Q and A with Howling Bird Press Author John Medeiros

John Medeiros

What is it about writing that energizes you?
The intimacy of that space is what energizes me. Writing centers me. It reminds me of my place in the larger scheme of things, and it forces me to pause and reflect on those portions of my life that need reflection. It’s easy to avoid something when there is always something else that needs our attention. Writing allows me the space and intimacy I need with that something that would otherwise be avoided.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?
It is common for writers to focus on the product of writing, with so little regard to the process that leads to that product. This is why we often self-edit while we write which, if you think about it, is a type of censorship – a form of self-doubt. If we could have a deeper reverence for the process we would grow as writers, and here’s why: becoming intimate with the process builds in us a trust that the product will eventually happen. We don’t need to know what the end result will look like before that process has begun; what we need to know is that the process will get us there. Knowing and trusting the process builds in us a sense that we are writers and removes the self-doubt that tells us we aren’t.

What is your writing Kryptonite?
I tend to think about my audience too much and too early on in the process. This, too, leads to self-censorship. I am often reminding myself that no one but me needs to know what I’m writing about and the process will eventually reveal what audience, if any, I need to share my writing with.

What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
For 12 years I co-curated an LGBTQI reading series called Queer Voices with Intermedia Arts. Through that series so many queer-identified writers have shared their voices and their stories. I am still in contact with many of them as I’ve watched them develop as strong literary voices in our community. It’s funny, but a few years ago I deactivated my Facebook account; I felt it was not meeting my needs at the time and was more of a negative influence than a positive influence in my life. My account was deactivated for almost a year, and in that year several colleagues published books, performed readings, and announced awards for their writing. I missed all of them, which saddened me. So I reactivated my Facebook account so I would stay in the loop as much as possible (social media really is the primary means of communication with respect to these things). Since then I’ve attended readings (both in-person and virtual) and read books I would not otherwise have heard about. Why do I say this? For two reasons:

First, to show the power of social media and to remind others that social media is something that we can actually control (while recognizing that, if not used wisely, can also control us). For me, I had to find the right purpose, and that purpose is to reconnect with other writers, including those who are LGBTQI-identified.

Second, in response to your question of how other authors help me become a better writer, to illustrate how important it is to acknowledge other writers and read/listen to their work. Seeing other perspectives and other points of view betters me as a writer. Hearing not just the stories of others but how those stories are told humbles me and reminds me there is always room and time to learn new things.

Do you want each of your stories to stand on their own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between them?
My writing is definitely about connections between stories. My memoir, for example, contains poems – or some versions of poems – that were previously included in my book of poetry. This is because the stories of our lives are interconnected to a larger whole, and the connections between those stories is what adds texture and complexity to our lives.

Self, Divided book cover

What have you done since you won the Howling Bird Press prize?
Since winning the award I revised the manuscript several times – that kept me busy! I’m also an immigration lawyer, let’s just say that kept me busy, too!

What did you do with your first writing advance?
First? Will there be another? LOL. Actually, I donated it to a few non-profits, including those that foster queer-identified writers.

How many unpublished and half-finished books/stories do you have?
Dozens, including unfinished poems. I literally have folder called “first lines to work from” and another called “drafts.” Literally dozens.

Countdown to John Medeiros reading on April 16

Last week, we proudly announced the availability of Self, Divided, HBP’s 2020 prize winner for nonfiction. After an unavoidable production delay in the midst of the pandemic, John Medeiros’ touching, compelling, thought -provoking memoir is here for all to experience. On April 16, Medeiros reads the amazing story of the trials and triumphs of two identical twins, one of whom is gay and HIV-positive. This online event, presented by Quatrefoil Library, is free to the public. Registration is required.. Additional information is available on Quatrefoil’s website:https://qlibrary.org.

