Artist Spotlight

Every two weeks, Happy Captive will highlight a past contributor, their work, and their current goals and recent accomplishments on our website. As we grow as a literary magazine, we seek to connect with past artists and echo to the creative work that binds our publication together each year. Without these pieces, Happy Captive would be a simple stack of pages lacking emotional and narrative spark.

Current Spotlight

Deirdre Sperry

Pieces in Happy Captive: "Spring Rain" prose (Vol. 4)
Q: Rereading your accepted piece, has your opinion on your work changed?
A: Since submitting the piece, I have done extensive rewriting to give the characters more backstory and better connect the aspect of the past to the main character's experience in the present.
Q: How do you think you've grown as a writer/artist since being accepted into our magazine?
A: After submitting my piece, I was so encouraged that I decided to pursue a minor in creative writing. Continuing to write has forced me to take a critical look at what I write and work on specifically utilizing characterization and specific details.

Past Spotlights

Lauren Miles

Pieces in Happy Captive: "A Woman of Few Words" flash fiction; "Come On, Or Quoth the Raven 'Fuck You" poetry; and "What Happened" flash fiction (all Vol. 4, which you can read by clicking on "Volumes")
Q: Rereading your accepted piece, has your opinion on your work changed?
A: I would say that my opinion of my word has not changed, only deepened with time. I'm less nervous about them now, I've accepted them into my heart as accomplishments and not miracles of bullshit or mistakes (or perhaps they are miracles of bullshit -- I find power in reclaiming the messy process of writing them). They are pieces I look back on fondly as I move forward to write anew.
Q: How do you think you've grown as a writer/artist since being accepted into our magazine?
A: As I write this, my creative writing has taken a bit of a back seat to other pursuits. I've begun training to work at the Howe Writing Center and grown as a editor and workshop as a result. I've also been heavily focused on theatre, dramaturgy in particular. And that knowledge of research and the structure of the dramatic arts has given me new perspectives and inspiration for my writing to come. I have plans in the works for a play and a chapbook. I'd say that my confidence has grown most of all -- there are bigger places I want my writing to go and I look forward to the process of getting there.
Q: Have you been up to anything lately that you would like to share? This can be related to art/writing or not.
A: I'm currently working on dramaturgical work for next semester's production of "The Revolutionists" -- a really exciting new play about women during the French revolution by Lauren Gunderson. I'm really excited to be a part of the production. I've also been working on becoming a better cook -- having a home cooked meal just makes everything a little better, ya feel?