Andria Williams on Ursula LeGuin, Pollinator Pathways, and Four Novels Languishing in Boxes Somewhere
Who is the one person, living or dead, in your profession whom you most admire?
That's a great question. I think there is a difference between the *person* you most admire and the person whose *work* you most admire.
Ursula LeGuin fits both of these categories for me. I was just blown away by 'The Left Hand of Darkness,' which has such a deep empathy and experimental quality. A pregnant king! Two men from different planets skiing across the ice!
I also read her 'Earthsea' trilogy to my son, and he loved it so much that he would let me read it to him at bedtime up until he was 12 years old. I won't tell his future girlfriend.
What advice would you give to a younger person who wants to do what you do?
Just keep writing. I have published 2 novels but I have, I think, 4 unpublished ones languishing in boxes somewhere. Publishing success rarely happens overnight; it can take years and years. But you will get better and more confident with time.
Do you have a pet?
I have four! Some would say that's three too many (some might say that's four too many) ;) I have a very sweet (and very active) springer spaniel named Yukon whose mission in life is to guard the yard from squirrels but also sleeps by my feet while I write. So I guess we have similar, obsessive, possibly futile interests.
I also have three cats: 15-year-old Patty, and 2-year-olds Smokey and Betty. Patty is a lovable grump and we call her "The Big B." Betty is sweet and affectionate. Smokey doesn't give a you-know-what about anything.
What have you seen lately that's been inspiring?
I got to see guitarist Billy Strings at the Red Rocks amphitheater. It was absolutely amazing to see his focus and showmanship. You know this is someone who's practiced like 9 hours a day.
What have you been associated with that has been inspiring?
Hm, a couple of things. Author, professor, mom, and international woman-of-mystery Sari Fordham and I started a substack called Cool It: Simple Steps to Save the Planet, and I got to interview a college student named Paxton Phillips who started a "Pollinator Pathway" in his own yard and then loved the results so much that he started one at his entire school. He was so passionate and intelligent in his responses, and it was one of those "the kids are alright" moments.
I also volunteer at a homeless shelter and while that may sound depressing, it's so often not. I've seen people graduate through the sobriety and culinary programs. They bring me little gifts like bead rosaries they have made. I watched a man carry his elderly, not-small dog for two blocks so she wouldn't have to step in the snow. I watched a group of women gather around a first-time shelter guest and rub her back, comforting her, until she calmed down. Some of these people are living not just day to day, but hour to hour. So it is inspiring when they keep showing up.
We met Andria Williams when we were puckish MFA students in Julie Schumacher’s exhilarating Fiction Large Canvas class. She has gone on write 'The Longest Night' (2016) and 'The Waiting World' (2023). She has work in the anthologies 'Beyond Their Limits of Longing' and 'The Things They Carry Still.' A former editor-in chief for The Wrath-Bearing Tree literary journal and founder of the Military Spouse Book Review, she lives in Colorado.
