Issue 4: Anna Roscoe
"start by the hearth with two shadows at rest, their memories glowing among the coals."
~ two species moving backwards through time by Anna Roscoe
Your flash fiction piece “Two species moving backwards through time” explores the shared prehistory of humans and dogs through clever experimentation with time. Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind this piece?
I watched a video about the prehistoric interactions between humans and dogs. Because human influence caused the slow shift from wolf to dog, I perceive a morally ambiguous softness in that shift. Our relationship with dogs gives us opportunities to be soft and kind, but at the same time, the bodies of dogs have been so physically shaped by human influence, much like our wider environment. There's something odd and poignant about meeting a lapdog and knowing that their ancestors looked and behaved so differently until some of them slowly began to live their lives alongside prehistoric humans.
The video also got me thinking a lot about the time before humans and canines became allies. Dogs are such a normal part of the anthropocene now, but our earliest ancestors would surely be bewildered to see their descendants living with the children of wolves. When I was grappling with this idea, I pictured a time loop or a video camera rewinding to an earlier time, taking a human, a dog, and their environment back in time before dogs existed, and transforming the human's and the dog's bodies into those of their early ancestors.
Much of your work explores folklore and the natural world. What draws you to exploring these themes in your writing?
I like to use natural elements to convey emotional truths. When I spend time in natural spaces, and away from screens, I feel more in tune with my own thoughts and feelings. By using motifs such as water or forests, I find that I'm more able to tap into my own thoughts and feelings about a topic or problem, and to convey my ideas in writing.
I think folklore can be a shortcut to a kind of narrative subconscious. I'm drawn to the universality of folkloric archetypes. For example, many cultures tell stories about a trickster who makes mischief or outwits more powerful beings (think: Anansi, Bugs Bunny, and Scheherezade.) I like to subvert archetypes because I think it can add depth to a character who might at first seem to fit perfectly into that archetype.
Moreover, I'm interested in folktales about metamorphosis. After a big change, I think a lot of people can feel like they are quite different on the inside, but those changes might not be visually evident to others. Stories of metamorphosis create scenarios - a curse, a disguise, a gift - where others can witness the changes that a character goes through.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I'm currently working on a prose piece about an aquarium, digital pilgrimages, and the online content that people return to for comfort in difficult times. Like my piece for Aniko, this one technically started out as a poem but I feel like the ideas work better in prose.
Other than that, I'm also writing a short story about a creepy urban legend, toxic friendships, and a sleepover gone wrong. I often like to work on two or three different pieces at a time, especially pieces with a different form and tone. If I get a little stuck creatively on one piece, it's nice to be able to switch over and spend some time writing about something completely different for a while instead.
Which writers or poets work do you often find yourself returning to?
I can't get enough of Karen Russell's short fiction. Her short story Orange World was a particularly satisfying read for me. Like a lot of her short stories, it's dark, strange, and ultimately infused with a kind of scrappy hope.
I don't tend to re-read novels very often but Tommy Orange's novel There There really stayed with me after I read it, as did Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.
My poetry taste changes a lot depending on my mood and the tone of my own writing projects. When I'm writing something more folkloric, I'll return to Taisia Kitaiskaia; when I'm writing about nature, I like to read Mary Oliver. I also love the poetry of Warsan Shire, K-Ming Chang, and Billy Collins.
Anna Roscoe has roots in Australia but now lives in Asia. Much of her writing is inspired by folklore and the natural world. Her work has appeared in Going Down Swinging and swim meet lit mag. She is a dog person but will also make a fuss of any cat that comes her way.