Author Q&A with Marilee Dahlman

Marilee grew up in a small Iowa town and now lives in Washington DC. She writes about invisible outsiders searching for where they belong and is inspired by the women in her family: no-nonsense farmers and nurses who drive pickups, eat at McDonald’s, and don’t get knocked over by a 40-mile hour wind or anything else that life hurls at them.

Her short stories have been published in The Saturday Evening Post, The Bitter Oleander, The Colored Lens, Cleaver, Molotov Cocktail, Mystery Weekly, Orca Literary Journal, and her latest story, Mall Goddess, is featured in our spring issue.

Tell us about yourself. 

I’m a small town Midwesterner at heart. It’s a little strange that in my lifetime, many midwestern malls reached their prime and are now going extinct. But I’m an optimist—these big buildings will somehow evolve into something better than retail.  

What unique or surprising detail can you tell us about the origin, revision process, and/or final version of your piece appearing in this issue? 

Mall Goddess started off as a story all about place. The final version just as much about power. Another thing is that the story is rooted in time as much as geography. As I revised, I found myself thinking back to the 90s. Writing about a mall wouldn’t be complete without glimpses of it in its golden days. 

What did you learn (about yourself or craft or life in general) through writing and revising it? 

I learn about craft every time I write a story. With Mall Goddess, I took some chances on pacing. It moves a bit methodically, taking its time, just the way the janitor of a very quiet mall might go about her duties.

What do you hope readers take from the piece? 

There’s always the possibility of empowering change, both personal and societal. 

 What fuels your desire to write (or engage in other creative outlets)? Or what have been the biggest influences in your writing? 

A mall is brick and mortar. Now everything—not just shopping, but human connection in general—is increasingly online. Creative activity is a way to break impulsive scrolling and existing in the ether, and stay more grounded.

How do you make expression a part of your daily life? Or how do you find a balance between your writing and other responsibilities? 

I’m a 6am writer. Much later than that and daily life somehow gets in the way! 

 What do you think when you hear, “the good life”? 

Palm trees and no email. Coffee and creative inspiration. Time and freedom to do exactly what you want—that’s the good life. 

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Thank you, Marilee, for being a part of our growing community and for spending extra time with us on this Q&A. We’re glad we were able to connect and we wish you the best with your current and future writing endeavors.