Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?

My short story is about a white, evangelical man who thinks he’s entitled to everything–especially women.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?

I would say this falls under dystopian, but it also related to current events.

3. How would you describe this story in two words?

Creepy AF

4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?

I watch the super long 1995 version of Pride & Prejudice twice a year.

5. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Hmmm… the live version I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

Just one? The People We Keep by Allison Larkin is one I’ll always recommend to friends.

7. What motivated you to write this story?

I had been listening to a lot of true crime, and religious extremism was a common thread amongst most cults/cult leaders. So, I wanted to write from the perspective of a man who is on the road to becoming one of those guys.

8. If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

My mom died when I was a little girl, and I’d like to have dinner with her again.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about teaching writing. It’s why I’m finishing up a creative writing MFA now. But in my spare time, you can catch me singing blues in a dimly lit bar.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

I’d had submitted it to a handful of journals with no success. I just wanted to see it out in the world.