An Interview with Kristine Snodgrass

If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?  
I don’t cook! I would take Paul Celan to a drive-thru fast food and then sit in the car and eat fries with him.

What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears?
That I will fail. Tell myself that I will fail. Walk through the fire.

Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? 
Oh! Ingeborg Bachmann or Anne Carson. Hard to decide!

What books are on your nightstand? 
I can’t read in bed. I have books piled all around my work area and work space. But right next to me now are ALCOOLS (Apollinaire), A POET IN THE WORLD (Levertov), and New Urge Reader 4:Erotic Fiction by New Women Writers  (New Urge Editions)

Favorite punctuation mark? Why?  
Holy God the colon: it is a masterpiece of announcement.

What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? 
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? 
My laptop

If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write? 
Don’t fuck up! 

Does writing energize or exhaust you?
I am unstoppable when doing vispo and asemics.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?
Do not follow others, or dress like others! You don’t have to wear a scarf or glasses!

What is your writing Kryptonite?
People shuffling and rooting in the kitchen while I am working

Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
I am not good at reading. I have to do it my own way, on my own time. I don’t get how people can just sit down and read an entire book. It is super work for me. 

Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
Yes. The work can take that over, or not. 

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
For visual work, lots of folks on Facebook. They push me and encourage me and love me. Sylvia Van Nooten, Amanda Earl, Dona Mayoora, Terri Witek, goes on and on. 

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
It is what it will be. I believe that they are all connected. By spirit at least! But my work is definitely a building. 

How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
It encouraged me to stay the same! Do what is best for you, always.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
Used bookstores. You should spend $100s even if you don’t have it. Find a way. Give Plasma. There is a great one in Jacksonville, Fl. 

What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?
There are so many. I have reactionary moments that dislodge any presence of mind or thoughtfulness, so I have to go back to lots of things. 

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
Oh! Writing letters to my parents asking for things like kittens!

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Rasputin

What do you owe the real people upon whom you base your characters?
No one is real. I owe everyone my best and respect. 

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have lots of projects in the works. It is a cycle.

What does literary success look like to you?
Well, I think there is an iconic notion to success these days. A cult of personality. For me, it is making a lot of projects with a lot of people.

What’s the best way to market your books?
I dislike the word “network”, but make friends. Always. Be giving; give your work to people for free in a vital way. They will give back to you by buying your work, books, posting and sharing your work, writing reviews and interviews. Don’t be cheap. Love everyone.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
I don’t know. I don’t like the opposite sex!

What did you edit out of this book?
LOTS of glitches. 

If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?
Art, art, art, performance, art, art. Sex work.

---