Quick Questions with Poet/Novelist/Short Story Writer, Gabby Gilliam
I first met Gabby through the Old Scratch Press Short Form Collective, of which we are both founding members. I love when writers, such as Gabby, write across the genres. In Gabby’s case, she writes everything from horror to magical realism to poetry, and all with skill. I appreciate that she took the time to answer a few quick questions!
Q: No Ocean Spit Me Out is your debut collection of poetry. Can you tell me briefly about how this collection came together?
A: This collection came together organically. There are themes that I return to frequently when I write: family, loss, and my personal struggle with the Catholic faith. As a result, many of my poems fit together thematically, which made it easy to gather them into a collection.
Q: You are an infinitely versatile writer, crossing many subject and genre lines. Is there a “method in the madness” of your creativity? Do you follow an idea into the form it’s asking for, or how does that work exactly?
A: Ha! I wish I could claim a method to my madness. I often sit down with a plan to write one thing and walk away with something else. There are many times I sit down with a blank page with no set intention and wait to see what comes. My tastes in reading are just as eclectic, and I think that has influenced what I write. If I'm reading a horror story, I think I'm more likely to write something spooky. If I'm reading magic realism, it will creep into whatever story or poem I write next.
Q: What book are you currently reading? Any thoughts?
A: I actually just started Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros, but I often read more than one book at a time, so I'm also reading A Thousand Recipes for Revenge by Beth Cato. I guess we'll have to see if I'm inspired to write any fantasy stories after reading them!
About the Author:
Gabby Gilliam is a writer, a teacher, and a mom. She lives in the DC metro area with her son. She is a founding member of the Old Scratch Short Form Collective. Her first chapbook, No Ocean Spit Me Out, was released in June 2024 from Old Scratch Press. Her novella duology, Drumming for the Dead: Trouble in Tomsk and Drumming for the Dead: Chasing a Cure were released from Black Hare Press. Her poetry and fiction has appeared online and in multiple anthologies. You can find her on her website, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads!
Ellis Elliott is a published author and poet. Join her Bewilderness Writing Workshops and use free writing to find yourself and your voice on the page. Order her poetry collection Break in the Field.