Q/A w/ Jacey Ellis

Posted by Nick Martinez in Creative Writing

Jacey Ellis is graduating from the Creative Writing and Literature Department this semester. Photo By Ash Haywood

As a part of an ongoing interview series with the Creative Writing and Literature Department’s Senior Reading Class, Jackalope Magazine sat down with Jacey Ellis. Ellis discussed lying to herself, scrumtrulesence, and played a special British Invasion version of Marry, Shag, Kill.

Jackalope Magazine: How dare you?

Jacey Ellis: Whatever, man.

JM: How did you get into writing?

JE: Oh, God. I like to lie a lot, to others and myself. So, that’s where fiction and nonfiction come in. Listening. Reading. You know?

JM: What genre do you work in and why?

JE: Fiction nonfiction and poetry. I think because there’s a way to bridge genre when you write. And so restricting yourself to one kind or only certain types of writing is detrimental. Right now in my life I’m exploring all kinds of writing.

JM: What three words would you use to describe your writing?

JE: I’ll give you one word for the price of three. Scrumtrulesent.

JM: Scrumtrulesent?

JE: Yes. (pause) It’s not a real word.

JM: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever written?

JE: Everything I write is both the worst, and best thing I’ve ever written. Freshmen year in beginning fiction workshop with Julia [Goldberg], I wrote a story about a kid who goes to prom and dies. It was like 14 pages. Yeah. I never went back to that. I will never go back to that.

JM: How do you balance work and family?

JE: Weak. I don’t have a job. If balancing means crying at my laptop every morning until my work is done, then yeah, that’s all I do. And I call my mom once a week.

JM: Marry, Shag, Kill: Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Roger Daltrey

JE: I’m gonna go ahead and kill Mick Jagger, because someone needs to put him out of his misery. (laughs) I’ll fuck Roger. The hair. Great hair. And I would marry John Lennon because he’s already dead and wouldn’t be in my way. I have a lot of important work to do and don’t want everyone buggin’ me.