----------Interview by Renee Roberson
WOW: Welcome, Alexis, and a huge congratulations! In a piece of flash prose such as "To the girl I met on the ramp," every word choice counts. How did your submission evolve from the first draft to the final entry?
Alexis: It started as a “diary entry” of sorts. At first, I just knew I needed to document this encounter and the serendipitous timing at which it came. Having this mysterious stranger come seemingly out of nowhere and compliment my outfit, just minutes after a long-time peer of mine was so rude about it, felt too good to be true. I was afraid that I’d forget the moment, so I wrote the first draft as soon as I thanked her and went back into my dorm room. I laid out every single detail I could remember, not at all intending to create anything introspective at first. I was just so fascinated by the interaction for a reason I didn’t immediately understand. And, as I chronicled the experience, I realized where this fascination stemmed from—this idea of “girlhood,” this supposedly innate quality of women to bond over shared femininity. Then as I wrote, I pondered; and as I pondered, I spiraled. In my revised draft, I leaned into this spiral, reflecting on my own learned insecurities, and my own experiences—or lack thereof—with true girlhood.
As I grew up with “boyish” interests (like video games and trading cards), had mostly guy friends until I went to college, and have always been uninterested in beauty trends, I believed that I was on this odd lower echelon of girlhood, and that no matter how hard I tried, true female connection would always be something I could only observe from afar. I’m a woman, of course, and I’m happy to be so, but I’ve always felt this social divide between being a woman—the physical, biological creature—and being a girl, the social and emotional entity. I’ve wrestled with this idea for years now, and it was really cathartic to explore it, alongside my feminine identity growing up. It's something I’ve wanted to write about for a while, but I never quite knew how to approach it. Now, finally, this encounter was the springboard for me to truly put pen to paper (finger to keyboard?) and dive into it, and I’m happy with the final result. I think I was finally able to lay the unsettled remnants of ten-year-old me to rest.
WOW: Your bio mentions this is your first ever submission to a writing competition. We are so excited for you! How did you first learn about our contests here at WOW! and what made you want to submit your piece?
Alexis: Thank you! After earning my bachelor’s degree last winter, I made it a goal to submit to at least one or two new publications before the summer, just to push myself out of my comfort zone. One night, I decided to browse ChillSubs after work, looking for open submission calls. As luck would have it, the WOW! contest was still open. I never went much further with this piece following its initial conception, besides revising it and submitting it for a college assignment. So, after checking out the website and reading other beautiful nonfiction submissions, I was inspired to submit and give this work new life. This piece seemed like a great fit for this woman-centric magazine, and there was still a few days left before submissions closed, so I thought, “Why not? Worth a shot!” The rest is history.
Now, motivation-wise: I’ve had my work published in St. Lawrence University’s literary and academic journals, and I was also managing editor of its undergrad literary mag for a while, so I’m no stranger to the general submissions/publishing process. However, I’ve been wanting to submit to external publications for a while now, just to let it be seen by new eyes! The idea of entering a judged contest was a bit daunting at first, but I knew that it would be a great learning experience, both in writing and publishing. Honestly, I mostly did it for fun. I definitely didn’t expect to reach the Top 3, or even the Top 10! This was such a joy to be a part of, and I’m incredibly grateful to WOW! for reading my work and validating me as an emerging young writer. I’m very excited to submit to other publications in the future!
WOW: Where do you find ideas for your creative writing pieces?
Alexis: I’m emotional and a massive overthinker, which is both a blessing and a curse. When I witness something unusual, or even ordinary, my brain involuntarily begins to dissect it, down to the slimmest detail. It’s an instinct I’ve had for as long as I can remember. When I write, I enjoy building narratives around insignificant moments, and even inanimate objects. I’ve given popsicle sticks tragic backstories. I’ve given family trees and traditions to campus squirrels (to the point I became known as “the one who writes about squirrels” up at St. Lawrence). This rhetorical, emotional core lies at the heart of most of my work, and it was no different here. I wrote the last few lines first, then built the run-on sentence around it, right after the encounter with this invisible, yet beautiful girl on this ramp. It killed me that I couldn’t remember the face of someone who was so, so nice to me in a moment where I really needed it, immediately restoring my faith in girlhood at the near-exact moment I was starting to lose it. All I could remember was how beautiful she was, even though I have no actual memory of her appearance. That’s where the idea for this piece came from—the feeling after. It was this churning, hot glob in my chest, made of love, and guilt, and yearning: to remember her face, to learn her inside out, and to really, truly thank her. Whoever and wherever she may be, I hope she knows how much of a difference she’s made on me and my writing.
WOW: What is a day in the life like for an MFA student? We’d love to get a behind-the-scenes look!
Alexis: Okay, I’ll admit it—I actually haven’t started yet! My very first semester starts next week. For the next three years, I’ll be studying at Emerson College, in the heart of Boston’s theatre district. It’s a beautiful campus right across the street from the Boston Common. There’s so much to do in that one area alone—food trucks, shops, live music. I’m so thrilled to experience it all! I’m most excited about the atmosphere, and all the great spots all around to write and reflect, and not to mention all the wonderful urban work opportunities in writing, publishing, and editing, as well as Emerson’s countless literary magazines! Suffice to say, I’m very excited to take this next big step in my life and continue to hone my craft!
WOW: It sounds like it will be an amazing experience for you in Boston and a place to find much inspiration! Who are some of your favorite authors and what do you admire about their work?
Alexis: My absolute favorite at the moment is Samantha Irby. Her work is absolutely hilarious, and while my submission to WOW! was a little more on the serious side, most of my work takes great inspiration from her casual, raw, and unapologetic comedy. When it comes to creative nonfiction, she’s my Taylor Swift. Ross Gay is also a huge inspiration for me—his "Book of Delights" has only encouraged me to ponder the ordinary, which is a large theme in most of my works. It really helped me to harness this sympathetic instinct in me that I once thought childish and practically useless, allowing me to channel it into my writing and build stories around rhetorical emotional cores. I highly recommend Irby’s "Wow, No Thank You" and "We Are Never Meeting in Real Life," alongside Gay’s "Books of Delights" (yes, there’s more than one!) and "Lace & Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens," a collaborative epistolary collection between him and Aimee Nezhukumatathil. I’m a big fan of epistolary essays and pieces that play with form, so I especially recommend that one, too!
WOW: Thank you so much for those wonderful recommendations. We hope you have a great first semester in grad school and look forward to reading more from you!
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