What was the inspiration for the piece published in the issue?
My inspiration for 'Coyote' was an actual coyote. On a drive home from the grocery store one evening, I spotted him loping in circles in a dim parking lot. He was alone and scrawny, and it broke my heart to see him pulled apart from his pack. I thought, what if the person who spotted him had been pulled apart from her pack, too? Then what? Then I wrote the story.
Who or what inspires your work generally?
The folks that inspire my writing are artists of other mediums. First, Britt Daniel of the band Spoon. I read interviews and articles about his process, devotion to art, and commitment to excellence. Thirty years into his career, he still stands by the music and lyrics he wrote when he was pretty much a kid, and that says a lot about quality and focus. I have friends who are potters, painters, and saxophone players whose similar commitment to growth in their respective work constantly comepls me.
What is your creative process? Do you plan pieces out or let them happen as they come?
My creative process with short stories is to watch and listen. Culture, news stories, eavesdropping conversations in coffee shops and bars. I look for weird details on sidewalks, hikes, and in Insta posts (human teeth sewn onto a wool cap?). Typically, once I collect about three nuggets and find some resonance, a character will begin to appear. If I listen and watch, and sit down to the work, and I'm lucky, a story emerges.
We think of "after happy hour" as the time you can really let loose and be yourself. What is your after happy hour?
Summer backpacking in Colorado is my 'After Happy Hour." I went on my first trek when I was eighteen, and thirty years later it's still what I love most, and where I can tap into my truest self. No mirror, no phone, no traffic. All I have to do is carry my load, travel on foot, and stay warm, dry, and fed. Returning to bare essentials reminds me I am both human and wild.
Give us a recipe and tell us why you chose it--what's special about that dish?
Fascinating question!
Grandpa Wilbur's Texas Chili, from my paternal grandfather (now deceased). Modified by my mom Betsy, then by me.
My grandpa was born in the 1910's and, as a child, moved from an Arizona mining town to the East Texas piney woods.
This recipe is special because it displays a move out of the Depression era, and encapsulates the flavors of both the West and Texas. Also: simple.
Ingredients
neutral oil
1 large onion, diced small
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 lb lean ground beef or elk
1-2 boxes beef broth or stock
2 large cans whole peeled tomatoes, chopped with the juice
2 cans diced tomatoes + green chiles (like Ro-tel)
2 cans tomato paste
1 large carrot, grated (my addition)
2-3 cans or 2-3 cups cooked pinto beans, rinsed (kidney or black also fine)
cumin
chili powder
smoked paprika or chipotle, optional
salt
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, heat oil and cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until soft.
- Add meat and smash it up. Cook until browned.
- Add broth/stock.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomatoes + chiles, carrots, and tomato paste.
- Sprinkle a layer of cumin on top, then a layer of chili powder. Guess, smell, taste. No measurements.
- Add salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for ~30 minutes to an hour.
- Add beans and warm.
- Serve over a scoop of hot rice.
- Best with crunched up crackers or tortilla chips on top. Also cheddar cheese.
- The second or third day yields a deeper, more complex flavor.