Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.
Name: Jenna Lyles
Title of Piece published in Sweet: Kumquat
Issue: 9.3
Find her:
Jenna is starting her third, and final, year at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa where she is earning her MFA in Creative Writing. You can find out more about her on her website https://www.jennalyles.com.
What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?
This past summer I was one of five (vastly talented) writers picked to attend The Mastheads’ month-long writing residency. I also placed as a semifinalist in the 2018 BlueCat Screenplay Competition. And I nabbed a prestigious teaching award at my school.
Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?
I’m writing a tv show right now and that’s occupying a lot of my creative juices. I’m also getting started on my Master’s thesis, which I’m envisioning as a collection of essays dealing largely with sex and sexuality.
Who is your favorite author?
Gabriel Marquez. He’s too good.
What is your favorite poem/essay/book?
Poem: L’Invitation au Voyage, Charles Baudelaire
Book: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Harriet Jacobs
What inspires you to write?
First and foremost, reading and listening to other people’s work. But also: eccentrics, thunderstorms, good movies, and deadlines.
What is your favorite sweet?
Dove chocolate. Fortunately for us all, you can find it in the candy aisle of most grocery stores.
Hmmm…guess we should have asked you what your Dove quote would be!
Thank you, Jenna, for taking the time to reconnect with us. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!
