Q & A with author Kirsten Imani Kasai and Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications
SJF: In a nutshell, tell us about your book or written piece.
KIK: The House of Erzulie was a personal exploration as much as a literary one. With this book, I wanted to write a gothic novel that hearkened back to the genre’s Victorian heyday and served as a testament to enduring classics like Frankenstein, Bram Stoker’s Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I’m a big fan of Edgar Allen Poe and wanted to evoke the sensual and textural ambiance of his works. For me, this novel embodies catharsis and transformation — welcome or unwelcome — and the journeys we take that lead us away from, or bring us back to, ourselves.
SUMMARY:
The House of Erzulie (2018, Shade Mountain Press) tells the eerily intertwined stories of an ill-fated young couple in the 1850s and the troubled historian who discovers their writings in the present day. Emilie St. Ange, the daughter of a Creole slave-owning family in Louisiana, rebels against her parents’ values by embracing spiritualism, women’s rights, and the abolition of slavery. Isidore, her biracial, French-born husband, is an educated man who is horrified by the brutalities of plantation life and becomes unhinged by an obsessive affair with a notorious New Orleans vodoo practitioner.
Emilie’s and Isidore’s letters and journals are interspersed with sections narrated by Lydia Mueller, an architectural historian whose fragile mental health further deteriorates as she reads. Imbued with a sense of the uncanny and the surreal, The House of Erzulie makes a significant contribution to the literature of the U.S. South, particularly the tradition of the African-American gothic novel.
SJF: How has storytelling influenced your life?
KIK: Isaak Dinesen said, “All sorrows can be borne if you put them into a story or tell a story about them.” I very much believe (and my experiences have reinforced this) that storytelling is the best way for individuals and groups to transcend the fear or biases that keep us separate from one another. We use stories to create and explore meaning. They shape our thinking, so by changing the stories that we tell, we can reframe the human experience in bold new ways that can inspire and inform cultural, political and social shifts to a more positive end. As co-host of The Butterfly San Diego (a monthly, live storytelling show), it has been deeply rewarding to observe the transformative power of storytelling when people share their experiences with an audience to create meaningful connection. Check us out at The Butterfly San Diego — everyone’s welcome!
SJF: If you had a magic wand, what kind of opportunities would be available to writers in San Diego?
KIK: I’d love to see some creative workspaces specifically designed for writers and literary artists. I’ve tried a couple of co-work offices and find them uncomfortable and noisy. Ideally, the space I envision would have carrels, tiny rooms, partitions or alcoves to suit introverts who need a quiet, low-key place to write, in addition to a communal space for networking and collaboration.
SJF: What are you excited about when it comes to participating in the inaugural San Diego Writers Festival?
KIK: It’s always thrilling to see our local writing community expand and grow and to spread awareness about the many wonderful storytellers based here. I’m excited about the opportunity to hear diverse voices, meet new writers and literary citizens, and be a part of the launch of such an amazing resource!
SJF: What advice would you give to a new writer in San Diego?
KIK: Connect with other creatives and share your voice — there are many opportunities to do so in San Diego. Take advantage of the local writers’ organizations. Attend arts festivals and events, such as live storytelling, open mic nights, author readings and library events, and support our local, independent bookstores instead of buying books on Amazon. Come tell a story at The Butterfly! San Diego is rich with culture, so get out of the house and participate in the many writing, literary and storytelling events here.
SJF: Many thanks, Kirsten!
Learn More about Kirsten Imani Kasai
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Learn More about Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications
