Contributor Spotlight: Catherine Kyle
Catherine’s Kyle’s story “The Angels” is part of Issue 82 of Bellingham Review. Subscribe or purchase a single issue through our Submittable page here.
What would you like to share with our readers about the work you contributed to Bellingham Review?
My story “The Angels” was a surprise to me on several levels. While I use a lot of speculative imagery in my writing, I’m generally more drawn to magic than sci-fi. When I sat down to write this story, there were two things influencing me: I was enrolled in an online workshop through Winter Tangerine called “Feathered We Remember” that focused on fantastical writing, and I had recently attended a lecture by David Ryan on the benefits of writing first thing in the morning (pre-coffee, pre-shower—just roll out of bed and write). I wasn’t sure that method would work for me, but I decided to try it since I had an assignment for the workshop. As I sat down at the computer, I expected to write a poem inspired by a fairy tale, which had been a trend for me, but what persisted in my mind—intensely—was an image of a metal angel watching over a small child. I didn’t know what it meant or why it was there, but I started writing and “The Angels” came out. I workshopped and revised it some after that, but the core of the idea came from that blend of a prompt that asked me to reexamine the world from a unique angle and the method of letting my brain tell me what it wanted to do first thing in the morning. It’s a special story to me for that reason—I didn’t expect it.
Tell us about your writing life.
When I was a kid, I drew comics inspired by Sailor Moon, wrote stories based on images I saw on “Magic: The Gathering” cards (even though I never learned how to play), and was generally found in the company of a book. In high school, a friend convinced me to sign up for LiveJournal, and that sparked a very deep relationship with journaling that has continued ever since. I’ve filled lots of notebooks with writing that I’ve never shown to anyone else, but that has helped me understand myself and my place in the world in richer ways.
As far as writing for others goes, I knew in high school I wanted to write books based on how much I loved my literature classes. I didn’t start sending work out until my 20s, and even now, I still feel like I’m developing a writing life. Right now, I do most of my writing during the summer.
In terms of why I write now or what keeps me coming back to it, lately I’ve been seeing writing as a conversation with the world. The world throws a lot of things at me—often painful and confusing things—and writing can be a way for me to regain my footing in response to that. It makes my life feel like an active dialogue instead of something one-sided. I also think writing puts me in touch with a part of myself I can’t access any other way. I want to hear what it has to say.
Which non-writing aspect(s) of your life influence(s) your writing the most?
Aside from reading, I love animation, story-driven video games, and sci-fi/fantasy movies and shows. I think all of those things have a lot in common with poetry, which is the main genre I write in. They’re often full of unusual imagery that can be read metaphorically—like, in “WandaVision,” grief as an enormous red cloud with a forcefield that keeps people in and out. The expansiveness and intensity of those genres get me thinking in new ways.
What writing advice has stayed with you?
Different pieces of advice have resonated over the years, but what’s standing out in my mind a lot right now is something Sarah Manguso helped me think about when she was my mentor through New England College. I asked if she had tips on balancing daily responsibilities with writing, and she suggested doing what I can to get in a certain frame of mind that invites creativity, such as listening to specific songs that I know help me feel open and receptive. The mental load is a real thing, and it can be hard to stop thinking about groceries, laundry, or whatever else and get in the headspace to write. So, I’ve been considering the conditions that help me make that transition.
What is your favorite book (or essay, poem, short story)?
This is always such a hard question for me! Favorite books I’ve read recently are Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz, Portrait of the Alcoholic by Kaveh Akbar, Soft Science by Franny Choi, When I Grow Up I Want to be a List of Further Possibilities by Chen Chen, Bestiary by Donika Kelly, The Carrying by Ada Limón, and What the Living Do by Marie Howe. Other longtime favorite writers are Toni Morrison and Mariko Tamaki.
What are you reading right now?
Poem, Revised: 54 Poems, Revisions, Discussions, edited by Robert Hartwell Fiske and Laura Cherry. I often struggle with revision, so it’s teaching me a lot! Next on the list are Oculus by Sally Wen Mao and Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo.
What project(s) are you working on now, or next?
I’m currently working on a poetry manuscript that’s emerging out of my MFA thesis. It’s tentatively called Fulgurite, which is a structure resembling a tunnel system that can result from lightning striking the earth. I find that a really interesting metaphor for both trauma and things that happen to the heart that are startling but exhilarating. They can leave marks that resemble labyrinths. I see poetry as a way of exploring those mazes, those spaces that weren’t there before. The poems focus a lot on connection, what makes it possible, and what hinders it through a fabulist lens. There’s a recurring character called the Angel of Dissociation, fairy tale retellings, beasts that prowl city gardens, and more. I want it to be both mythical and very grounded in the everyday world.
Anything else our readers might want to know about you?
I grew up in Seattle, so the coastline described in “The Angels” was actually based on the Pacific Northwest. That makes me especially thrilled and honored that the story found a home at Bellingham Review. Thank you again to the editors!
Where can our readers connect with you online?
My website is www.catherinebaileykyle.com.
Featured Image: “Aurora Over the Southern Hemisphere” by NASA