Ten Questions for Courtney Maum
“Listen, it can’t feel magical every day, of course, but writing does have the potential to be an act of joy.” —Courtney Maum, author of Costalegre
Ten Questions
Read weekly interviews with authors to learn the inside stories of how their books were written, edited, and published; insights into the creative process; the best writing advice they’ve ever heard; and more.
Ten Questions for Helen Phillips
“I have never before written something where the primary challenge was not one of craft or character or structure but rather of emotion.” —Helen Phillips, author of The Need
Ten Questions for Caite Dolan-Leach
“Let people read your work, and listen to what they say about it.” —Caite Dolan-Leach, author of We Went to the Woods
Ten Questions for Peter Orner
“Though this is my sixth book, I take nothing for granted.” —Peter Orner, author of Maggie & Other Stories
Ten Questions for Chanelle Benz
“Don’t be careful; definitely not in the first draft.” —Chanelle Benz, author of The Gone Dead
Ten Questions for Catherine Chung
“I write to try to set myself free, and then find myself snagged on my own limitations.” —Catherine Chung, author of The Tenth Muse
Ten Questions for Mona Awad
“So much can come of being willing to shut up and pay close attention to the world around you.” —Mona Awad, author of Bunny
Ten Questions for Nicole Dennis-Benn
“We have to remind ourselves why we write and why it’s important for us to tell these stories. The universe will take care of the rest.” —Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of Patsy
Ten Questions for Domenica Ruta
“I love more than anything to be alone in my imagination, but sometimes it is a dangerous place.” —Domenica Ruta, author of Last Day
Ten Questions for Sara Collins
“What many people won’t admit is that it’s impossible to write a novel without a pinch of selfishness, and you have to beg your loved ones to forgive you for it.” —Sara Collins, author of The Confessions of Frannie Langton
Ten Questions for Xuan Juliana Wang
“My ideal writing environment is a semi-public place, like a shared office, or a library as long as I can avoid making eye-contact with people around me.” —Xuan Juliana Wang, author of Home Remedies
Ten Questions for Julie Orringer
“One of literature’s great powers is its ability to act as a tonic against xenophobia; there’s never been a moment when that power has been more urgently needed.” —Julie Orringer, author of The Flight Portfolio
Ten Questions for Geffrey Davis
“I wish our books, as art objects, had better ways of showing more of the practice and work and failure that go into making them.” —Geffrey Davis, author of Night Angler.
Ten Questions for Alison C. Rollins
“I think writing should be connected to the constant ever-evolving work of discovering, (re)imagining, and (re)claiming one’s own selfhood.” —Alison C. Rollins, author of Library of Small Catastrophes
Ten Questions for Kenji C. Liu
“Look for beauty and grace even in the challenging material, whenever possible.” —Kenji C. Liu, author of Monsters I Have Been
Ten Questions for Gala Mukomolova
“If what you’re writing begins to scare you, don’t stop—it’s about to get real good.” —Gala Mukomolova, author of Without Protection
Ten Questions for Emily Skaja
“There’s a lot of mystery in my writing process, and I have the suspicion that I’m doing all the steps out of order.” —Emily Skaja, author of Brute
Ten Questions for Namwali Serpell
“My best work, regardless of genre, often happens in one big burst.” —Namwali Serpell
Ten Questions for Bryan Washington
“It’d be nice if the American literary community’s obsession with signal-boosting the optics of diversity were solidified into a tangible, fiscally remunerative reality for minority writers.” —Bryan Washington
Ten Questions for Ed Pavlić
“I’d love the community of contemporary writers to read each other with the freedom and rigor (vigor) we bring to hearing the music we love the most.” —Ed Pavlić
Ten Questions for Helen Oyeyemi
“A good portion of Gingerbread was written sitting on the floor, in a chair with no legs but excellent back support.” —Helen Oyeyemi, author of Gingerbread
Ten Questions for Brian Kimberling
“The literary community is too small—I’d create lots more thoughtful and appreciative readers like the ones who read interviews in Poets & Writers Magazine.” —Brian Kimberling, author of Goulash
Ten Questions for Lindsay Stern
“Go there. When the work takes you somewhere deep, it can be difficult not to swim back up out of fear or squeamishness.” —Lindsay Stern, author of The Study of Animal Languages
Ten Questions for Shane McCrae
“I’m always trying to do something new, which is usually something I’m afraid of.” —Shane McCrae, author of The Gilded Auction Block
Ten Questions for Paige Ackerson-Kiely
“I do not allow rules and regulations to dictate my writing—it’s one thing I can control.” —Paige Ackerson-Kiely, author of the poetry collection Dolefully, a Rampart Stands