Category: Sweet Connections (Page 12 of 12)

Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.

Name: John Julius Reel
Title of Piece published in Sweet: The Foreigner’s Neighbors
Issue: 10.3

Find him:
Facebook

John currently lives in Seville, Spain where he has been for the past 13 years. The best way to find him, outside of Facebook, is Google. He finds social media to be a distraction, although it can also lead to writing that he loves. We couldn’t agree more!

What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?
I’ve published the following in Ruminate: Eyes to See the Orange Trees

Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?
I’ve written memoir, alluded to above, called A Great Practice Player. Let’s see if I have any luck getting it published!

Who is your favorite author?
Recently, it’s probably David Foster Wallace, especially his essays.

What is your favorite poem/essay/book?
My favorite novel is The Moviegoer, by Walker Percy. My favorite memoir, in part because it inspired mine, is A False Spring, by Pat Jordan.

What inspires you to write?
I’m not really inspired to write. I need to do it.

What is your favorite sweet?
My favorite sweet is the Medjool date.

I love those, too! Here is my favorite go-to party appetizer: Bacon Wrapped Dates

Thank you, John, for taking the time to reconnect with us. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!

Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.

Name: Jenna Lyles
Title of Piece published in Sweet: Kumquat
Issue: 9.3

 
Find her:
Jenna is starting her third, and final, year at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where she is earning her MFA in Creative Writing. You can find out more about her on her website https://www.jennalyles.com.
 
What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?
This past summer I was one of five (vastly talented) writers picked to attend The Mastheads’ month-long writing residency. I also placed as a semifinalist in the 2018 BlueCat Screenplay Competition. And I nabbed a prestigious teaching award at my school.
Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?
I’m writing a tv show right now and that’s occupying a lot of my creative juices. I’m also getting started on my Master’s thesis, which I’m envisioning as a collection of essays dealing largely with sex and sexuality.
Who is your favorite author?
Gabriel Marquez. He’s too good.
What is your favorite poem/essay/book?
Poem: L’Invitation au Voyage, Charles Baudelaire
Book: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs
What inspires you to write?
First and foremost, reading and listening to other people’s work. But also: eccentrics, thunderstorms, good movies, and deadlines.
What is your favorite sweet?
Dove chocolate. Fortunately for us all, you can find it in the candy aisle of most grocery stores.
Hmmm…guess we should have asked you what your Dove quote would be!
Thank you, Jenna, for taking the time to reconnect with us. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!

Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.

Name: Andrew Bertaina

Title of Piece published in Sweet:  Winter in Washington, DC

Issue:  10.3

Find him:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Andrew currently lives and works in Washington, DC. He is an adjunct instructor at American University, teaching College Writing, and also work in the library at American. You can find out more about him on his website www.andrewbertaina.com.

What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?

I have work appearing soon in the newest edition of Redivider, online at Green Mountains Review, and the anthology, Best American Poetry 2018, releases in a few weeks. I’ll be reading my poem that was included in anthology at the New School with other people includes in this year’s Best American.

Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?

I’m excited about a lot of random essays and stories that I’ve started. It’s hard for me to pin down a particular project that has me excited. Honestly, I’d like to find a home for a collection of essays or short stories. I’m currently working on finding a place for my collected work.

Who is your favorite author?

Right now, I’m really into Karl Ove Knausgaard, but I also love Deborah Levy, Rachel Cusk, Borges and Nathalia Ginzburg.

What is your favorite poem/essay/book?

I’m in love with Little Virtues by Nathalia Ginzburg. Her essay, Winter in the Abruzzi is stunning. I’m also partial to Art of the Personal Essay by Philip Lopate.

What inspires you to write?

Great question. I don’t think I know. At best, writing allows me to use my brain to its fullest extent. I find I’m able to draw on literature, dreams, philosophy, psychology all in the same work. It makes me feel the most intellectually stimulated.

What is your favorite sweet?

I’m partial to coffee cake.

We here at Sweet found a recipe you should try! Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Thank you, Andrew, for taking the time to reconnect with us.  We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!