Scars and Legacies: An Interview with Jolene McIlwain by Curtis Smith
As far as my place, the fields, forests, creeks, as well as the people here, wear the scars and carry the legacies of what came before.
As far as my place, the fields, forests, creeks, as well as the people here, wear the scars and carry the legacies of what came before.
We have a certain kind of empowerment that our parents didn’t as they didn’t speak the language or understand the culture.
One thing I love about flash is that it lends itself to experimental forms—you can get away with doing bizarre things if a story is very short.
As I write, I follow the voice of the narrator through these moments and specifics, always paying close attention to the energy of sentences and where they lead.
Stories are always about trouble.
Revision is the best part for me, the most fun, after the first draft is completed. It takes me longer to write a story now than it did at the beginning of my career—but my work has grown more precise and careful as a result.
I knew early on that I was writing a book of stories about mothering and motherhood—and about how the mythology and cultural expectations of motherhood affect women and girls.
It resonates that my deeper dive into realism is the result of the growing urgency in everyday life.
I trust that the words will come.
I didn’t realize I was writing a book of stories until very late in the game.