Creation in Isolation: Teresa Milbrodt

Unicorn Horns and Web Conferences

By Melissa Schack

Teresa Milbrodt is a short story writer with a new book, Instances of Head-Switching, scheduled for release on June 23, 2020. Her other books include the short story collections, Bearded Women: Stories and Work Opportunities, a novel, The Patron Saint of Unattractive People; and a collection of flash fiction, Larissa Takes Flight: Stories. She believes the arts allow us to switch heads and experience other spaces or people or ideas. During times of crisis, a different perspective through art can give us the opportunity to keep our heads on straight.

This fall she starts a new position as an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. You can find her online on her author webpage and her Goodreads author page.
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What inspired you to write the stories in Instances of Head-Switching? And do you think writers need interchangeable heads to cope?

So many odd musings lead to the stories in this collection...

Unicorns are essentially horses with horns, and thus would be lovable, vulnerable to colic and hoof abscesses, and not smell too great all the time. Magical amulets are bound to have weird side effects, be subject to market forces, and companies that manufacture them would need to have a two-inch-thick instruction booklet as well as lawyers on retainer. Not everyone would like to have a so-called disability "magicked" away. If the Greek gods returned, they'd probably have unhealthy diets and be all over social media. Being able to switch heads is a useful skill in many social occasions.

The only generalization I will make about writers is that I can't make generalizations about writers, but at least some of us are pretty good at trying on different heads for size. Switching heads can be helpful in terms of escapism, but it's also key to empathy. At times like these, being empathetic toward others is crucial to coming together as communities, even if part of coming together means staying apart. 
 
Do you have a favorite line from your book you can share with us?

"Because he’s sixty-five years old, weighs five hundred pounds, and is mostly retired, my father is learning how to levitate."
 
How has COVID-19 affected your career and your personal life?

Like many other college instructors, I ended my semester teaching online. It was difficult to be away from my students because I love the energy of the classroom, but I was glad many of my students were able to connect via web conferencing during our normal class times. We had our usual discussions over the readings and their writing projects, and we found out what everyone was baking, watching on Netflix (I still haven't gotten around to seeing Tiger King), and their latest video game obsessions (Animal Crossing all the way). We met everyone's dogs and cats and nine-month-old nephews, we celebrated their birthdays, and when their Sims graduated from college (a bittersweet moment). I really valued being able to maintain that connection with them as we finished out the semester.

Personally, I am feeling the same heartache as so many other people, since we've been taken away from seeing friends and family, and physical contact. Every day is a traffic jam of emotions: fear, uncertainty, and anger among them, but also moments of joy and connection when I'm out walking and see people and their dogs, or chat with friends and hear about their latest cooking ventures. This is such a new physical, emotional, and economic space. It's unendingly complicated. 

Why is it important for people to support the arts, even during times of uncertainty?

The arts allow us to switch heads, even for a few moments, and experience other spaces or people or ideas. Especially at times when everything feels both pressing and uncertain, the arts can be a release valve, give us a moment to breathe, and maybe come back into ourselves feeling a bit more renewed. 

What are your book recommendations for those who are looking for material to read during mass quarantine?

The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams is a really good escapist read if you want to leave Earth for a while. And then come back. And then leave again. And then come back. And then leave. And it’s funny as hell.

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