Interviewed by Britt Trachtenberg Managing Poetry Editor at Chaotic Merge Britt Trachtenberg: Can you describe your writing process, starting with a draft? Renee Keele: To write poems I must be inspired, and often I go through long droughts where my muse is missing. When looking for inspiration I will read poetry, mainly from contemporary artists,…
Category: Blog
A Conversation with James B. Nicola
Interviewed by Jasmine Ferrufino Editor in Chief at Chaotic Merge Jasmine Ferrufino: What would you love your audience to know about you that you might not express in your writing that often? James B. Nicola: Oh, I host the writer’s circle at the local library branch on 51st and 10th avenue, on the second and…
A Conversation with Synovia Roberts
Interviewed by Tabatha Miller a Fiction Editor at Chaotic Merge Tabatha Miller: What is the most difficult part of your writing process? Synovia Roberts: I think the most difficult part of my writing process is sitting down and writing. I have ideas all the time, and I try to keep them all in my notes…
A Conversation with Luise Mörke
Interviewed by Lassiter Jamison a Fiction Editor at Chaotic Merge Lassiter Jamison: “Memory Foam” is a beautiful mix of the relatable and the absurd (as if life). Has anything close to the events of this story happened to you personally? Luise Mörke: The best way I can answer this without getting close to the word…
A Conversation with Shome Dasgupta
Interviewed by Jasmine Ferrufino Editor in Chief at Chaotic Merge Jasmine Ferrufino: What would you love your audience to know about you that you might not express in your writing that often? Shome Dasgupta: Oh! I’m not quite sure—I’m afraid there’s not too much about me to know other than I love to read and…
The AFAB, QTBIPOC Artist as an Object: Commodified
by Ami (@HotWraithBones) CW: Mature Content (18+) My writing and art are worth less than my boobs. That’s a fact I’m quickly learning as I progress in my attempt at a creative career. Where brown skin is involved on the part of the creator, labor can only operate in a single direction: from the brown…
Eternally Gay
By Hannah Olesen WARNING: SPOILERS In 2021 the LGBTQ community was happy to see the first on-screen gay couple making headway in the Marvel movie titled, Eternals. Contrary to popular belief, this is not the first time a gay character has been introduced into the marvel universe. At the end of Avengers Endgame, there was…
How to write the worst tweets EVER and sabotage your chances of getting an agent or publishing deal
By Ami J. Sanghvi Hello, mere mortals. The aliens (save one: me) have retreated to their spaceships for the day. Now is the time they have designated for me to educate the humans. Today’s lesson? How to write the worst tweets EVER and sabotage your chances of getting an agent or publishing deal for the…
The Love-Hate Relationship With Social Media
by SA Sneha It is 2 am. My eyes are tired and dragging themselves to shut down, but I push them to stay open for a few more minutes. I promise myself this will be the last reel I will see. Fifteen minutes later, I am still scrolling relentlessly through Bo Burnham’s “Jeff Bezos,” ‘Touch…
Former Margaret Atwood Fan Talks Inclusive Language and Blowing Dog Whistles Through a Megaphone
by Kaitlyn Crow (they/them) I encountered Margaret Atwood for the first time like many do: in a classroom. In my Gender & Bodies class, we read and dissected The Handmaid’s Tale. I found myself immersed in June’s story; indignant at the ideas centered around the patriarchy, gender discrimination, and reproduction; and wondering where I might…