The Official Literary Journal of University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA
Why do you write? I write to remember, as a matter of record. I write to honor the people, places, and ideas that have given my life unexpected meaning. I write with the hope and intent of sharing some of that meaning with others. There’s enough…
Why do you write? I write because I’m trying to work things out. I see things, feel things, experience things, and I have this compulsion to sort it all out on paper. It’s easier said than done. Also, there is a core element to who I am that just…
Why do I write? I didn’t know writing was something I enjoyed until I entered college as a returning student. Though, once I realized it, it made sense. English was my favorite class in high school, and these days, I love telling tall tales, exaggerating the…
Why do you write? We are storytelling animals. Our stories, others’ stories give us purpose and meaning. I guess I’m just finally listening to my instincts.Is there an author who has most profoundly influenced your work? My mentor just turned me on to Jo Ann Beard. She…
Why do you write? As a teenager, I adored the rush of coming up with a concept; as I’ve aged, however, writing has become a place of solace. A place where I can explore concepts and emotions without fear. It wasn’t until I began work on…
Why do you write? I think I write to get out of my own head. I tend to get too wrapped up in my own thoughts: observations that turn into patterns that turn into stories. Without somewhere external (like a page) to put them, I might…
Interview Why do you write? I write to know what I know. I often (almost all the time) feel things deeply but have no words for what I’m feeling, so creating poems helps me to understand my experience and get at what’s true. Also, writing keeps…
Interview Why do you write? The world of creative writing is relatively new to me. It begins with a birthday gift from my husband Bill, who often said, “you got to write your stories down.” Five years ago, he took charge and enrolled me in my…
Interview What do you write? My focus is literary fiction. Up until recently, I wrote primarily self-contained short fiction, but I am now working on a novel-in-stories, based on the small town where I grew up in Northern Maine. I’m compelled to write character-driven narratives…
Interview What do you write? As a poet, I write poems about my time in the U.S. Army, working at the United States Disciplinary Barracks as a correctional guard; I write poems about city and country life, and how they are simultaneously parallel yet their own…