Lisa Estus has been a member of WLT for eight years and is registered for one of WLT’s upcoming fall classes. She lives in Austin, TX.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Lisa Estus: I write fiction, poetry and essays. So far, my short stories and poems have been published in literary journals, but I haven’t produced a book-length work. A piece I’m currently working on is demanding a wider vista, which is my impetus for taking Margo Rabb’s class “Mapping Your Novel.”
Scribe: What authors would you like to have coffee or a beer with and which beverage?
LE: I would drink coffee with Seattleite Sherman Alexie, artisanal beers with Amy Hempel and Kazuo Ishiguro, and whatever beverage Mary Gaitskill cared to drink.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
LE: Certainly Tim O’Shei’s How to Survive on a Deserted Island, but for spiritual sustenance, new insights with each re-reading, and sheer heft, it would have to be Barbara Kingsolver’s novel The Poisonwood Bible.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
LE: In times when I am fully engaged with writing, the Writers’ League of Texas classes inspire me and introduce me to wonderful people. In times when circumstances pull me farther from writing, WLT has been an anchor for me that I have used again and again.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
LE: I’m in the process of applying for admission to Master of Fine Arts (MFA) programs, researching the ones most able to provide the creative support I need. I plan to use the protected time and intensive craft focus found in an MFA program to make the leap from part-time writer to full-time working artist and author.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
LE: Alas, I do not currently have anything to promote!
