This fall, Carve is welcoming a new Features Editor: Jasmine Griffin! Jasmine is occupying a brand new role, within which she will curate features of the print magazine, including One to Watch and Decline/Accept. Jasmine will also oversee contributor interviews and Q&As, plus the illustrations that attend Carve’s short stories. Get to know Jasmine below.
Jasmine is a black queer writer and an avid reader. In both writing and books she enjoys the supernatural, paranormal, strange, and unsettling. Jasmine was recently published in Cincinnati Refined, Eunoia Review, Genre: Urban Arts, and Cleaning up Glitter. In 2020, she was selected as a Mentee for the AWP Writer to Writer Mentor Program and was paired with debut author of These Ghosts Are Family, Maisy Card, and in 2019, she was awarded an Author Fellowship to attend the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing Summer Conference. She has completed her MA in Creative Writing at Wilkes University. A Cincinnati native, she resides in Amelia, Ohio with her familiars, Tabby cats Honey and Oliver.
What made you take an interest in the Features Editor role at Carve?
There’s a lot about Carve that drew me in, even before the position was posted. When the role opened I was excited about the opportunity because I wanted to be a part of a publication that would allow me to grow as a writer and editor, and that would grow with me. In terms of Carve, I was really drawn in by language used on the website, the message of inclusivity, and the tagline of “Honest Fiction.” As a marginalized member of society I am constantly looking for safe spaces to express my voice and a place that will allow me to effectively promote other marginalized voices. It has always been important to me that engage with communities that are not afraid to have those conversations regarding diversity and inclusion. I wanted to work somewhere that encouraged me to use my authentic voice and that would also promote that in the works that they published. From the moment I did my first interview, the team at Carve felt to me like one was willing to put in the work to maintain and improve their practice of inclusivity, and give people like myself a chance to share their stories.
As Features Editor, you will curate Carve’s One to Watch, which includes interviews with debut novelists, memoirists, and poets. How would you characterize what you’re hoping to see in that feature?
I definitely hope to see diverse authors, as well as a wide variety of genres and subject matters, covered in One to Watch in the future. My aim has always been to promote diverse voices, and I always want to encourage people to read outside of their comfort zone. Also, because of the pandemic, so many great debut novelists, memoirists, and poets are having a hard time promoting their work. I am super excited to be a part of a platform that will allow both writers and readers to engage with books and authors they may not have otherwise.
Why do you think it’s important to publish conversations with writers in addition to their stories, poems, and essays?
Writers always put a bit of themselves in their work and I find that readers also tend to be curious about the writing process. I think that these conversations both personalize the work for readers and humanize the writers a bit. It is just another form of connection and humans are alway trying to connect with one another. I think that connection is particularly important in our current climate.
You’re a writer yourself. What are your recent creative projects focused on?
I am currently working on my first novel, titled Blackbird at the Crossroads. It takes place in New Orleans and follows an aspiring ballerina as she confronts her family’s past and their ties to magic, Voodoo deities, and the infamous Bourbon street crossroads. It incorporates traditional fairy tales, African American folktales and folklore, Southern crossroads mythology, and Louisiana Voodoo. I am trying to explore the theme of generational trauma through magic, which has been interesting to try to unpack and explore through that lens. It’s been a labor of love for a while now, and I am hoping to take advantage of some upcoming opportunities to help to get the project where it needs to be so that I can start the pitching process.
You also work at The Mercantile Library, where you facilitate and teach writing workshops. How does your work at the library intersect with your reading, writing, and editing life?
Everything intersects all the time. The library has a lot of great programming and a lot of patrons that are also writers. I also lead book discussions in addition to the writing workshops, so I am always reading and engaging in a lot of different conversations from a lot of different perspectives. We have author visits and programing as well; for instance I got to meet Ann Patchett and one of our last events before we went virtual due to the pandemic was with Kiese Laymon. I’m also leading an upcoming YA Book Club discussion series where we’ll be taking with Abdi Nazemian, Kalynn Bayron, and Jasmine Warga about their novels and their writing process. There’s always something going on and we’re constantly adding new programming everyday. With the pandemic, our community has expanded even more because we’ve added a lot of virtual content as well. I’m always getting recommendations for new books, meeting established authors and new writers, and networking with a lot of other professionals in the industry. I have been afforded a lot of opportunities because of the connections I’ve made there.
What advice might you give emerging writers and editors embarking on their careers?
There are a lot of things I wish I knew before embarking on my own career and few tips I hope will help anyone out there that is working towards a writing career of their own. First, practice self-care when you write. This is especially important right now. Don’t neglect yourself when you work, no matter how deep you are delving into the process.
Second, write as much as you can whenever you can. Write even if it is terrible or the inspiration isn’t there. Let yourself suck. That is what revision is for.
Third, read a lot and read widely. Reading is a good source of inspiration and the further you read outside of your own perspective the more likely you are to look at your own writing in new ways.
Fourth, find and build a writing community. Writing can be a very solitary experience and we are now isolating ourselves more than ever. Having a writing community can definitely keep you going during the more difficult times. I have a lot of support behind me from a lot of people that genuinely just care about the work I am doing and we genuinely respect each other and want to see one another succeed. If you can find those people hold on to them and continue to reach out and share your work.
Lastly, give yourself the time to succeed. This is definitely not an overnight process and it requires a lot of work. I am still working and it really never stops. It is easy sometimes to get frustrated or disheartened when you aren’t where you want to be when you want to be there. Just take your time and remember that your journey is your own and not anyone else’s.
What have you read recently that really excited you?
I have been revisiting some much loved titles recently, particularly Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin and Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn. Both are beautiful works of fiction with gorgeous prose and explore the themes of shame and self-discovery.
I have also been reading a lot of YA recently, and two titles stood out to me recently. Firstly, Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron because I love a twisted fairy tale, especially if it’s queer. The second book is Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, which features a trans main character and Latinx magic. It was such a fun read, so full of magic, mystery, and culture.