I'm excited to interview Jeaninne Escallier Kato, one of our runner-up winners in our Winter 2025 Flash Fiction contest. Before reading our interview, be sure to check out her story, "Canines of the Mountain People." Then, return here to read our conversation.
Here's a bit more about Jeaninne Escallier Kato:
Jeaninne Escallier Kato is a retired public school educator, currently coaching new teachers for the California Teacher Induction Program. Her muse is inspired by the Mexican culture—the people, the art, and the history. Jeaninne’s work with bilingual education, as well as developing her own 501c3 mentoring program for Latino youth, inspired her to write the notable children’s book Manuel’s Murals. Jeaninne just released her memoir, B.J.’s Promise: How My Dying Dog Found My True Love, in January 2025. Her piece, “A Desert Rose,” won the 2017 Fall Flash Fiction Contest for Wow-Women on Writing. Her piece, “Milagro,” came in second place in the 2020 Wow-Women on Writing Fall Flash Fiction Contest. Jeaninne’s work is published in several online literary magazines and in two issues of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Her story “Swimming Lessons” is featured in the anthology book Gifts From Our Grandmothers, replete with a dedication from Eleanor Roosevelt’s granddaughter. Jeaninne also hosts and produces a public access TV show for Auburn Community Television called “Staging the Third Act.” She lives in Lincoln with her husband, Glenn, and rescue dog, Bobby. You can find Jeaninne on the Facebook page: Jeaninne Escallier Kato’s Books. Jeaninne’s advice for other writers: “Allow your passions to paint your words.”
-- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: First off, congratulations on your flash fiction story, "Canines of the Mountain People" I loved your story and the journey it took me into revealing who the main character was. What inspired this story?
Jeaninne: Xquenda, the Zapotec street dog in my story, was inspired by a real street dog in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the story takes place. I watched this beautiful mixed breed bouncing through town without a care in the world, seemingly loved by everyone she encountered. I felt strongly that she had to have her own history. She was the kind of dog who seemed destined to be a character in a story that had roots in an indigenous past.
WOW: I love that you gave her a history. What is your writing process like?
Jeaninne: My writing process is organic. I have a thought for a story, and I start writing. I write continuously until I am emotionally spent. I go back to my drafts each day and start editing. The editing process is the most creative part of my writing journey. After I have sketched out my story, day after day, I thoroughly enjoy going back in to add the active, colorful details and extract the withering, dead debris. It feels like sculpting or gardening. I thrive on painting with words. I never have writer's block if I am sitting in front of my computer in the den, surrounded by my family photos and books. My mind flows like an untapped faucet. Where I do falter is if I don't write at least every other day. The more time I put between me and my computer, the harder it is for me to get back to a daily writing schedule.
WOW: I love that you said that. It's a reminder to me to get back into my writing routine! How do you know when a story is done?
Jeaninne: I never know when my stories are completely done unless there is a definite word limit from which to tighten my work to an acceptable ending. However, with my books, I edit and edit, and have others edit, until I feel satisfied with the story I wanted to impart—a story worthy of my telling. It took me two years to perfect my children's book, Manuel's Murals. I wrote my memoir, B.J.'s Promise: How My Dying Dog Found My True Love, during the 2020 pandemic. I didn't release it until January 2025. If I'm serious about a work to release to the public, I have to let it simmer through many drafts.
WOW: I'm the same way! That simmering is definitely part of the process. You have such a rich culture in your story, and I see that you are inspired by the Mexican culture. Can you tell more about that?
Jeaninne: The rich culture in my canine story is definitely a result of my penchant for the Mexican culture. Once I read Frida Kahlo's biography, I became obsessed with her life story. I took three semesters of Spanish at the local community college, spent my summers in Mexico tracing her life path while learning more Spanish, switched teaching jobs from alternative high school to bilingual fourth grade, joined a folkloric dance troupe, set up a 501c3 Latino mentoring program, and wrote Manuel's Murals. I joined Ancestry because I wanted to corroborate the family stories of my own Hispanic/Latino/indigenous past. When I found Mexico, I found the rest of me.
WOW: What a journey! I love that. You are a frequent contributor to WOW's contests! What do you like about WOW's contests?
Jeaninne: I am an ardent fan of WOW contests because the quality of the winning stories is nothing short of literary art. I appreciate the women who run this site because they offer so much more than contests; they offer incredible writing opportunities and quality writing classes. The contest judges are selected from all genres from the best publishing houses. The entry fees are affordable, and the chance to win is 1 in 300. I have been very successful with my submissions to WOW.
WOW: How cool to hear that! I love your words of wisdom, "Allow your passions to paint your words.” How do you encourage writers to embrace this advice?
Jeaninne: My writing didn't blossom to my satisfaction until I found what inspired me, the history of Mexico. When I immersed myself in the country and culture, I found profound parts of me that I didn't know existed. The people's kindness made me feel like I had discovered my history. I wanted to write about everything I experienced, through all of my senses! When we feel alive and our bodies crackle with energy, time is no longer an issue. Passion becomes the moment where everything sparkles with clarity. These are the moments to write about. This is when words become colors and feelings. If you can turn your narratives into experiences, then you have found your passion for writing.
WOW: What a beautiful description! What are you working on now that you can tell us about?
Jeaninne: I am now writing an anthology of all my Mexican stories, two of which were winners for WOW. The tentative title is "White Skin, Brown Soul." The introduction-in-progress explains how I found my soul in the Mexican culture, how my life led to finding the Mexican muse that guides my writing to this day. The rest of the book will be a compilation of all the stories Mexico has inspired, all the stories that express my love for a culture that has given me purpose.
WOW: Thank you so much for your time, and I hope you get in touch when your book comes out.
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