chelsea terris Scott

Why did you join the editorial team for the Stonecoast Review?

I joined the Stonecoast Review to learn more about literary journal submissions and to stay in the flow of reading plays while working on and reading for my novel. Also, it feels radical and important to take the time to think deeply about writing and to widely share good evidence of the practice. 

How did one of our published pieces capture your attention?

Free Play by Laurence Klavan caught my attention with its wit, surreality, and the depth achieved in just a few pages. Multiple characters experience satisfying arcs, and the author gives us something relevant to chew on, all while poking fun at wealth, the music industry, and the ephemeral nature of life on Earth. That's a lot to slip into one short play, and this writer makes it feel effortless. I also really like plays set in restaurants. 

What genres do you write in and why?

I write fiction and plays. Right now, I'm working on a cli-fi novel and a related short story based loosely on a revisionist version of my relationship with my dad, who died in 2022, combined with a takedown of corporate greed and my obsession with Virgin Mary apparitions and their connection to climate events. These ideas require the quiet containment of a book. My plays tend to be based on experiences I've had or settings that won't let me go until I give them voice through a live cast. I've been lucky to have had a couple of my plays produced, and have been chasing that high ever since!

Whose writing inspires you? Is there a book, play or single line you wish you had written?

Right now, I'm obsessed with Joy Williams. Her novel Harrow is breathtaking and innovative, with language that surprises me at every beat. I wish I had written Deep Blue Sound by Abe Koogler. My husband and I saw a production of this piece last summer as part of the Portland Theater Project, and I was blown away by Koogler's use of humor to explore heartbreak, illness, and small community dynamics.