Age: 26
Location: North Texas
Education: BA in English from University of North Texas, MFA in Creative Writing from University of Southern Maine
The Writer
Do you write full-time?
That’s the eventual goal. Right now I work as Marketing Manager for a university press.
What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment as a writer?
Getting that first publication and then subsequently publishing over 40 original stories/poems in the span of three years. When I was writing during my undergrad, I always thought, it’s such a longshot that I’ll ever be published. But I kept at it and submitted aggressively. Having a story accepted and translated for a French anthology was a pretty big accomplishment too.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?
Finding the energy to do all the things I want to do. I have high ambitions, and my interests branch in a lot of different directions, so I’m constantly forcing myself to forget about or turn down projects that I’d love to start or be part of in favor of the actual writing, which I consider my top priority.
The Work
Tell us about your work in Crack the Spine.
“The Way of Things” is my magical realist/slipstream take on the cyborg story. A man burdened with anger wakes up one morning to find that he’s turning into a metal man.
Is there a main theme or message in “The Way of Things?”
I think the themes are fairly straightforward, and creep up in a lot of my work: the dangers of ignoring the emotional self, the trauma a parent’s alcoholism can leave with a child (much of the alcoholism in this story is based on my mother’s father), and the relief of that brief glimpse of optimism at the end of a dark period.
Tell us about another project you have published or are currently working on.
If I had to name one story that I wish more people had read, it would be “The Stink of Horses,” which appeared on Hobart in June 2013. It’s about a cursed ballerina who each midnight turns back into a horse, while a love-struck fan battles the controlling company director for the right to see her again.
What inspired this work?
This Chekhov quote: “I don’t understand anything about the ballet; all I know is that during the intervals the ballerinas stink like horses.”
Where can we find this work?
Right here.
The Methods
How often do you write?
I write every day. With the new full-time job, however, I’m trying to work in a weekly break from writing, which is difficult for me. I’m hoping to soon only write six days a week, to give myself some rest at least one day a week.
Where do you write?
I have this wonderful office in my new house with dark green walls and my grandmother’s old secretary desk, but I most often write in my living room, sitting on my Craigslist couch.
What is your usual starting point for a piece? (Is your work character driven, plot driven, inspired by locations, etc?)
All of the above. Sometimes I hear a character speaking. Other times I see the trajectory of the story’s plot in full. Most often I hear a line in a song or read a quote or see a strange work of art and then just go from there.
How do you react to editorial rejections of your work?
By this point, most of them bounce off (my skin might be part metal). But sometimes I get my hopes up about a particular magazine or story, and those still hurt.
What is your best piece of advice on how to stay sane as a writer?
If someone figures this out, let me know.
The Madness
What is your favorite book?
Feeling Very Strange: the Slipstream Anthology
Who is your favorite author?
If I have to name just one, I’ll go with Kelly Link.
What makes you laugh?
Almost everything. I try to laugh as much as possible. Unfortunately, I also laugh when I’m uncomfortable, which is sometimes inappropriate.
What’s in that cup on your desk?
Depending on the morning, green tea or chai tea.
What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
In a dream I once found a secret hot spring in the middle of all this ice. It was in another country, and to get there you had to walk through all these woods. Since it was in the middle of an icy lake, it was nearly impossible to find. But once you arrived, it was the most beautiful, peaceful place you’ve ever seen.
Rain or Sunshine?
Sunshine: I’m from Texas.
Beer or Wine?
Both: IPA and desert wine
The Beatles or The Rolling Stones?
Pink Floyd
Additional Reading on Bonnie Jo
Twitter profile: @BonnieJoStuffle