Q/A w/ Schuyler Hall Gilmore

Posted by Nick Martinez in Creative Writing

Senior Creative Writing and Literature major Schuyler Hall Gilmore shows off her mandolin named Beulah.

As a part of an ongoing Q&A session with the Creative Writing and Literature Department’s Senior Reading class, Jackalope Magazine sat down with Schuyler Hall Gilmore. Gilmore discussed 8th grade vampire fiction, personal poetry and played MFK with her favorite animal.

Gilmore will be part of the first Senior Reading, “What Happens After,” with Drake Blais and Veronica Menne at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 7.

Jackalope Magazine: How dare you?

Schuyler Hall Gilmore: Easily.

JM: How did you get into writing?

SHG: When I was in the 8th grade I got really bored with what I was reading. I sat down over my two week Christmas break and wrote a story about a vampire. After that I couldn’t stop writing. I went to camp and then after that I was like ‘I have to go to school for writing.’

JM: What genres do you work in and why?

SHG: Poetry, because nonfiction—I don’t like to talk about myself.

JM: But isn’t your poetry very personal?

SHG: My poetry is about me, but it’s OK because I write poems just for me. They’re not for other people. Fiction, because I like to escape and use it for escapism. I also write songs.

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

SHG: Melancholic. Some of my poetry is kind of confessionalist. My fiction is adventurous.

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

SHG: Oh God, that thing I wrote in the 8th grade. (laughs) About the vampire and the dragon hunter boyfriend, and her uncle killed her parents and tried to marry her. It was like Hamlet. But, it’s not as good as Hamlet. People were like ‘publish it, it’s finished’ and I was like ‘no, lets burn it.’ (laughs)

JM: Have you ever revisited the story?

SHG: Once. I made [the main character] a dragon and her boyfriend is a dragon slayer, so… I made it more interesting.

JM: How do you balance work and family?

SHG: I don’t know if I do? I don’t.

JM: OK, since I know you have a special love for owls, this edition of MFK will be about fictional owls. Marry, Fuck, Kill: Hedwig from Harry Potter, Woodsy the Forrest Owl, and Know-it-All Owl from those Tootsie Pop commercials.

SHG: I’m killing the Know-it-All Owl! He’s annoying. I don’t think I would want anything to do with him. How many licks—no. We’re not going there. Fuck Woodsy, just because I want to marry Hedwig.