David Medalie, photo: provided; Fluid book cover: Karavan Press
Short.Sharp.Stories is a platform showcasing top and emerging South African fiction writers. The theme of this year’s anthology is Fluid – freedom to be. Fluid, this year’s Short.Sharp.Stories anthology, seeks to engage fictional expression around identity, culture and society.
Joanne Hichens conducts interviews with the respective short story writers.
Below is a mini-interview between Joanne Hichens and David Medalie, author of the short story “Milly takes a husband” in the 2023 Short.Sharp.Stories anthology, Fluid.
David Medalie is a professor in the Department of English and the director of the Unit for Creative Writing at the University of Pretoria. He supervises postgraduate work in English and creative writing. He is also a short story writer, novelist and anthologist. His publications include The shadow follows, a novel; The mistress’s dog, a collection of short stories; and Recognition, an anthology of South African short stories, which he compiled for the Wits University Press. David Medalie writes of his inspiration:
I am fascinated by the patterns that shape identity and interactions between people, as well as unexpected deviations from those patterns. My short story, Milly takes a husband, is partly satirical, using humour to comment both on the predictability of entrenched behaviour and the twists and reversals that may occur.
JH: Bearing this in mind, can you tell us a little more about your fascination with people? What, more specifically, fascinates you about interactions between people?
DM: It’s precisely that – the pressures of conformity, the power of habitual responses, but also the surprises that people are capable of (sometimes even surprising themselves).
JH: Your characters certainly do the unexpected – especially the delightful Milly. When Milly does indeed take a husband, it comes with a cheeky twist. Did you have fun writing this?
DM: I loved writing this story. Every stage of it, from conception to completion, brought me joy.
JH: Quirkiness, the unexpected, the satisfying surprises for the reader – these seem trademarks of a David Medalie story. I can see you writing with glee and rapture, excited by a sense of “what will happen next”. Is there a ring of truth to this?
DM: Yes, very much so. When I begin writing, I don’t have everything planned or every detail already in place. I allow the story to surprise even me as it takes shape. Quirkiness appeals to me because when something is quirky, one looks at it again, one reappraises it. Good writing invites that act of reappraisal on the part of the reader: it invites him or her to see what is regarded as normative in a new, possibly slanting light. That is what I strive for.
...
Quirkiness appeals to me because when something is quirky, one looks at it again, one reappraises it.
...
JH: Are there specific “sparks” for your short stories?
DM: It may be a scenario which I find intriguing, a moral or philosophical quandary which I’d like to explore by dramatising it, or even something as ostensibly minor as a resonant phrase or an eccentric or untoward gesture. I try not to analyse this because there’s a kind of alchemy which operates and which I’d rather not tamper with.
JH: For you as a consummate writer – and reader – of short stories, what draws you to the genre and what leaves you satisfied after reading a good short story?
DM: Good short stories use economy, subtlety and deft language to create layers of meaning. They illuminate something wider than their ostensible focus. Nadine Gordimer memorably described their effect as being like “the flash of fireflies”.
JH: As the head of a creative writing department, you must see plenty of manuscripts coming your way. Are you optimistic about the South African literary scene? And in the same breath, what challenges do we face?
DM: Many manuscripts do come my way, since we require a substantial portfolio of writing as part of the application process. It’s gratifying to see how many people from diverse backgrounds want to write, how many stories are waiting to be told, how many new talents are emerging. That does make me optimistic. But in many cases, the assumption is that the story and the interest it holds are all that matters – consequently, there is too little attention paid to the quality of the writing, which can be dispiriting.
As everyone knows, the South African literary scene presents many challenges: these include the fact that it’s very difficult to get work published, and sales – especially of the more “literary” writing – tend to be very low. There are also fewer and fewer places where one can get publications reviewed. These are not new problems, but they seem to be becoming more acute.
...
It’s gratifying to see how many people from diverse backgrounds want to write, how many stories are waiting to be told, how many new talents are emerging. That does make me optimistic.
...
JH: A question I’m asking all writers is to share a little of their process, or what they’ve learned over the years. In your capacity as writing teacher and supervisor, what “writing tip” can you offer, particularly to aspiring writers?
DM: Whatever the subject matter, the power of a good short story lies also in its form and the effective use of language. That is what makes it more than merely a chunk of narrative prose: not just writing it, but crafting it.
And, of course, projects like Short.Sharp.Stories in our literary community are important, particularly in helping to make emerging writers known. There are also few opportunities for writers to publish a single short story. This makes anthologies such as those published by Short.Sharp.Stories all the more valuable.
JH: Lastly, can we expect another collection in the near future? We’d love to read more of your characters, and of the kind of humour and surprise that characterises your work.
DM: Thank you. Yes, I am working on a new collection of stories.
Also read
Short.Sharp.Stories anthology Fluid: interview with Anna Hug, author of "Fynbos"
Short.Sharp.Stories anthology Fluid: interview with Nedine Moonsamy, author of "The jump"
Short.Sharp.Stories anthology Fluid: interview with Robyn Perros, author of "The window display"