Hello from Mackenzie

Hello and sorry for the belated introduction! It’s been wonderful to read all of your posts, and I’m so excited to meet you all soon and read your stories. 

Do you have a nickname?

My friends usually call me Mackenzie (although my family has a host of nicknames for me, and I am always open to adding new nicknames to the list).

What do you like to read?

Novels, short stories, graphic novels/memoirs, comics, poetry, and some essays and general nonfiction. My favorite genres are usually speculative/scifi and any kind of dystopia.

Things I’ve read (somewhat) recently and loved:

The Diving Pool, Yoko Ogawa

Bad Feminist, Roxanne Gay

Saga, Vaughan and Staples

Annihilation, Jeff Van der Meer

The Big Book of Exit Strategies, Jamaal May

Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood

Jane: a Murder, Maggie Nelson

Marbles, Ellen Forney

Favorite writers include: Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, Jhumpa Lahiri, Eileen Chang, Kelly Link, and Karen Russell.

What kind of stories do you write?

Slipstream, dystopian—generally set in our world with one or two elements skewed.

How would you describe your personality?

I am so impressed by everyone’s thoughtful and succinct answers to this question. I would say that I'm often quiet when getting to know someone new, and then loud and gregarious once I find my place within a group. I really like to laugh, so I often seek out funny people.

What would you do this summer if you hadn't been accepted to Clarion?

I’m currently a graduate student, so I would work on my thesis and work a thankless, soul-crushing job (note: I will still do both of these things in August when Clarion is over).

Who will miss you most while you're in San Diego (cats, kids, partner, boss, coworkers)?

My partner and I are semi- long-distance now, but the continued separation is hard. I’ll also miss my immediate family, although I don’t live near them now, so that’s not a big change.

Have you participated in an intensive writing workshop before?

I’ve participated in two weeklong summer writing workshops, and like a few others I’m in a creative writing MFA program currently. But nothing as intense as Clarion!

What scares you most about Clarion?

I am very slow to turn out a first draft, so attempting to produce six stories in six weeks both frightens and excites me.

I often write around charged subjects—social class, gender, age, race, totalitarianism. My current workshop has been wonderfully kind and welcoming to these stories as I chew over them, but we know each other well, and I worry that other writers may misread my intentions and hopes for a story (although I suppose everyone worries over this, regardless of subject matter or genre). 

What do you do to relax or for recreation?

Walk, bike, read, spend time with my partner and family, bake, eat, cook, watch movies and TV, collage, travel/explore a new place, find bakeries and donut shops, and wander the internet.

What 1-2 essential things will you bring to Clarion besides your laptop, watergun, and espresso maker?

Comfortable walking shoes for quick hikes and exploring La Jolla and further beyond.

What is your ideal career?

Something that I can make my own; a place or organization that challenges me, but doesn’t drain me. A job that feeds ideas for stories and writing, rather than picking me clean.

(another possible answer: I don’t yet know)

What else do you want us to know about you?

I’m so thrilled to be headed to Clarion this summer and excited to meet each of you.