It only seems fair to start National Short Story Month's postings with the mini-interview of the first 2017 short story collection author to have said yes to my request for mini-interviews--Caitlin Hamilton Summie. Caitlin's collection, To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts, was published by Fomite in August 2017 in both paperback and eBook.
EWN: Your short story collection, To Lay To Rest Our Ghosts, was published in 2017. What story within the collection had the earliest publication history outside of being in the collection, and what was that history?
CAITLIN: The earliest story published was “Tags.” It was published in fall 1995. I had met the editor while I was doing my MFA at Colorado State, and he invited me to submit.
EWN: How did the publication of this particular collection come about? Were you solicited by the publisher, win a contest, agent submission, etc.?
CAITLIN: Marc Estrin at Fomite asked if I had a short story collection. At the time, I thanked him but said no. I didn’t think I had one, though I was flattered to be asked. But the next year, I sent out a story called “Sons” that was accepted in a matter of weeks, and that made me start rifling through others and sending them out. And then I thought, why not see how many you have? I felt I had ten good stories, and so I wrote and asked Marc if he was still interested.
EWN: Where do short stories fit within your life as an author? Primary form to work with, or something you write when an idea hits, or …?
CAITLIN: I write across genres. Stories, novels, poems, children’s books. I never plan to sit down and write a story. The only thing I know when I sit down is if I am writing for adults or kids. But I love stories and am now finishing a novel-in-stories.
EWN: Where do short stories fit within your life as a reader?
CAITLIN: I read fewer stories than anything else, actually!
EWN: How will you be celebrating National Short Story Month this May?
CAITLIN: I think I will go buy a story collection!
EWN: Thank you very much for your time!
Caitlin Hamilton Summie earned an MFA with Distinction from Colorado State University, and her short stories have been published in Beloit Fiction Journal, Wisconsin Review, Puerto del Sol, Mud Season Review, Hypertext Magazine, South85 Journal, and Long Story, Short. Her first book, a short story collection, TO LAY TO REST OUR GHOSTS (Fomite), is a Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award finalist in short stories. Most recently her poetry was published in The Literary Nest. She spent many years in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Colorado before settling with her family in Knoxville, Tennessee. She co-owns the book marketing firm, Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity, founded in 2003. Find her online at caitlinhamiltonsummie.com.
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