The Longing Was Baked In: An Interview with Wendy Oleson by Evangeline Lim
For my first interview at Split Lip, I had the pleasure of speaking with the magazine’s incredible managing editor, Wendy Oleson. Wendy wears a million hats at the magazine, but I first got to know her as the warm and insightful host of the monthly staff salons we have over Zoom. Even though I was surrounded by new faces, and a bit nervous, Wendy’s presence alleviated my fears. They asked thoughtful questions and offered supportive words that made me feel not only engaged, but welcomed. So, when I learned I had the chance to interview her, I jumped at the opportunity.
Wendy (MFA, PhD), is the author of three contest-winning chapbooks, Everywhere, Tony Danza (CutBank Books), Please Find Us (Gertrude Press) and Our Daughter and Other Stories (Map Literary). Her work has appeared in Copper Nickel, Ninth Letter, Denver Quarterly, Cimarron Review, SmokeLong Quarterly: Best of the First Ten Years, Best of the Net, and elsewhere. Outside of SLM, Wendy teaches for the Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension and Whitman College. They have received support from Artist Trust, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Mineral School, and the Vermont Studio Center. Wendy resides in Walla Walla, Washington, and I strongly encourage you to check out their work!
She and I chatted over email about writing memoirs, being a part of Split Lip Magazine, and, of course, her love for dogs.
Evangeline Lim: First and foremost, if you could be any pastry what would you be and why?
Wendy Oleson: I’ll be anything with almond flavor! Give me almond paste, marzipan, frangipane—even almond extract works. I’d really love to be a little marzipan figurine painted with food-safe dyes, especially if I could be accompanied by a marzipan version of my dog Winston.
EL: Nice choice! I also love almond flavor, but I’ve never tried marzipan before. I’ll have to be on the lookout for it!
I wanted to congratulate you on winning the Cutbank 2023-2024 Chapbook Contest with your memoir chapbook Everywhere, Tony Danza! What made you want to write nonfiction? I know some people feel as though writing about their own experiences is easier, others harder. What’s your stance on that?
WO: I’ve long loved writing flash fiction, and about a decade ago, I found myself borrowing more and more details from my life until I was writing flash memoir. In terms of what’s easier or harder, I always go where the energy is—I’m not disciplined enough to do otherwise—and suddenly there was energy in writing directly about my own life. The hard part, I suppose, is not feeling embarrassed about sharing it!
EL: I totally understand what you mean about overcoming embarrassment. I often feel the same way when writing more personal pieces. But ultimately, I believe sharing it allows for a deeper connection with readers—a powerful vulnerability. Have you found that writing memoirs has changed the way you view your own life or past experiences?
WO: You would think so, right? That’s a good question, but I’m not sure. If anything, I suppose writing flash memoir has reinforced my sense that life and people and relationships are complicated, that humor is helpful, and that you never really know what’s going to resonate profoundly with readers. It’s been a reminder to be gentle with myself and others.
EL: I couldn’t agree more. For instance, a piece in your chapbook that resonated with me was “Like Wormwood on the Lips” because of how beautifully you capture the raw emotion of longing. Could you walk me through the process of writing that piece, and how you use longing in your work?
WO: I spent several years working on that piece. I’d mess around in the Word document, leave it for weeks or months, then open it up again to see what was there. I knew I wanted to write about the nurse in Romeo and Juliet, but I wasn’t sure how or how I might incorporate her actual lines from the play. It might have been a failure of imagination, ultimately, because I kept remembering and writing down details from my own experience with the play in ninth grade. Eventually, I had several pages of notes, and what resonated the most was the scene where the narrator wants to read Juliet but gets stuck with the nurse. The longing was baked in! In the right circumstance it can feel rather easy to work with longing; it provides so much tension for a character to desperately want something they can never have, something that would be disastrous, frankly, to attain.
EL: That’s so interesting! For my next question I’d love to know about your time here at Split Lip. What is the most rewarding part about being Managing Editor?
WO: It’s lovely to work with such talented people! The members of our staff are constantly doing, writing, and making amazing things—you included, Evangeline! My Split Lip Mag colleagues are some of my favorite people in the whole world—I feel so fortunate to be part of the SLM fam.
EL: Thank you so much Wendy! Learning and being surrounded by such talented people is definitely my favorite part about interning here.
Speaking of all the amazing things staff does, it seems like you wear a lot of hats—writer, editor, and instructor—how do you balance that? And what is your favorite thing to do outside of that?
WO: I don’t necessarily balance things well—in fact, my coffee table collapsed this afternoon. But I do love to walk dogs, swim, and watch women’s basketball.
EL: Sounds fun (maybe not the coffee table part)! Pivoting now, a word I find myself saying too much is “juxtapose.” Do you have a favorite word, and if so what is it?
WO: I’m not consciously aware of having a favorite word! I tend to overuse certain words, but not necessarily out of fondness. I remember a college professor telling me her favorite word was “ballast,” which seems like a worthy word, indeed. Maybe “dog” is something of a favorite word since I always perk up when people mention one.
EL: I believe “dog” is a very worthy word. In fact, how is your dog? Is there anything you want the SLM readers to know about Winston? Perhaps a social media handle to plug *wink*?
WO: As a matter of fact, Winston has an Instagram (@gr8winstoni)! He’s not always great at keeping up with it, but he does his best. He was adopted from the Pasadena Humane Society (www.pasadenahumane.org) eleven years ago, so he’s been following all the critical work they’re doing right now caring for animals harmed and displaced in the Eaton fire.
It’s possible Winston would want SLM readers to know that the photograph of me features his late sister, Louise (she was a very good dog who fiercely protected him). But I’m positive he wants SLM readers to know he’s ready to go on a walk.
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Evangeline Lim is currently pursuing English and Media Studies as a freshman at the University of California Berkeley. She is an intern at Split Lip Magazine, and a weekender staffer at The Daily Californian. Outside of reading and writing, she loves trying new restaurants, watching romcoms, and her pet turtle, Murdtle.