When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I think I was first told I was a writer in high school, by one of the most fantastic educators to ever exist. I wrote a short story, fictionalized but very much memoir rooted. I thought it was decent enough to pass the assignment, but my teacher harped on me to edit repeatedly, which I was sure was a bad thing. He told me after class that he wanted my permission to submit it for a literary contest. I was pretty blown away by that. I think that was really the spark for me to begin to write more. After that, I would say I was a writer, even if only to make myself feel a little more important during those years. The real answer is the day that my copy of my debut novel arrived. Just getting to hold something I wrote, bound and printed, in my hands is a feeling I don’t think I will ever forget.
Do you have a favorite movie?
I have a million favorite movies depending on the day and mood. All time favorite is a hard one to really nail down. If I am really being honest, I would have to go with Stand By Me(1986), because of the comfort I have for that film. It was something I watched repeatedly growing up, and honestly, may have been the first exposure I had to Stephen King material.
It has humor, heart, and heaviness, all while giving me so much comfort at the same time.
What inspired you to write this book?
When I was in my undergrad at Portland State, I was going through a tough time. I know that sounds really cliche and all, but I had been diagnosed with depression and anxiety a couple years prior. Those following years became a blur of burying myself in relationships, self medicating, and going on and off my medications repeatedly. If I am being honest, it started as suicide note, but it sat collecting dust in my iPhone notes folder for a few days. I added another entry, then another, and so on. Over a few months, it became therapeutic for me to write down what was going through my mind, reminiscing on what had gotten me to the broken place I was in, or thinking about all that I feared about living for another day.
This is where Goshen was born.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I have two projects I am working on currently. I am in the process of writing a collection of short stories based in the horror genre. I am also working diligently on a comprehensive history of Oregon and its foundations as a “whites only” state, cataloging the injustices and often forgotten histories of marginalized populations in this state. I am hoping to have the short story collection out in time for Halloween, and the history of Oregon project out within the year.
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