MEGAN FOLEY

Megan Foley—aka: Cool Boots—is a queer poet, author, and artist who specializes in crying & trying. They write sad poems, they make unhinged art, and they spend 60% of their time on Thesaurus.com trying to find the exact word they want. Megan is a professional weirdo, a career cryptid, and the leading expert on how to make the world a weirder place. Instagram: @megan_jean_foley

BOOKS

Sike Ward // South Broadway Press (Forthcoming)

ONLINE PUBLICATIONS

Ai builds a better canary // Gnashing Teeth Publishing

Dear senator, come kill me yourself // Youtube

PRINT PUBLICATIONS

Welcoming the Muse // Twenty Bellows

Do Not Tap on the Glass // Beyond the Veil Press

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

South Broadway Press interviewed Megan Foley to get to know the author of the forthcoming full-length poetry collection Sike Ward a little better.

SBP: WHAT IS FUELING YOUR CREATIVITY RIGHT NOW? WHERE DO YOU FEEL AT YOUR MOST CREATIVE?

MF: I’m lucky enough to have surrounded myself with many wonderful creative people. I love watching them share their work, and it really inspires me to keep toiling away at my own. I look at them and think Wow! I want to make something like that! And so I’m always squirreling away little inspirations and ideas that I can put my own spin on.

SBP: WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH POETRY?

MF: I fell in love watching slam poets on Youtube. I made a big playlist of every cool creative piece I could find, and I still go back to them regularly for inspiration. It was a little shocking, when I first stumbled across this group of artists that had such a way with words. They were some of the first people I saw who were not afraid to tackle difficult topics. They were open and honest and so brave. I saw the way people really responded to that. As an audience member, I was comforted by their words. And I got to see people in the comments who needed those words, too. It made me feel less alone

WHO DO YOU HOPE FINDS YOUR POETRY? WHO IS YOUR ART FOR?

MF: I write for the weirdos—whatever form that might take. I write about dark topics, and while I know that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, I want to be loud and unapologetic about it because there are people out there who need it. I need it. It’s helped me survive, seeing other people make art that speaks to my own struggles.

SBP: IF YOUR WRITING WERE A KEY, WHAT DOOR WOULD IT UNLOCK, AND WHAT WOULD YOUR READERS FIND ON THE OTHER SIDE?

MF: My writing is the key to remembering that I am powerful. It can be easy to forget, sometimes. But my writing is a reminder of what I am capable of. Suffering can be very isolating, and so I want my readers to find comfort in the fact that they’re not alone in it.

SBP: WHAT POEM IN YOUR BOOK WENT TO A PLACE YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING, OR WHICH WAS THE MOST/LEAST CHALLENGING TO WRITE?

MF: The one about almost dying because of a jellyfish originated from a very funny place. I wrote “Survival Exhibit 248: I Get Stung By a Jellyfish” almost all in one sitting. I’d gone out to visit a long-time friend in California, and we spent the day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. When I got home, some part of me realized Oh, this would be a really useful vehicle/lens to talk about trauma. And so I wrote this dark, violent, macabre piece that was inspired by spending a lovely day with a friend.

SBP: WHAT HAS BROUGHT YOU JOY THIS LAST YEAR?

MF: One day I was at the park with my girlfriend, and by the lake there were all these teeny tiny baby ducklings. Just so many of them. Little bitty fluffy things. Amazing! Adorable!

SBP: WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT OBSESSION?

MF: I’ll never pass up an opportunity to talk about my very favorite obsession—Taskmaster. It’s a British TV show where a cast of comedians complete different whacky challenges. It’s so wholesome and funny and truly changed my life. Their Youtube channel uploads full episodes, just trust me and check it out.

SBP: WHAT MAKES SOMETHING HARD TO WRITE OR CREATE?

MF: Sometimes I struggle with finding the exact right words. Especially when discussing mental health, there are a lot of deficiencies in our language. Things we just don’t have words or phrases for. Not to mention the censorship and trend towards euphemisms that dance around the subject. There’s a stigma, and on bad days it makes me weary about sharing my art. But I push through that. Every time. I remind myself of the brave creators before me who did not shy away from difficult topics, and how that made me feel seen and connected.

SBP: WHAT IS THE VALUE OF WRITING AND ART IN THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WORLD?

MF: It’s what keeps me going on dark days. Sometimes it feels silly and fun and freeing, other times it’s incredibly serious. The simple act of creation is so powerful. It’s a show of resistance. It’s proof that I was here. I made something. I looked to those around me and said “this is who I am, this is what if feels like. Do you understand me?”