Sarah Z. Sleeper

Sarah Z. Sleeper is an ex-journalist with an MFA in creative writing. Gaijin is her first novel. Her short story, “A Few Innocuous Lines,” won an award from Writer’s Digest. Her non-fiction essay, “On Getting Vivian,” was published in The Shanghai Literary Review. Her poetry was published in A Year in Ink, San Diego Poetry Annual and Painters & Poets, and exhibited at the Bellarmine Museum. In the recent past she was an editor at New Rivers Press, and editor-in-chief of the literary journal Mason’s Road. She completed her MFA at Fairfield University in 2012. Prior to that she had a twenty-five-year career as a business writer and technology reporter and won three journalism awards and a fellowship at the National Press Foundation.  

Twitter: @SarahZSleeper

Is there a work of art that you love. Why? Have you ever visited it in person?

My poem, "Good Ol' Boys," was inspired by the iconic portrait of author Tom Wolfe by the acclaimed artist Everett Raymond Kintsler. As part of my MFA program, I was offered the chance to write a collection of ekphrastic poems--poems inspired by visual art. So, I spent lots of time in the Bellarmine Museum at Fairfield University, studying the art and photographing it. I selected the Tom Wolfe painting, which was on display, as well as fifteen other pieces. (I even got to interview the artist, Everett Raymond Kintsler, who was delightful and showed me his studio.) The resulting poems are among my favorite pieces I've ever written and most have since been published. "Good Ol' Days" is about my father, who idolized Tom Wolfe and other authors of that era. That poem brings up lots of emotion for me and I think it does so for those who read it or have heard me read it aloud. I gave a public reading of the poems in the museum and it's one of my happiest literary memories.

What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?

I decided to answer this question because I have a strong opinion about it. To me, there is no difference between author and writer. I'm both, for sure. Even in most dictionaries, there's no distinction between the two words. But, the world at large seems to think that the title "author" is reserved for those who write books. Those are probably the same people who think there should be two spaces after each sentence. (Totally not true.) Get with the times, people! Things change and so does the world of writing.

Favorite non-reading activity?

Reading, of course. Though, I've found it difficult to focus during the pandemic and the protests. My mind wanders when I read and I get sidetracked. The pile of unread books and magazines on my bedside stand is growing fast, so I better hop to it! My other favorite activity is playing tennis. And my other other favorite activity is doing anything with my daughter, husband, dogs and cat. My final favorite activity is hanging out with my writer friends. And my final final favorite activity is going to Walloon Lake, Michigan, any chance I get.

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?

Yes! All the time. Even right now as I write these answers. I used to especially feel it when I was a business writer. I'd be at these huge conferences with high-powered executives from the tech and financial worlds. I was there as a reporter, but I often thought, "What am I doing here? Do they know I know nothing at all about anything?" Of course, that was an exaggeration of my inadequacy, as emotions sometimes are. Today, I'm thrilled to have completed a ten-year shift into the literary world and I often can't believe it. My lifelong dream was to be a working novelist and poet and now that I am, I sometimes think I'm fooling everyone and myself. I'm know I'm lucky, that's for sure.

Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?

I had to answer this question because I am a SUPER FAN of the band BTS. It started about three years ago when I saw them on the Billboard Music Awards. I was blown away by their performance, and equally blown away by the magnitude of the fan response from the audience. It was absolutely insane, with people crying and practically passing out. (I felt sorry for Salt 'N Pepa, because as great as they are, no one should have to follow BTS.) Since then, my daughter and I have seen BTS in concert FOUR times. Each concert was like being transported to some magical amazing other world. BTS is from Korea and they blend gorgeous multi-genre music, poetic lyrics, top-notch dancing and cutting-edge fashion. It's a complete sensory and emotional package. And the band members are smart, funny and well-spoken. There are reasons they were on the cover of Time magazine, and spoke at the United Nations, and outsold the Beatles. I may be the only writer ever to have published a poem about them, called, "BTS World," but on the other hand, I bet others have written poems about them too. But no, I can't listen to music when I write. I prefer silence.