ManicWorld Magazine

– What was the thought process behind the premise of the story?

For myself, it seemed like a natural progression from our original emails back & forth. We are 2 separate people, in different parts of the world and it made sense to bring that into the idea behind the piece. The concept of creating something and finding that bridge despite the other person being separated by distance and also time. I think it was also important that we include some social commentary. A perspective on the current events of the world in 2 different time periods and their effects on real people. – Jess

It grew, no other way of describing that.  We did not start with an idea, we started with questions for each other.  These led to answers, that led to more questions.  The characters of Jakub and Trey started to dominate my days! The letters were a direct reflection of our own writing to each other, our lives rumbling along on other sides of the Atlantic.  I anticipated the reply, the answers came and the people emerged from the letters and we let ‘them’ take the lead I think.  Afterwards, I got a lter in the real world, from Jess with a book of her poetry.  It was incredible, the sense of this collaboration coming full circle.  What we learned is that time, place, background, life is always something unique and we are distinct beings.  BUT, we share so much and the letters, across time, and across distance, became special links that say something positive about now.  The future is now, it always is, now is all we have.  I think our wild and hopeful little story unpicks how we might make this beautiful. – Peter

– Would you say that you are pleased with how the project turned out?

Very pleased.  I love our story, it grew between us and it was wonderful to see our characters take shape.  I learned so much from Jess, and it was through our exchange I could see the story grow. I hope people like it! – Peter

– How was the process of working with someone else to create this project?

The best! I was nervous at first but the way we communicated between the pieces we wrote, it helped a lot. Writing can be isolating and I think maybe that was an essential part of the writing process. This showed me it isn’t, or at least that working alongside someone as good as Jess makes other thoughts come. Reading her other work, that was something else, magical and deep, raw and beautiful.  I wanted to up my own ways of writing and creating to match what Jess can do – and what she brought here. – Jess