much out of looking at wet grass in the rain while feeling overwhelmed by sadness, there may be hope for us out here after all.

If you haven't been reading, what are some books you're most looking forward to reading?

I've been putting off reading John Elsworth's translation of Andrei Bely's Petersburg for over a decade now: during the last major global crisis, I joined the Vancouver Balalaika Orchestra to practice my Russian through music, and the whole community seemed overjoyed to have the whole novel finally ready and accessible.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu”—it's an animated show about two generations of Rakugo artists, a kind of bawdy storytelling tradition in Japan, spanning most of the 20th century. It really is a testament to the power of the voice of the storyteller, a power which voice actors Kouichi Yamadera and Akira Ishida bear with great respect, as well as the sacrifices and relationships that accrue over a lifetime of dedication to an art form.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

It's made me nearly incapable of focus, the thought dashed away seems all I have been capable of when called to work on something new.

Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?

I've been editing and digitizing a mountain of notebooks that I've let accumulate over the years.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

That I don't need to press onward too quickly in life or in writing, that writing should be recursive, and sometimes the greatest joy is to try to collaborate with my past self.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

I've always been a bit of a quiet person, and much of what I look for in a social life is the opportunity to build a relationship with someone through listening. I'm a bit worried that more than ever this pandemic has made it so that social connections need to be made through broadcasting and marketing yourself, which makes me miss the quieter, off-brand moments of a social life. I am immensely grateful to the friends and family that have made the effort to stay connected to me in this way.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I've found the online events to accentuate my feeling of isolation, as though nothing exists any more than the public-facing side of literature anymore.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

1.) “Take Two” by Chong the Nomad & Hollis

2.) “TOKiMONSTA” by Renter's Anthem Leaf Off

3.) “The Cave” by Jose Gonzalez

4.) “Monsters” by SAULT

5.) “A l'affût d'un Complot” by Conventum

ABOUT Wim Owe

Wim was wearing masks before it was mandated. He's a WA-BC cross border baby living in Victoria and missing his Seattle friends and relatives.

To learn more, follow Wim on Tik Tok.

Thanks for chatting, Wim!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Dónal Fogarty

Writers often discover certain ideas that feel more special than others, making it more troublesome than ever to let them slip by. Dónal Fogarty's short story, "Tomorrow, James, and the Blue Cat," explores ideas in all their forms, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Dónal's pages penned in pandemic.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Finishing my Masters, teaching online, and marking student papers means that if I want to still have my eyesight when all this is over, I've had to curtail my reading for pleasure.

If you haven't been reading, what are some books you're most looking forward to reading?

Nikki Marmery's debut On Wilder Seas—a ridiculously well researched novel based on an unbelievably true, true story. And for some much need laughter, I'm looking forward to re-reading The Peculiar Memories of Thomas Penman by Bruce Robinson.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

I don't really want to hear the news much now. But at the start of the pandemic, BBC Radio 4, in typical stoic British stiff upper style, played out their 'PM' news program with uplifting tunes chosen by the listeners. When they ended the show with Ry Cooder's “I think it's going to work fine,” it became an anthem in our house.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

As working from home blurs into home life and with my five-year-old son at home all the time, it's been almost impossible to find the time to think about my writing.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

I should follow my own advice (see my advice to young writers below).

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

I've been overwhelmed by the generosity of established writers from all genres who have put on 'pay what can' webinars on the craft of writing.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

My Masters dissertation, grounded in and inspired by current events, received a distinction - so maybe those in positions of power are listening to artists and other people imagining a better post-COVID world.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

I'm a recidivist pantser—I even wrote about this condition on my blog.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

My kingdom for a quiet place to write!

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?

“Gross Encounter of the Third Kind,” a short story hiding within a poem. However, the grossness of the incident it recounts will ensure that this particular piece of tomfoolery will never find a home.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

It doesn't matter what 'time' it is; keep writing, keep reading, repeat. Others will give up. If you hang in there, someone will find you and your work.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I was delighted to volunteer as a reader for the Wilbur Niso Smith Foundation this summer. The entries from the young writers to their Author of Tomorrow Competition were so original and pleasure to read.

ABOUT Dónal Fogarty

Dónal’s fictional and factual works span a variety of genres. He teaches academic communication at colleges on both sides of the Atlantic. His irreverent spoken word poetry on a theme of education has been performed at the University of Nottingham and Exeter College, Oxford. He has also written and edited scripts for the UK stage and radio. He is currently seeking representation.

To learn more, follow Dónal and his writing journey at his website and on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, Dónal!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Ben Nardolilli

When the pandemic began, there were spaces in which the wild took over. Ben Nardolilli's poem, "Zoonotic," explores this wildnerness, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Ben's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

It's heating up again in parts of it. People generally still wear masks.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

Middlesex and Black Reconstruction in America.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“Schitt's Creek.”

