Q: Do you often include animals in your stories? What role do they play?
A: I hadn’t really noticed before, but yes I often do include animals in my stories. I suppose animals have always been a big part of my life, so it makes sense that they have found their way into my fiction. As for the role they play in my writing, I think having characters interact with animals (positively or negatively) is fertile ground for character building. Harming or helping an animal in a narrative carries serious emotional weight. Beyond that, I’m interested in themes relating to human beings’ interaction with and/or separation from the natural world. I think I’m often aiming for the animals in my writing to be emblematic of a broader sense of nature.
Jarod K. Anderson’s story “My Dog is the Constellation Canis Major” was published in Metaphorosis on Friday, 8 July 2016. Subscribe to our e-mail updates so you’ll know when new stories go live.
