Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Carrie Close was born and raised in Maine, where she is currently pursuing a BFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maine at Farmington. She and her boyfriend Josh, have a son named Zephyr and a daughter named Zarya. Her first collection of poetry and short stories, What Have I Done? is forthcoming from Unsolicited Press in March, 2022.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
What Have I Done? is a collection of poetry and short stories that I worked on for several years. A lot of the pieces I wrote from prompts given in my writing workshops in school, while others were inspired from my lived experiences, or pulled from my imagination. They only became a collection when one of my professors insisted I put it all together.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
These days I mostly write while my baby daughter climbs all over me and tries to get to my laptop. Although my preference is to write undisturbed, with a drink in hand.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Anne Carson, “Glass, Irony, and God”
James Baldwin, “Giovanni’s Room”
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novel, about a girl named Simone. There are some short pieces about her in “What Have I Done?” I’ve been working on her story for a long time, almost 10 years. I hope to be finished with it soon.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I don’t know, this is my first book, so this is all entirely new to me!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m not nearly wise enough to be giving advice.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Keep writing. Even if you think it’s bad. Don’t look back. Just keep pushing forward, you can edit later.
What are you reading now?
I’ve been reading lots of poetry. I just finished Deke Dangle Dive by Gibson FayLeBlanc and Lawrence Booth’s Book of Visions by Maurice Manning
What’s next for you as a writer?
Finishing my novel and getting that published hopefully! Oh, and I’ll be finishing up my BFA in the fall, and then I plan on applying to MFA programs.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“Glass, Irony, and God”
“Giovanni’s Room”
“Pride and Prejudice”
“The Art of Racing in the Rain”
Author Websites and Profiles
Carrie Close Website