Where/how did “A Fine Girl” originate? 

Initially, “A Fine Girl” started as a bit of a gag. A few summers back I discovered that a friend of mine had never heard “Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl,” a song I’ve loved to giggle and karaoke and boogie to since I was a kid. The song became an inside joke between the two of us and I was sure to blast it through my car speakers, windows rolled all the way down, whenever I got the chance. Later, during a bit of a creative rut, I was taking a writing workshop with the fabulous Kathy Fish and given a prompt to write something inspired by a piece of art. As the song had been a constant refrain in my head, I leaned into it and wrote the story as more of an exercise than anything—a way to flex my creative muscles while responding to the prompt and have a little fun with my writing. But after finishing the first draft, I was like, “huh, I kind of like where this is going,” so I put it away for awhile and when I came back to it a few months later, thought “yeah, I can work with this.” And thus, my version of Brandy was born.

When I first read “A Fine Girl”, I was drawn in, in large part, by the intensely strong sense of place.  This mostly empty bar, the water’s edge, sunrise/sunset, the rugged docks, and the even more rugged people who frequent it. You take the reader there without dragging them, you know? I think this is masterful and I think I speak for writers everywhere when I say that I’d very much like to know how you paint ‘place’ with so few brush strokes?

Wow, that is so kind, thank you! I think, in general, I am someone who is very interested in and inspired by sensory experiences and the way these minute, personalized details can inform and connect us to the larger world. We can learn so much by paying attention, tuning into our bodies and the way they move through space, and exploring the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings that surround us. Those who have taken writing classes with me know that I consistently harp on the importance of this kind of detail work—it’s often, for me at least, the small, individualized sensory details rather than the larger, more general, themes or actions that really ground me in a piece and I’m so glad to hear that that came through in “A Fine Girl.” I don’t like to be prescriptive but I guess, to answer the “how” of it, I would recommend asking yourself what’s going on with your character on a sensory level. Where are they? In this space, what do they see, smell, taste, hear, feel? How do these experiences resonate with them on an emotional level? You don’t need to use all (or even any!) of those details in a final draft, but placing yourself in the physicality of your character can be a really effective way to connect both yourself and the reader to the emotional space of the story.

What was it like to receive notification that “A Fine Girl” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize?

Kind of like this: !!!!!!!!!! jkajf938539!!!! Dakj *#$&% @# dlajdl !!!!!!!! (plus lots of happy wiggles!). 

Describe yourself in 10 words or less.

Not to be the asshole who brings Whitman into it, but I always find questions like these to be really difficult because I’m not quite sure how to define myself nor which “self” or multitude to define. But I will say plainly that, if it’s not clear from my answers so far, overall I am someone who tries to lead, always, with love, and I’ve built my life around finding, cultivating, embodying and remaining loyal to warmth, kindness, integrity, creativity, and, of course, a big heap of silliness. 
 

What's next for you?

I keep busy! I’m winding down from a really intense season of juggling a day job, freelance projects, teaching writing and yoga, and facilitating literary and community events (not to mention writing, reading, hiking, and, you know, trying to be a good human who drinks enough water and gets enough sleep!) but this winter, I’ll be slowing down and shifting my focus toward learning, taking another yoga teaching training program, a few workshops on writing as well as ayurveda, and partnering with a local professional development program for creative teaching artists to work with seniors in the community. I’m also finalizing a collection of flash fiction stories, which I hope to polish and submit over the cold months, alongside a few other creative projects. Come spring and summer, I hope to see some of the seeds that I’ve been planting start to bloom…but I’m too superstitious to say any more than that! :]