Can you tell us more about the origins of this story? Did it come to you as an image, a turn of phrase, or something about your main character and her journey?

In general, I love the chicken-footed house from Baba Yaga’s story. I’ve often wondered how the world might look from the house’s point of view. Is it a bystander or set piece? Could it be sentient? While I’ve treated the house as its own character before, this was the first time that Baba Yaga herself was entirely removed from the story. Chicken-footed houses multiplied, and suddenly the forest was not so empty.

“Where the Chicken-Footed Dwell” is very much in dialogue with a rich history of fairy tale stories, most obviously Baba Yaga (or her hut, rather). What does reinterpreting and remixing familiar fairytale concepts allow you to do when writing a story?

While rooted in the social histories of the places they come from, fairy tales encourage rich parallels with modern life. I’ve always loved the woods—escaping there as a child and seeding trees in as many worlds as I can. Fairy tale concepts are a great tool because they are widely understood, giving me an instant touchpoint when I talk about the Witches, Woods, or Wolves. Once you have a foundation like that, dripping with association, the challenge is really to bring something new to the conversation. I hope this story does that!

Why was it important (or not important) to not name your main character?

I love the Everyman (or Everywoman, Everyperson) character. Even without using second person POV, leaving a character nameless brings the reader closer to them. Maybe you see yourself or a friend or family member? Maybe you see no one—and that’s intriguing in its own right.

You have an impressive number of works published including short stories, poetry, and a novella. How do you approach these forms differently, and what advice do you have for authors looking to broaden the kinds of writing that they do?

I approach every new piece the same way: with a curious image, captivating first line, or merely an unusual phrase. Whether those first words turn into a poem, story, or novel is a mystery to me until I’m halfway done (or coming back to revise the draft!). My only piece of advice in this area would be: Don’t burden yourself with the final product before you begin. See where the words take you. If there are no characters, no setting, no plot—why worry, if you enjoy what you’re making? Let it wrinkle and grow. It will be the shape it will be.

Finally, where can our readers find you or your words next?

All my published and forthcoming work is linked on my website: mariscapichette.com. If you want to be the first to hear about new stories and poems (of which I have a few out each month) I encourage you to sign up for my monthly email newsletter. I promise not to bother you more than a couple of times a month!