Introduction: Audrey Hollis

Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to meet you all!

Do you have a nickname?

I do not! Audrey is a little hard to shorten.

What do you like to read?

I read a bit of everything – I love Carmen Maria Machado, Susan Sontag, Ann Leckie, Maggie Nelson, Daniel Mallory Ortberg, Robin Mckinley, Elena Ferrante, Patricia Lockwood…. Currently, I’m trying to finish all the unread books on my bookshelf.

What kind of stories do you write?

I like to write surreal science fiction stories which play with gender and time. Or fairy tales? I write a range of things.

How would you describe your personality?

I’m fascinated by the world and usually very excited by something or the other.

What would you do this summer if you hadn't been accepted to Clarion?

I’d be working and writing – I work at a tiny activist nonprofit, so I’d probably be going to a lot of protests.

Who will miss you most while you're in San Diego (cats, kids, partner, boss, coworkers)?

My cat Andromeda will pine for me and my queer book club will also miss me.  

Have you participated in an intensive writing workshop before?

No, never.

What scares you most about Clarion?

This is all so new to me so everything?

What do you do to relax or for recreation?

I love to go to strange museums, take hikes, play board games, and read.

What 1-2 essential things will you bring to Clarion besides your laptop, watergun, and espresso maker?

Loose leaf tea.

What is your ideal career?

I’d love to work at a nonprofit similar to the one I’m at part time and write part time.

What else do you want us to know about you?

I love to travel and I love languages. I speak Thai and Mandarin poorly and am currently working on Spanish. I have killed every plant I’ve ever tried to grow.