Romantic at heart
Interview with Caitlin Gemmell
Hello friends! This is the final installment in our The Wistful Wild series, where I interview the wonderful poets I had the joy of working with while publishing our fairy tale poetry anthology.
Caitlin Gemmell has described herself as a story midwife and a fairy godmother, and I have experienced both since we’ve become friends.
You can find links to both her poetry books and her social media below.
Creating The Wistful Wild was truly a memorable, satisfying collaborative experience. Every one of these lovely poets brought their unique, beautiful selves to the project to create a wonderfully diverse and cohesive work of art. You can read the previous interviews with TWW poets here:
1. Are you drawn to writing about certain themes? If yes, what are one or two of your favorites?
That's a great question! I'd say the theme I'm most drawn to write about is the pursuit of love. I'm a true romantic at heart and love stories are my favorites. I also enjoy coming of age stories and family-centered plots.
2. Do you have a favorite character type you like to write about?
I like writing about characters who look one way and act another. In Finding the Bird Whisperer, my unpublished novel I hope to rewrite one day soon, there is a character named Haruko who tends to dress all in black and appears tough and edgy but is really very maternal and loving. I also enjoy writing characters who are misfits searching for a place to belong.
3. If you could rewrite a favorite book or fairy tale (either that you haven't yet or are working on now), what would it be?
There are so many that come to mind. I did have an idea the other day for a Sense and Sensibility sequel with Margaret as the main character (the youngest sister who is quite wild and full of lively curiosity). I've also come up with a Snow White and Rose Red retelling too.
4. Tell us about the first story or novel you remember writing.
Oh gosh! It's so funny to look back on it, but the first physical book I remember writing was for a school project in England when I was around six. We had to base our books on an actual animal and I ended up with a squirrel. I wrote a book about a squirrel who had a hat made out of nuts. He was devastated when he lost his hat, but with the help of a little girl the hat eventually found its way back to him.
5. Is there a project you're working on now that you'd like to share about, or a recent publication we need to know about?
Right now I don't have much time for writing novels as I am in school full-time (studying to become a librarian), so I'm mostly in the thinking and dreaming stage of what I hope will be future projects. One idea I'm keen to start on is to change an earlier novel I wrote, adapting it so that it is now a middle grade book with a twelve year old protagonist.
6. Describe your ideal writer's retreat.
I would adore a seaside writer's retreat. Somewhere in the Northeast, or maybe in the Pacific Northwest, or even somewhere in the Mediterranean. I'd sit on the beach, watching the waves, listening to the chatter of the seagulls, while I write in a notebook. Brownie points for a gramophone playing old 1920s-30s jazz. and champagne with strawberries.
7. Do you have a favorite fairy tale?
It's impossible for me to choose only one. So many have been important to me at different points in my life. As a single mother I most definitely relate to Rapunzel, when she was cast into the wilderness with her children, left to fend for themselves. I too have often felt isolated as I parent a neurodivergent child who is often enraged and anxious. Also, The Goose Girl is a fairy tale that intrigues me as it seems the main character is well-versed in witchcraft. She has the ability to conjure the wind. There aren't many fairy tales in which the princess is also a witch.
Caitlin Gemmell (she/her) is a poet and prose writer living in the countryside of upstate New York. She’s the founder of #enchantedsimplicity and the author of Spinning Hair Into Gold (2019) and True North (2022). Her poems have been published in Rue Scribe, One Sentence Poems, Minison Zine, and the Autumn 2022 Anthology by Querencia Press.
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That's such a good point about the princess in The Goose Girl having skills in magic. There's also the princess in The Seven Simons, who can shape-shift. I'm going to look out for more of these!
Ooh 😍 I love your idea of a an ideal writer’s retreat ♥️! Sign me up for champagne and strawberries and gramophone music on a porch by the ocean any-day 🥹✨🥂🍓. You are such a sweet, romantic hearted person Caitlin!