Special Guest Judge of
the Outer Space Chapter
Video Version
Biography
Caitlin Cacciatore won first prize in Bacopa Literary Review
2020 for the poem “Sacrament,” was long-listed for the international
erbacce-prize in 2021, 2022, and 2023, and was nominated for 2024's 'Best of
the Net' Anthology with the poem "Still Life with Roses."
BAM: Where are you currently located?
Caitlin: Arverne by the Sea, New York City
BAM: Where’s your writing space?
Caitlin: My living room desk, surrounded by my wax
seals (I keep an extensive correspondence with various pen pals, literary and
otherwise), washi tape, my sticker collection, and no less than five open books
at any given time.
BAM: Do you have a writer circle?
Caitlin: I have been fortunate to have many mentors
and literary friends who uplift me when times are tumultuous, critique my work
when I ask, and provide advice and pass along their wisdom if ever I find
myself at a crossroads. The constellation of writers I surround myself with
includes authors in all stages of their careers and at all levels of success,
from those who are just beginning to make a name for themselves to people who
are internationally recognized for their efforts in the literary world. We share
a thirst for excellence, a deep and enduring love of the English language, and
a wish to leave our mark upon the literary canon. All the writers I keep
company with are shining jewels, guiding lights by which I might set my
compass. Whenever I think of them, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude
for everyone who believed in me, even when I didn’t quite believe in myself.
BAM: You mentioned individuals who are recognized for
their effort. Well, who do you write to when you picture your reader, or who is
your target audience?
Caitlin: I picture my target audience as anyone who
is lonely or bereaved, heartbroken and in need of a way by which to feel truly
seen. I suppose that in some ways, I am still writing for the lonely little
girl inside of myself. I picture my reader curled around my book with a
steaming cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or apple cider, with the wind
howling outside, a blizzard rolling in from the mountains, but she is safe and
warm and secure. Perhaps she has a dog or a cat nestled in the space between
her legs, and another in her lap. I picture someone who will take great comfort
from my words – who will be so engaged in my story that the wind will cease,
and the snow will stop and when she looks up from my book, the storm will have
passed.
BAM: Very poetic. Tell me, what’s the best way to
write?
Caitlin: The best – although far from the only – way
to write is passionately. Write like your life depends on it, or better
yet, write like your legacy rides upon it. Write when you’re not supposed to be
writing. (Please do not attempt this advice in a vehicle or vessel you are
commanding.) Write as if you’re the only one in the entire universe who can
tell this story – because chances are that no one else in the world can tell
your story in the vibrant detail it deserves. No matter when or why or what or even
how much you write, remember that your words hold weight: the power of creation
is a heady one to wield, so channel your writing – all that fire, all that fury
– into something that makes you feel alive.
BAM: I can relate. So, Caitlin, when did you realize
you liked writing?
Caitlin: The moment I fully understood the magic and
the alchemy of putting words together on a page to form sentences, paragraphs,
and entire stories that were more than the sum of their individual parts, I was
hooked. Words fascinate me; they always have. I am entranced by the way they
come together and by their ability to tease apart the deeper meaning of life. I
wrote my first book at the age of 3 or 4, dictated to my wonderful mom and
diligently bound by her. We still have it.
BAM: Sounds like you have a wonderful and supportive
mother. Speaking of inspiration, what inspires you to write?
Caitlin: Writing is central to my identity. At heart,
I’m a poet. At the bottom of the hour, at the end of the day, I know I can turn
to the keyboard and find solace. I write because I have so many stories to
tell, so many I fear that some of them will go untold.
BAM: What do you mean?
Caitlin: For me, writing is an act of seeking – I am
always in search of great and lasting truths to tell in my poetry: messages
that are vital and speak to the human condition today, tomorrow, and – if we
are so fortunate – a thousand years from now. What is central to our humanity
has not changed since the rise of literature and the beginning of the written
record. There are universal truths about what it means to be human. I often
take ancient themes and motifs off the shelf and dust them off for generations
to come. I recognize how difficult it is to walk the line between being fresh,
new and innovative – and also pay homage to the literary and cultural heritages
of the world. My work draws heavily upon themes of classical antiquity.
BAM: What else?
Caitlin: I take great pleasure in finding precise words, a
pithy turn of phrase, a beautiful new metaphor, an unexpected motif. I write to
be surprised – I’m a discovery writer, after all.
BAM: Could you tell me more about that discovery?
Caitlin: Ultimately, I write as an act of rebellion –
for all of my foremothers who grew up in a world where women’s education and
literacy were limited. My ancestors were mostly self-educated. I come from a
long line of brave, brilliant women. In Italian, they call us strega. I
write for the same reason my great-great-grandmother ran a black market for
medicine in fascist Italy, and for the same reason her husband wore a yarmulke
in solidarity with the Jewish population during WWII.
BAM: Very brave.
Caitlin: I also write for my grandmother – who had
all the best stories and who was a skilled orator both in English and Italian
yet lacked the education to write them all down.
BAM: I'd love to read some of that work. On that
note, tell me about your writing goals.
Caitlin: I’m working on editing a climate fiction
novel about the world’s last library, set 250 years in a future very much
informed by the book bannings of today. My goal is to be a successful novelist
– to move people with my stories and make a living writing.
BAM: Really? How so?
Caitlin: I break my more short-term writing goals
into weekly units. I set ambitious goals, so I don’t always meet word-count or
page-count goals – but I’ve still beaten my annual word-count total three years
in a row.
BAM: What are you up to now?
Caitlin: My current writing projects include
compiling, rearranging, and editing various chapbooks – one on romantic themes,
one addressing ecological themes; another relatively obscure one about obols. I
am trying to find an agent for my poetry and have recently started sending out
queries. I’ve gotten into songwriting and am collaborating with a friend who is
a brilliant, award-winning pianist to put music to our first single.
BAM: Wow. And as for your current goals?
Caitlin: My loftier goals include becoming a Poet
Laureate, whether of my state or of the nation – and when I am older, perhaps
joining those vaulted ranks of Nobel Prize Winners in Literature.
BAM: Thank you.
Caitlin's Social Media
Poetry:
“Cli-Fi”
“The Archer,” “The Names of Love," and “Sweet Summertime” https://www.samjokomagazine.com/the-archer
“Blizzard”
“Transit”
Articles:
“The Needs of the Few: Queering the Canon”
“The Case Against Fast Fashion: My Rebel Wardrobe”
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