Established in 2018, TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books.
Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
The
stories in BURNER explore technology’s influence on the way we communicate with
each other for better or worse. Some also touch on the ways in which women are
compelled to inhabit their own power in a patriarchal society.
Which story did you most enjoy writing? Why? And which
story gave you the most trouble, and why?
Burner was so fun to write. Having worked
in restaurants in my twenties, I know the environment and the family-like
relationships that can develop. I had a great time imagining how my character
might try to seduce a man who’s clearly not interested in her, and especially
not intellectually. There’s No Danger Here was probably revised the most
drastically. In its earliest drafts the story was over six thousand words. I
chipped away at it until the narrator’s understanding of what she really wanted
revealed itself.
Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s
road to publication.
I sent the
manuscript out to about six or seven agents and received some positive
responses, but the prevailing message was that story collections are difficult
to sell. At the same time, I entered the collection into contests and submitted
directly to a few smaller presses. Burner was a semi-finalist in a 2023 Autumn
House Press contest for fiction and longlisted for Dzanc’s 2023 contest for
short story collections. A few months later, Cornerstone Press accepted it for
publication.
What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?
My
favorite piece of advice is from Richard Bausch, and I’m paraphrasing here, but
essentially to ground the reader in the story with details. And I also like the
more general advice: write the things you’d want to read.
My favorite writing advice is “write until something
surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?
My
surprises show up in revision. The way I revise is probably the least
efficient, which is to rewrite the story from start to finish every time, but
this method tends to yield the most surprises.
How did you find the title of your book?
Burner seemed to capture the disposable nature of
communication that technology encourages or allows.
Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any
food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)
The chef
in Burner makes a delicious coq au vin, but unfortunately, he’s as tightlipped
about how he makes it as he is about himself.
***
READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://www.katrinadenza.com/
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR STACK: https://bookshop.org/p/books/burner-and-other-stories/c1fe6bc8563b1165?ean=9781968148126&next=t
READ A STORY FROM THIS BOOK, “In These Dark Woods”: https://newworldwriting.net/katrina-denza-in-these-dark-woods/
