Contrary Cats--Author Interview with Carla Sarett

Today's guest is fellow contributor, Carla Sarett. Carla is the author of the story, Chopin for Igor.

Carla Sarett has worked in academia, TV, film and market research -- and in 2010, added fiction writing to the mix.  Her stories have been published in Crack the Spine, Loch Raven Review, The Linnet’s Wings, Eric’s Hysterics, Red Fez, Rose Red Review and other magazines. She has two story collections available through online retailers:  Strange Courtships:  Nine Romantic Stories and Crazy Lovebirds:  Five Super-Short Stories.  In addition,  Her stories are included in the anthologies, Love Hurts!, 13 Bites, as well as Contrary Cats.  Her essay, “Sam’s Will,” published in Blue Lyra Review, received a nomination for Best American Essay 2013.

Hi Carla! Welcome to A Room to Write.

How long have you been a writer?

I never wanted to be a writer, so it came as a shock to me when I started-- life’s a strange busines, isn’t it?. About a year after my mother death, I attempted to keep a journal and what emerged was fiction-- that was in 2010.  I’m a big believer in testing the waters, so I submitted to literary magazines soon thereafter -- and fortunately, encountered receptive editors.        

What is your favorite genre to write and/or read.

I love all kinds of literature--from Dickens to Alice Munro-- and anything that falls, more or less, into the literary fiction camp intrigues me.  I enjoy women writers in particular.  Right now, I’m absorbed by the English writer, Barbara Comyns, because she weaves dark, even bitter, humor into her stories, the scary, wonderful short fiction of Daphne du Maurier, and the downright amazing short fiction of  Mavis Gallant.  As for my own short fiction, I am eclectic -- I’ve dabbled in the surreal and romantic (e.g., Strange Courtships: Nine Romantic Stories) as well as humor (my flash fiction collection, Crazy Lovebirds: Five Super-Short Stories.)  

Where did you get the idea for your story?

This one came to me in a dream: I woke up and wrote it. Like all of my stories, this one has kernels of personal history and fact, blended with pure fiction. My family was a cat family -- and we had a few magical cats whose comings and goings were unpredictable. I can’t separate my childhood from those cats.  And over the years, I’ve heard other tales of owners (“cat people”) and their cats -- and somehow, those all came together in “Chopin for Igor.”  When I heard that there was to be “cat” anthology, I knew that it was the right venue for this peculiar story.   

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a romantic comedy/novel that is based on the heroine from “Career Girl” (published in the anthology, Love Hurts!), “Skinny Girl” (published in Red Fez), and “Bonny Lass” (in Strange Courtships.)  It’s different taking her on a longer journey (than I am allowed in a short story) -- I’m hoping that readers like the results.   I’m also hoping to return to the memoir I’m developing about my grandparents (the first part was published in Blue Lyra Review this year.)

Thanks for visiting with us today, Carla. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

If you'd like to get to know more about Carla, visit her websites. 

Carla’s blog:  http://carlasarett.blogspot.com

Carla’s Amazon Page:

_______________________________________________________

Would you like a copy of Contrary Cats? 

You can purchase one here:

Lulu

Amazon