1. What is your connection to Somerville?
I live in Union Square in Somerville, and I have also lived for a time in Davis Square in Somerville.
2. How did or does living in Somerville influence your writing? Or, what does it mean to write from this place?
Somerville has influenced my writing significantly. Everyday I walk outside and there is something new to discover and be inspired by. The neighborhoods themselves, both Davis Square and Union Square have completely different energies, cultural presences, businesses, and people, and yet it is still Somerville. I cherish living somewhere that has a Brazilian market, a Korean and Japanese market, an African market, three other bodegas, a bougie donut shop and a natrual wine bar, all within a two block radius. To write from here means to speak of an entirely small community, that feels so vast at the same time.
3. What do other/aspiring Somerville writers need to know?
Grab paper and a pen. Diesel in Davis Square turns their wifi off on the weekends to discourage people from hunkering down at their laptops. Bloc Coffee is calmer during the week, but still bustling on the weekends. It's much easier to take your coffee outside and your notebook with you when places are crowded. As a laptop writer this dynamic helps me write in a different, more present way.
—Madelyn Musick
@maddelynmusick