TOD A03 S.P. Miskowski: Tall Tales & Little Lies

August 4, 2016
6 mins to read

In this archival podcast Scott Nicolay interviews S.P. Miskowski, author of The Skillute Cycle (Omnium Gatherum). It was recorded on July 5, 2015 and originally aired on July 7, 2015. This broadcast also includes bonus new content featuring a review of The Skillute Cycle by Gemma Files, author of the Shirley Jackson Award-winning novel Experimental Film.

Show Notes

S.P. Miskowski pulls back the petals on her enigmatic first collection Red Poppies, discusses how she has transplanted her Southern Gothic roots to the “dark and scary” Pacific Northwest, digs into her twin influences of Flannery O’Connor and Shirley Jackson, and confronts the challenges of engaging the reader with characters who are unlikable, unreliable, unraveling, and/or descending into madness. The conversation also explores her transition from playwriting “local fringe theater” to writing Weird horror prose fiction, the little lies that make a story true, the evolution of Knock, Knock into the Skillute Cycle, keeping a story interesting while keeping it claustrophobic, and good mothers, destructive mothers, and the dark secrets of motherhood. She also praises working with writer/editor Kate Jonez and her press Omnium Gatherum, as well as being part of the small press “family,” and previews other recent projects including a twisted novelette about three sisters set in Georgia called Muscadines (Dunhams Manor Press), illustrated by Dave Felton, and stories in a variety of magazines and anthologies such as October Dreams 2 (Cemetery Dance), the World Fantasy Award-nominated Cassilda’s Song (Chaosium), The Hyde Hotel and more. Her reading recommendations including Lynda E. Rucker (The Moon Will Look Strange) and Steve Duffy.

Bonus New Content: A Review of The Skillute Cycle

(1:08:30) In an exclusive new segment, Gemma Files, author of the Shirley Jackson Award-winning novel Experimental Film, reviews The Skillute Cycle.