Welcome to the latest installment of the Witches Save the World Micro-Interviews! In honor of the upcoming Halloween/Samhain holiday, and in celebration of the release of Witches Save the World, Forests Haunted By Holiness will be featuring a series of interviews with the contributors throughout October.
Witches Save the World was a labor of love. Across these two volumes you will find poems, short stories, and essays celebrating the witch and their role as wisdom keeper, protector of nature, avenger of the forgotten, and defender of the oppressed. Individual poems and stories range from historical fantasy to contemporary horror to science fiction, with many questioning the nature and cost of honor, integrity, and freedom.
In concert with these interviews, one physical copy of Witches Save the World — either Hags, Harridans, and Hexes Gone Right or Covens, Cauldrons, and Curses Gone Right — will be given away at the end of the month! Two books, two winners! To enter the drawing, just comment below and share the interview on your favorite social media platform.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Forests Haunted By Holiness: What is the title of your poem and can you give us a spoiler-free summary?
Brian Rosenberger: My poem is “My Sisters.” It’s a tale of revenge told from the point of view of the survivors.
FHBH: How did you go about writing your poem? Lot of research? Or did you just wing it?
BR: Probably just winged it, drawing on media influences like the Spanish film “Coven of Sisters,” Robert Eggers’ film, “The Witch,” and the “Salem” TV series.
FHBH: What draws you to the character and theme of “the witch”? What do you find so compelling about it?
BR: It dates back to vintage Halloween decorations. Green face with hat and warts. Witch Hazel from Bugs Bunny. The Wicked Witch from OZ. It’s morphed over the years from horrible to sexy. I just finished watching three season of Marvel’s Runaways. The villain Morgan le Fay’s cleavage is definitely bewitching. Also a fan of the films like “Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters,” “The Craft” and “The Witches of Eastwick.” Regardless of the interpretation, the concept engages. We didn’t even talk about cats, cauldrons, or broomsticks. The Witch is timeless and spellbinding.
