Interview with Literary Speculative-Fiction Author Emily J. Weisenberger
Interview with Literary Speculative-Fiction Author Emily J. Weisenberger
Pronouns: she/her
Welcome Emily! For readers just discovering your work, could you please give a little introduction of yourself?
I’m an early-career writer of literary speculative fiction. I have a few short stories for adults out in the world, and I’m currently working on a novel for children. My style is a little wacky, a lot of heart.
Your website (https://www.emilyjweisenberger.com/) describes you as a “writer of social justice-forward stories for children and adults.” That sounds amazing! What inspired you to take this approach in your writing?
I have to give the credit to my education in applied anthropology! As Ruth Benedict, a founder of modern anthropology, is quoted as saying, “The purpose of anthropology is to make the world safe for human differences.” To me, that’s what justice is all about.
While I was in school, I wrote my MA thesis on racial justice activism in Tampa, Florida. I felt amazed seeing how people stood up to injustice, and I was emotionally invested in (read: pissed) about the oppression everyone faced.
Author Emily J. Weisenberger
I started writing about what I observed, because at least that way, some reader might learn something that could make the world just a little bit safer for human differences. First, I stuck with nonfiction and published some “creative fieldnotes” in the journal Practicing Anthropology. (That piece was about a Black family who organized a group of activists into the Andrew Joseph Foundation after their son was killed as a result of racial profiling and police negligence.) I learned that writing about something I so deeply cared about was beautiful, cathartic, and a type of activism.
Until then, I hadn’t written much fiction, but I loved reading fiction so much I decided to give it a whirl. I found fiction was such a powerful tool because it let me ask “what if we did this a little bit differently?”
Congratulations on your short story “Viable” being included in The Vanishing Point: Best Of 2021-2023 Anthology! Could you please tell readers the premise of this story and what inspired it?
Thanks! “Viable” is about a young woman in a techno-advanced near-future who is trying to get a legal abortion, and I am so grateful The Vanishing Point is publishing it again.
I wrote the story in 2021 after Texas instituted the ban on abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. At the time, I found that ban to be almost laughably absurd because it was blatantly inhumane. But I also saw that more states were following suit and the U.S. Supreme Court was becoming overwhelmingly conservative. I was (still am) scared and angry about the abortion ban, and I was anticipating that state governments and the Supreme Court would chip away at reproductive rights until it was officially legal yet almost impossible to get an abortion. I honestly did not expect them to repeal Roe v. Wade, as at the time, I didn’t think politicians would explicitly do something so unpopular.
So, “Viable” was born. It was my best guess for how the future of abortions would look: legal on the surface but inaccessible and even criminalized by layers of bureaucracy. I won’t spoil the story, but I still get chills reading the last scene.
Your short story “The Prairie’s Song” is scheduled to be featured on the podcast Tales to Terrify! Without giving away any spoilers, what can readers/listeners look forward to?
“The Prairie’s Song” is a historical-fiction and horror short story about an isolated colonial-settler in the American west. You can expect eerie vibes, devilish jackrabbits, and the haunting, whistling song of prairie grass. Or is the sound just in his head?
With several popular writing conventions coming up, many authors are getting prepared to meet agents and editors for the first time. Have you ever been to a writing convention or conference? What tips would you give nervous writers?
I’ve been to one! I went to the virtual Jewish Book Council’s writers conference. I learned so much from the panels, but the biggest win was meeting people. I would recommend finding conferences that include lots of opportunities to meet people. During an open group meeting, I ended up connecting with a local author, who I got to meet in person later.
I also paid extra ($20/meeting) to meet independently with a handful of agents and editors. They gave me feedback about my novel-in-progress, and a couple asked me to send it to them when the novel is finished. Connecting one-on-one also gave me better insight into the real work of editors and agents and a foundation from which to reach out to them later. If you’re planning to meet one-on-one with agents and editors, I would recommend preparing an elevator pitch and a list of questions/topics that are relevant to their specific role. Even better, run these by your writer friends/critique group to go into the meetings super prepared.
If you could pick the brain of any author, alive or dead, who would you chat with and why?
I would love to chat with Anna-Marie McLemore. Or maybe I would sit there silently in awe, with a completely blank mind. I find their work to be so beautifully written and heart-rending and, I think, perfect for teens (and adults!) who are asking questions about how to be part of this world. I will forever be grateful for their YA novel Mirror Season.
What are you currently working on?
My main project right now is a middle grade fantasy novel called “Hazel’s Hungry Family.” The protagonist is a Jewish girl who faces competing responsibilities between her family (Grandpa is running for mayor of their small town) and new magical friends who are falling mysteriously sick from pollution (hm, who might be the one causing the pollution??).
The novel is about environmental activism and standing up for what’s right, even if that means defying your family. It’s a mix of lightheartedness—there’s a sweet dog, an overly dramatic monster, a new friend who loves to practice swordfighting—and more serious themes, like learning how to build community and deal with antisemitism.
Where do you hope to be in ten years, in terms of your writing career?
My goal is to be agented and to be able to dedicate most of my working hours to writing novels for children and adults. I also want to continue playing around with weird and wacky short stories, and maybe a little poetry here and there.
Is there anything else you wish to share that I didn’t bring up?
Fun Fact: Some of America’s favorite authors were also anthropologists. Anthropologists Zora Neale Hurston wrote fiction on African American experiences, and Kurt Vonnegut wrote anti-war fiction.
Where can readers learn more about you? (social media, website, etc.)
Website: emilyjweisenberger.com
Twitter: @EJweisenberger
Thanks so much!
