Margaret Malone
Margaret Malone’s work has appeared in The Missouri Review, Oregon Humanities Magazine, Coal City Review, Swink, Nailed, latimes.com and elsewhere, including recently the Forest Avenue Press anthology The Night, and the Rain and the River. She is the recipient of fellowships from the Oregon Arts Commission and Literary Arts, two Regional Arts & Culture Council Project Grants, and residencies at The Sitka Center and Soapstone.
A Dangerous Writers alumnus, she lives with her husband, filmmaker Brian Padian, and two children in Portland. She co-hosts the artist and literary gathering SHARE. The latest news on readings from her debut short story collection, People Like You, can be found at margaretmalone.com.
What’s your creative process?
I used to be a first-thing-in-the-morning writer. Every day. I’m so much better in the morning. And then I had kids. So now I write absolutely anytime I have a few minutes, usually it’s in the afternoon when my kids are napping. If I have a deadline I write at night once they’re asleep. I am not good at night writing though because I’m just too exhausted by the time the kids are down. The last deadline I had to push through, I fell asleep multiple times at my computer late at night/early morning trying to finish work.
What are you reading right now?
Right now I’m reading The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard, one of my literary heroes, and I just finished Redeployment by Phil Klay, a book of stories that was so stupendous and brutal and true I want it to be required reading for all Americans. My most recent new obsession is Ethan Canin. That’s who I want to be when I grow up.
What are some of your favorite books of all time?
Favorite books of all time… that list is just too long. The ones that come to mind right off are Sam The Cat by Matthew Klam, We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver, Project X by Jim Shepard (told you, one of my favorites), At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom by Amy Hempel (which I guess now is just her Collected Stories), Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson…I could just go on and on, but I won’t. I’ll think of thirty more I should have added tonight right before I fall asleep.