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

I finished a novel.

Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?

Finishing some short stories.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

How little isolation changes being a writer for the most part.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

Yes.

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

Not really.

Is there anything that worries you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

I worry about an end of readings and bookstores closing.

Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?

A plotter?

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

My room. No.

If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?

1.) “Little Sister” by Nico

2.) “Djohariah” by S. Stevens

3.) “Blue Condition” by Cream

4.) “Maybe this Time” from Cabaret

5.) “NY Girls” by Steeleye Span

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene you've written since the pandemic began?

I wrote a play within a play for a novel I finished this summer. That was nice.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

Maybe going home for Christmas.

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Keep writing and remember writers have put words to paper in worse pandemics.

ABOUT Ben Nardolilli

Ben Nardolilli currently lives in New York City. His work has appeared in Perigee Magazine, Red Fez, Danse Macabre, The 22 Magazine, Quail Bell Magazine, Elimae, The Northampton Review, Local Train Magazine, The Minetta Review, and Yes Poetry. He blogs at mirrorsponge.blogspot.com and is trying to publish his novels.

To learn more, follow Ben and his writing journey at his website.

Thanks for chatting, Ben!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Jerica Taylor

Too many allow the small moments of the day to slip by without notice. Jerica Taylor's poem, "For the Hopeless Scroll Under the Swipe of Your Finger," reminds us to pay attention to these moments, and is now available to read in the print collective! Until then, I'm excited to chat about Jerica's pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

I live in a small town where people are conscientious with mask wearing and safety, and restaurants and schools are open again, though not everyone is comfortable about how quickly that happened. The town is almost at its normal level of activity though many people who can stay home are doing so. Neighboring towns are going up in their reported number of cases, so a return to lockdown might be in our future.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“The Untamed,” a Chinese fantasy drama with a beautiful romance and so many incredible characters.

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

I have a young kiddo, so my time has been even more sparse with distance learning and the disappearance of our usual routine and activities. I learned a lot about myself and how frequently I set my own work aside for things that I viewed as more important. When I made the decision to make my writing a priority in my own mind, I found a new sense of purpose and energy. Laundry and dishes and yoga and all of the things I thought I had to do first before I was allowed to do what I wanted shifted into deliberate choices. What did I want to do most? Sometimes it was write a poem, then do the laundry. Often it was skip exercise and read instead. The act of making the choice—being intentional about what I did with what little emotional energy I had—saved me from exhaustion day after day.

Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?

I'm writing linked flash stories about a person who stress bakes in space and their alien crew mates are baffled by the whole thing.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

WRITE WHAT YOU WANT! I mean it in all-caps, full voice enthusiasm. Write where inspiration takes you, no matter how weird, no matter how certain you are that you don't write that kind of thing, or you're not good at that type of writing. WRITE WHATEVER THE HECK YOU WANT.

Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?

I've met so many wonderful, supportive, incredibly talented writers on twitter who are publishing in small online journals and presses - and the people running the journals and presses!

Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?

So many small and independent journals and presses! Virtual readings! Videos of poets reading their own work and their favorite poems by other writers aloud!

Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?

Your words matter! They matter to you - and there's someone out there who needs them, too.

ABOUT Jerica Taylor

Jerica Taylor is a non-binary neurodivergent queer cook, birder, and chicken herder. Their work has appeared in Schuylkill Valley Journal, Postscript, Stone of Madness, and perhappened. She lives with her wife and young daughter in Western Massachusetts.

To learn more, follow Jerica and her writing journey at her website and on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, Jerica!

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Pages Penned in Pandemic with Justine Gardner

As writers, we never know when inspiration will strike. Justine Gardner discusses just this and more in today's chat about her pages penned in pandemic.

What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?

It's New York City, so getting scary (again). Keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?

The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel was a definite highlight.

Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?

“Lovecraft Country,” “The Mandalorian,” and “The Great British Bake-Off.”

How has the pandemic affected your writing?

During the first shutdown, with the kid home from daycare it was impossible to write anything at first. But inspiration was as vibrant, if not more so, than ever.

If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?

I really recommend a door your can close. And lock.

Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?

Kitchen table. It's the only place in the apartment to write, so it is what I make do with at 5:30 a.m. before the rest of the household wakes up.

Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite poem you've written since the pandemic began?

I started a series of epistolary poems set in a kind of Downton Abbey world where the matron doesn't realize that the life she knows is ending due to catastrophic climate change. I love thinking about her world and how she is perceiving the collapse around her as an annoyance.

While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?

Inauguration day.

ABOUT Justine Gardner

Justine Gardner is a former dog trainer, a past pizzeria proprietor, and a current freelance copy editor and writer. She was born, reared, and still resides in Brooklyn, New York.

To learn more, follow Justine and her writing journey at her website and on Twitter.

Thanks for chatting, Justine!

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