Former Flame Fridays - Christina Henneman
3/14/28
Happy Pi Day!!
You were featured in volume 4, what has happened since?
— A lot! I published two new chapbooks, which wasn't planned, but I surprisingly won a competition, and so there were two books released this year: "Witch/Womb" which explores witch trials, modern-day witch hunts, spirituality, and marginalised voices. The second one, "Leafing", has an ecopoetic focus. I also signed with an agent and hope to find a publishing house for my debut poetry collection and novel soon.
VOLTAGE [beta] Hold my hand and come through my sex the vultures fly an oval pupils shut down [gamma] black hole in the sky where are you sun seethe the stars burn all letters [delta] apparition of the Goddess angel without limbs face like the moon milk in my breast [alpha] sword on my tongue feed me la langue wipe my mouth with sand give me a sign [theta] love me hard and slow become a wave saviour by climax at sea I’m here, I’m here—
What/who inspired Voltage? How does it fit into your style/body of work?
— Voltage is definitely on the more experimental side, but I try new approaches and forms frequently. The poem is inspired by the different brain waves and the state they induce in us, from deep sleep to being active, and anxiety to relaxation. I blended this with a stream of subconsciousness technique, which resulted in this depiction of female rage and lust. It's a theme I come back to often.
Why Troublemaker Firestarter? What compels you to submit your work? Why be a writer at the end of the world?
— I love journals that are unafraid to publish experimental work with controversial themes and approaches. Troublemaker Firestarter is one of them. I'm all for LGBTQIA+ and feminist representation, and a lot of my work engages with those issues. Reading independent, innovative outlets and participating in literary discourses is what feeds the flames of my creativity (no pun intended, haha!). I'm also a hopeless optimist and believe that writers and activists can change the world, even if it's on the tiniest scale.
Who are your current favorite writers?
— I've recently read poetry collections from Rebecca Goss, Milena Williamson, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, Grace Wilentz, Mari Ellis Dunning, and Jessica Traynor and absolutely loved them. In fiction, I'm currently obsessed with Rachel Yoder's "Nightbitch" and Melissa Broder's "The Pisces".
Are you a troublemaker, a firestarter, a heartbreaker, a lucky duck, a devil, a terror, or sad and horny?
— Tough question. I'd love to be a lucky duck, but sadly, I'm more of a troublemaker ;)
Where can people find you?
— I have a website: www.christinahennemann.com and I'm on X & IG as @chr_writer.
What would you want the lovely readers of Substack to do?
— What makes writing so rewarding for me is connecting with readers, so to anyone who decides to check out my work and gift me some of their time: thank you! You can order my books through my website and read some of my work there for free.
Do you have any questions for me?
— What is your vision for Troublemaker Firestarter going forward? Do you have any exciting projects in the pipeline? Also, thank you for featuring us former flames! I really enjoyed the first interview of the series, and I'm excited to learn more about the other writers.