AUTHOR: Kristine Ong
Muslim
BOOK TITLE: We Bury
the Landscape
PUBLISHER: Queen’s
Ferry Press
Please tell us about yourself. I have been writing and
publishing actively for years. My
stories and poems have appeared in hundreds of literary journals, genre
magazines, and anthologies. I live in the Philippines. I am an eldest child. And I love to
garden.
Tell us your latest news. On April 20, my flash fiction piece appears in the latest issue of Ellipsis. I also have a poem in Inkscrawl, a poem in The Moment
of Change: An Anthology of Feminist Speculative Poetry from Aqueduct Press,
flash fiction in Dadaoism (An Anthology)
from Chômu Press, and stories in two anthologies edited by Filipinos.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? The first time that I got paid well for my
writing – that was the first time I felt like a real writer. It was the
literary journal, Turnrow, many years ago.
What inspired you to write your first book? My now out-of-print first book is a
collection of poems. The publisher folded years ago. We Bury the Landscape is my
first fiction book. It consists of 100 mini-stories about 100 different
paintings and photographs. The bulk of the inspiration came from Edward
Hirsch’s “Edward Hopper and the House by the Railroad.” I discussed my research
notes for the
book in the Necessary Fiction
blog.
What books have most influenced your life most? Ray Bradbury’s “The Martian Chronicles.”
Nothing comes close to it.
What book are you reading now? What do you like, or not,
about it? I am currently reading Theodore
Carter’s first book, “The Life Story of a Chilean Sea Blob.” I am on the third
story. What’s amazing about the stories is that they incite nervous laughter. The
well-written stories are absurd and at times, hilarious, but deep down, I find
them to be incredibly disturbing.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? He is not a new author, but recently I’m
drawn to the work of Michael Meyerhofer. I “discovered” his writing after I
read his fine analysis of James Valvis’ poem.
What are your current projects? I am working simultaneously on two book manuscripts this year. They are
both collections of interrelated stories.
Do you ever have problems
with writers block? If so how do
you get through it? To deal with writers
block, I go ahead and just force myself to write. I never had any serious
problems with writers block. All my long dry spells of zero output had nothing
to do with writers block; I was simply busy doing other things.
What do you do when you’re
not writing/editing or thinking about writing/editing? I read a lot. I read like crazy. In fact, I read more than I write. I tailor my writing hours so I am
left with more hours to read.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really
strikes you about his work? As far back
as I can remember, I have always loved Ray Bradbury. All his stories have the
air of “I love what I’m doing right now, and whatever I’ve left on the page for
you to read is a product of what truly makes me happy!” That’s how I want to
write.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? The writing part was relatively easy
because I enjoyed it. The most difficult part was to get the whole manuscript
published. Fortunately, it did not take a year for me to do that. I had already
moved on to another project during the proofreading stages with Queen’s Ferry
Press.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was
it? A ludicrous yet well-executed idea
is always bound to get published.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Write really well, and write something new.
I am incredibly old-fashioned, and I believe in hard work. I believe in a
writer’s long and tortuous publication history. I also believe in the value of
a community of writers. My advice: write the best you can and support other
authors whose work you believe mirrors what you want to accomplish in your
writing.
Any special appearances or
events coming up that you want to mention? My
poetry chapbook, “Doll Plagues, Doll Lives,” is forthcoming from Thunderclap
Press this year. So is my full-length poetry collection, “Grim Series,” from
Popcorn Press.
Who is your publisher and
how did you connect with them? My
publisher is Queen’s Ferry Press. I found their listing on Duotrope. I wrote a short query to accompany the
manuscript, waited, and that was it.
How can we find you? Website,
Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. - please share your public links.
Short Excerpt or blurb:
We Bury the Landscape is a collection of 100 little stories about 100 different paintings and other works of art. It is a carnival of the absurd and the macabre -- a carnivorous sunflower, a boy with a propeller head, and a boy who is forever wedged in the floor of his bedroom. Read the complaints of our dear Aunt Mimi who is addicted to cosmetic surgery. Feel sorry for a resurrected minotaur.
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