Ask the Author: Susan Slaviero

Susan Slaviero’s poetry appears in the February issue. She talks with us about hiding the body, poetry brothels and the cast of the sequel to her life.

1. Where did you hide the body?

The body is hidden in a theoretical construct, right between the tesseract and the squared circle.  Do you see it now?

2. What villains have you loved?

I love all forms of villainy and I have loved many, many villains.  I am especially fond of the Borg Queen and Ursula the Sea Witch.  Oh, and Catwoman.  I freaking love Catwoman, but only when she looks like Julie Newmar.

3. How does a poetry brothel work? Are the poems protected by state and federal labor laws?

The poetry brothel is powered by steam and clockwork bunnies.  The poems are protected by the laws of gravity, but only until the earth breaks away from the sun.

4. Who would you cast in the sequel of your life?

Really, I think the most compelling question here is: Who would play me? I say it should be either Kate Winslet*, Simon Pegg* in drag, or a giant alien squid. It all depends on who will work for the sheer glory of portraying an odd, reclusive and perpetually exhausted woman of a certain age who writes poems about serial killers.

*Please note: I think it is very important that I talk with a British accent in the sequel of my life.  The reasons for this should be obvious.

5. How would you program a golem?

I would use a rotary phone and some form of binary code. Still, there is no guarantee he won’t evolve into an autonomous being and go on an unexpected shopping spree at Trader Joe’s where he might buy a crapload of organic sprouted wheat bread that no one will eat. This is a risk I’m willing to take.

6. How would Carmen Sandiego hide the body?

Who in the world is Carmen Sandiego?