Interview with Author Juliette Cardinali

Some of the stories that stick in our minds the longest are ones that speculate about worlds we had never considered—while exploring deeper truths about human nature. Debut author Juliette Cardinali does just that in her first published story, "Edgar Allan Poe Joins the Rodeo." Meet Juliette in our interview below and find out what she'd be doing if she wasn't writing, what fictional world she'd live in, and what color she thinks the number four would be.

What makes you keep writing, even when it's hard?

I like imagining everything as a movie.

Advice on creating that you’ve learned by trial and error.

If I’m not enjoying writing it, they’re probably not going to enjoy reading it, and there’s no shame in scorching the proverbial earth and starting over for my own sake. Self-indulgence is key.

What's your favorite underappreciated novel or short story (a work you never hear anyone else talking about)?

This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno.

If you were a cryptid, what would your name be and where would you dwell?

I’d sit by any campfire I could find and I wouldn’t tell anyone my name.

What is your writing strategy? Do you write every day with a rigid schedule, or are you more flexible with your practice?

I write whenever inspiration hits, which is usually whenever I’m avoiding doing something else.

What color is the number four?

Orangey-pink, like grapefruit juice.

Have you seen a ghost before?

No, and I feel left out.

If you weren’t a writer, what other type of creative would you be?

An RPG pixel game developer.

Which fictional world would you want to live in (from a book, story, or film)? 

Piltover.

What is your favorite museum or gallery?

The MET Cloisters.

Most triumphant thing you did as a teenager?

I’ve got another year left as one so assuming everything goes according to plan I wanna say Euro tour with friends?

What object in your home do you think knows the most about you? 

The bag I never use that hangs on my bedroom doorknob and makes coming and going really inconvenient.

Do you have an internal monologue? 

Yeah, but she doesn’t tell me anything useful. 

Tell us a secret. 

I never learned how to ride a bike.

Do you have a New Year's resolution this year?

Learn to ride a bike.

What’s a place you've been only once but find yourself thinking about a lot?

Airport shops during my layover in Denmark selling bags full of flowers.

Are there aliens out there, and if so, where are they?

I’m traditional; I’m hoping they’re on Mars. I think Pluto aliens would be a little salty.

Juliette Cardinali lives in New York City with her friends and family. Her stories are scattered across the internet under various embarrassing usernames, but this will be her first time officially publishing her work. She believes the highest form of storytelling is within movies, but since she can’t act, she writes instead.