Three of Kim Chinquee’s flash fictions–including “We Decided Not to Give them Faces,” part of her forthcoming book Pretty–appear in the first issue of The Collagist, published August 15, 2009. She is the author of Oh Baby (Ravenna Press), the forthcoming Pretty (White Pine Press), and is co-editor of the forthcoming anthology Online Writing: Best of the First Ten Years (Snowvigate Press). She lives in Buffalo, New York.

Here, she speaks to The Collagist’s Lauren Walbridge about the process of writing flash fiction versus that of writing poetry or longer stories, among other topics. She also gives us a glimpse of the many book-length projects she’s working on and provides an inspired summer reading list.

1. Can you talk about the inspiration for “I Was There for the Team”?  What was on your mind while you were writing this story?

I don’t recall the initial inspiration, though it was probably sparked by prompt words that may have jarred my memory of the indoor track meet; I always found the event so much different than the outdoor: the echo, the air, the smaller track that requires many more laps. The whole thing felt, to me, like dizziness.

2. The details and voice in this story, particularly in the last few lines, make it feel like a very nebulous moment.  Is this a situation where you’re looking for the reader to make connections, or is it more of an expression of the narrator struggling to understand what’s going on around her?

I don’t think it’s a matter of the narrator struggling to understand, nor for the reader to make connections, but rather I’m trying to be as accurate as possible in rendering that haze. My hope is that the reader can somehow connect with the narrator on a deeper sensory level, one that isn’t so overt. Perhaps this story could be longer; it probably needs to be about 15 pages.

3. You’ve written both flash fiction and prose poems, as well as longer stories.  Does the process differ when you’re writing flash fiction, as opposed to other forms?

Yes, mostly. Often the flash fictions and prose poems stem from prompt words or exercises. My longer pieces sometimes stem from the shorter works that I feel need to be filled out. Or sometimes the longer work involves some detail that’s been nagging at me, though that’s been happening less often.

4. Your book Pretty is set to be released by White Pine Press sometime in the near future.  What can we expect from it?

Many very short pieces: prose poems, flash fictions much like my first book, Oh Baby, though these pieces feel to me more filled out in ways. My story “We Decided Not to Give them Faces,” which appears in this issue of The Collagist, is included in the book. The book is due out in April.

5. What other writing projects are you currently working on?

I’m revising my short story collection, Shot Girls and Other Stories, and editing my third collection of flash fiction. Though I spend most of my energy these days writing my next novel, Battle Dress, which I hope to have completed by the end of the summer.

6. What great books have you read recently? Also, are there any upcoming releases you’re excited about?

Oh, so many. It’s been a great summer of reading: Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Frederick Barthelme’s Waveland, Christine Schutt’s All Souls, Mary Robison’s One DOA, One on the Way, Jean Thompson’s Do Not Deny Me, Clancy Martin’s How to Sell.

I anxiously await Dan Chaon’s Await Your Reply, Richard Powers’ Generosity: An Enhancement, Lydia Davis’ The Collected Stories, and of course Laura van der Berg’s What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us.