Registration link: ://us02web.zoom.us/j/89499076840?pwd=ditReDJ2cTdhd0RBZCsxelZPbE1PZz09&fbclid=IwAR1f9O3WYV1srUdt2iwaZeWeEf1VBBcKMBcs-x1UvIhFc1Ycu6UHvTeTdEc

Running and Writing

Kristine “Kris” Joseph ’20

Kris Joseph is joining a growing list of MFA alumni with published books. She is a 2020 Howling Bird Press and MFA nonfiction graduate from Augsburg University. However, she has been a writer since she was a little kid.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in Communication at UW Milwaukee, Kris started working at United Health Group (Optum). She’s an executive assistant, but her passion for writing has never taken a back seat to her work. When she started looking into a master’s program for writing, she spoke to her boss who encouraged her to go back to school. And with her company’s tuition reimbursement benefit, she was able to do so at Augsburg.

“Augsburg best fit since I was working full time and needed a low-residency program,” says Kris. “I knew I wanted to write about mental health, but decided I needed to polish my work. At Augsburg, my thesis was my memoir.”

Kris incorporated her running into her writing. She hasn’t read about many people using running to help with mental health, despite Kris meeting so many runners over the years who shared stories of their own battles with mental health.

“When you’re running with a team, you have so much time with people and coaches, so there’s always mental health training. Runners talk about their own problems. It was super interesting to me to meet these wonderful people and hear their stories,” says Kris.

Kris’s memoir is about her struggle with mental health from eight years old until the present. She integrates ways she fights depression, which includes her running. And while she always knew what she was going to write about in her memoir, she credits her time in the MFA program – especially her work on Howling Bird Press – as a huge help to her final book.

Kris was part of the editorial team that published Self, Divided by John Medeiros, which will be released April 16.

“Being able to work on the publishing process for Self, Divided was the most helpful class that I took during the MFA program at Augsburg. I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without going through this process with Jim Cihlar and team.”

Kris was surprised how much she enjoyed reading the Howling Bird Press contest submissions.

“Reading others’ work and editing helped with the classes I was taking. When I had to send in a draft for my own thesis, it was easier because I’d been editing and thinking creatively already.”

Kris worked with a self-publishing company, Wise Ink, to publish her memoir, Simply Because We Are Human. Wise Ink is a small Minneapolis company started by women, something Kris was particularly interested in.

“I could do a lot myself because of what I’d learned from Howling Bird press. For example, I used a friend from my undergrad program to do the cover art. And I’m doing the audio book with a friend who is an actor. Wise Ink hooks you up with everything you need, kind of an à la carte deal, and they have a project manager that oversees it all.”

Kris loved being able to shape her memoir – the writing and the publishing – herself. And she sees self-publishing as a growing commodity for writers.

“When I’m done I have all the rights, 100% of sales. Self-publishing is something that will be utilized more in the future. There are some people that won’t look at a book if it’s self-published, but they’re missing out on a lot.”

Before her memoir was officially published, Kris was already thinking of her next project. She wrote a screenplay based on her book in partnership with Andy Froemke, the MFA screenwriter professor. The script is called Beyond Blue.

She is also writing through her training for this year’s Grandma’s Marathon.

“I never thought I’d run another marathon, but I wanted something to help deal with the grief of this last year, so I’m writing about that. It might be a book, it might not.”

Kris’s memoir, Simply Because We Are Human, is available for order at her website: https://www.kjjosephwriter.com.

Review from James Cihlar, Howling Bird Press

“In Simply Because We Are Human, running—both competitively and recreationally—is the lifeline that helps KJ Joseph manage clinical depression. A track star from a young age, Joseph finds motivation to keep running in the memory of her late grandmother, a gifted athlete who competed in sports as a member of the first class of WAVES in the 1940s. This swift and dexterous memoir lays bare the challenges and triumphs of effective mental health treatment.

How do we live with depression without shutting down all of our emotions, even the painful ones? ‘Running is all about letting go,’ Joseph writes. Bracing, sensitive, and savvy, Simply Because We Are Human shares hard-won lessons along with a vigorous dose of inspiration.”

James Cihlar, author of The Shadowgraph