Kate Gaskin
We talked to Kate Gaskin, winner of the Pinch Literary Awards in poetry in 2017 with her poem "What the War Was Not."
What are you reading right now?
Right now I'm reading a million things at once, which is what I always do. Here's a selection: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, The Evil Hours--A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by David J. Morris, and Ursula K. Le Guin's book of essays The Wave in the Mind. To my 6-year-old, I'm reading Curious George most nights.
What is the most "pinchy" (kinda weird and cool) thing to happen to you recently?
The most Pinchy thing that happened to me recently is that I marched in a Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans as a baton-twirling Princess Leia! My friend is overlord of the science-fiction-themed Krewe of Chewbacchus and a cofounder of the Leijorettes, a sub-krewe of marching Leias. She invited me to twirl with them in the parade, something I had not done since high school. I did so many high kicks my boots fell apart!
Anything you're working on now that you want to hype?
Right now I'm sending out my first full-length poetry manuscript. It's not terrifying at all. Haha. Hahahahaha.
Why should people enter The Pinch's contest?
You should enter The Pinch's contest because it's an easy way to support an excellent literary journal. Also, you don't have to have an already-long list of publications or accomplishments to win. (I didn't.)
Thanks for chatting with us, Kate!
Don't forget to submit to our contest! The categories are fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and the deadline is March 15th!
