We love learning more about our contributors, and an interview seemed like a fun way to hear more about the writers and artists we publish, so we gave them a choice of questions to answer. We hope you also enjoy hearing more about the artists and their works. Check out Issue #27 for work from Emily Gennis and more.


What was the inspiration for the piece published in the issue?
Le Chat Noir is a slightly shameless rip-off of a hilarious story by Simon Rich called The Big Nap about a toddler detective. I’m a proud cat lady and thought it would be fun to do a cat version that loosely mimics the plot of The Maltese Falcon, which is one of my favorite movies.

What is your #1 advice for other writers or artists?
Find some like-minded people you can share your work with. I think reading someone else’s work with a critical eye is a great way to improve your own writing.

If you're part of a workshop group or other creative community, tell us about it! How did it form, what all do you do, and how does it help your creative process?
I’m so lucky to be in a writing group with two extremely talented writers, Jacqueline Chou (her short stories can be found in Freedom Fiction and Dark Lane Digest, among other publications) and Sammi Goldberg (you can find her YA novels on Amazon). We meet regularly and provide feedback on each other’s work, which I always find enlightening. Having that regular deadline on the horizon forces me to follow through on ideas that would otherwise just remain ideas. I love my writing group!!