--interview by Marcia Peterson
WOW: Congratulations on winning first place in our Q1 2026 Creative Nonfiction essay competition! What prompted you to enter the contest?
Carole: First and foremost - the words WOMEN and WRITING not only prompted me to enter the WOW contest, they are my pilot light! Like any powerful duo - Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok, Oprah and Gayle, Lucy and Vivienne, Cagney and Lacey - the combination of women and writing is a winner. Evocative of meaning, insight and creativity. I love WOW and this was not my first submission to your competition (I placed as a finalist before). Now I feel my writing has grown stronger over the years not only because of the regular practice of writing, but the hallowed art of editing.
WOW: “He Hit Me” is a powerful essay written in a unique format that worked so well here. What inspired you to write this particular piece?
Carole: Last year I worked with the amazing Nicole Breit for one-on-one writing coaching. It was life- changing. This piece, “he hit me,” arose from her assignment to write a 500 word one-sentence flash essay on any subject I was flummoxed. One sentence? Only 500 words? I love words - I write so many of them - how could I say what I wanted to say with fewer words?
Well, time and again, through Nicole’s teaching and my experience practicing different forms, I’ve learned the power of compression. That constraints don’t have to lessen what I want to say, and instead they can enhance my point of view with a type of fertile precision.
Well, time and again, through Nicole’s teaching and my experience practicing different forms, I’ve learned the power of compression. That constraints don’t have to lessen what I want to say, and instead they can enhance my point of view with a type of fertile precision.
Also as a side bonus - that I did not realize until the piece was in its final form - this one sentence format was SUCH A PERFECT FIT - for the entire feeling of what happened in “he hit me.” The run-away situation that I could not control, the threat of violence, the desperation of wanting to be safe - these are all heightened by the “speed” of the piece. I felt the 500 word one-sentence format hit the exact sense of chaos I felt in real life.
WOW: Do you have any thoughts or advice for writing about difficult things?
Carole: Oh yes! Learning about CNF was my game changer. Especially its hybrid forms. It gave me the freedom to write about hard things in my life (like incest and child abuse). Like many who’ve experienced trauma, what memories I have are in fragments - as sharp as glass. Using the CNF form, I can write about what happened in a framework that somehow, almost magically, contains my big feelings. I’m able to examine “what happened” along with “what did I feel” - something that wasn’t possible for me at the time (when experiencing trauma) nor later when I tried to write about my past in linear long-form. It’s been extremely healing work. Having a CNF form to write into is like having a muse hold my hand while I bare what’s inside.
Finally, although not in this particular piece (“he hit me”), I am a big fan of utilizing comedy to write about difficult things. Several of my favorite memoir CNF pieces are funny. Especially as a playwright, I’ve seen laughter expand an audience in a way that opens them up, making them more available to take in harder stuff. Without comedy as a balm, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
WOW: Your play Control Top, which examines the impact of gendered clothing on women, sounds interesting. We’d love to know more about it.
Carole: The concept for CONTROL TOP originated during a grant application process. I was inspired by Abby Wambach’s declaration: “Wear what you want. Love who you love. Become what you imagine.” This quote sparked a curiosity about WHY we wear what we wear, and the invisible expectations woven into the fabric of women's lives. Written with the support of the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, the play evolved into an ensemble piece featuring five older women who reflect on their lifetimes of experiences with clothing. CONTROL TOP is both ridiculously funny and heartbreakingly honest, confronting the subtle and not so subtle ways discrimination manifests.
From lack of pockets to varying opinions on pantyhose ~ gendered t-shirts ~ dress codes ~ not-so-miracle bathing suits and training bras (and what exactly is being trained?), my goal for CONTROL TOP is to further the conversation about the impacts of patriarchy and capitalism on all women.
As we face the erosion of hard-won rights, this dialogue is more urgent than ever. I’ll re-stage the production later this year while I get it out to theater companies across the country.
Meanwhile, I consider CONTROL TOP a living project. As a white cis woman, I am committed to expanding this play by co-writing future versions with women of diverse backgrounds and genders to ensure it speaks to everyone.
WOW: Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Carole. Before you go, can you share a favorite writing tip or piece of advice?
Carole: My favorite piece of advice comes from an interview I heard with Francis Ford Coppola. He was asked, when do you like to write, what time of day? His answer was “early in the morning, before anyone has hurt my feelings.”
Personally, my go-to writing tip is to let my fingers do the talking. I don’t plan what I’m going to write - it’s as if I only need to listen. And write what “they’ say. Sure, I can edit later. But in that initial phase, I love to capture the essence of what’s coming through and am often surprised by it in the best way possible.
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