Interview with Stefan Slater
Already this year, Clarion West has welcomed two new board members, alumni Andy Duncan (CW ‘94) and Stefan A. Slater (CW ‘21). I like the symmetry of Andy and Stefan joining together, since Andy was also the Week One instructor for Stefan’s class! Both have joined the board as part of our alumni engagement efforts and Stefan has taken on the role of the Alumni Committee Chair. I interviewed Stefan about his Clarion West experience and what’s in the works for the Alumni Committee.
1. You were one of the pioneering Class of 2021, Clarion West’s first virtual workshop! Why did you decide it was the right time to attend and what were the biggest questions you had before going in?
I think, at that time, I wasn’t exactly sure what I needed to do to improve my fiction. I had a general sense of my voice, but I really didn’t have a defined idea of who I was as a writer, and what I wanted to do with my fiction. So I felt like Clarion West could help me create that space I needed to really focus on improving my craft. Now exactly how I would go about improving my craft was one of my biggest questions going into the program! And the answer ended up surprising me. Of course the instructors all offered incredible advice and guidance, but I really learned the most from my cohort: spending 6 weeks working with my fellow cohort members to help them tell the stories that they wanted to tell did, in the end, help me develop a better sense of how I wanted to tell my own kind of stories. Aiming to give thoughtful, insightful critiques really helped me think about how to refine my own writing.
2. Did you find it difficult to bond with your class and instructors because it was a virtual setup?
I was admittedly a little nervous about that going into the program, but honestly it wasn’t difficult. It took a little effort to put myself out there (especially dealing with Zoom fatigue during Covid), but everyone was really welcoming, and for the first time, personally, I was around a group of people who were just as fixated on speculative fiction as I was, so it was easy to dive in and talk and joke and just have fun. Plus, something that surprised me about the program is that you do end up getting to know your cohort through their fiction. It’s honestly really special, so even though you’re not actually in person, you do get a really cool sense of other people in your cohort not just as people, but also as artists.
3. What advice would you give to any students who were considering the virtual Six-Week Workshop?
Socialize! Trying to write a story each week is very ambitious, and you should totally shoot for it. But if I had any advice to give, it’s that you should really take time to get to know your cohort. Even if you’re tired, stay up late and hang out! I learned so much from my instructors, but I also learned a great deal from everyone else in my cohort. Being around so many different perspectives and approaches to storytelling just electrified my brain creatively.
4. Did you need time to recover after the Workshop?
Yes, absolutely. For me, I needed a good deal of time to digest what I took away from the program. It took time to process, to reflect, and also to rest up!
5. What are you most passionate about right now and is it showing up in your writing?
My biggest focus right now is on sharpening my own perspective. I guess, in other words, trying to make sure that the story I’m trying to tell is one that only I (hopefully!) could tell. And I think that is one of the most important things I learned from Clarion West: there were stories that my cohort members wrote that, when I first read them, I knew that only they could tell this kind of story. It was so much their own story and no one else’s. It was absolutely tied to who they are as people. And that is what I want to do with my fiction, and it’s definitely a work in progress!
6. You’ve recently joined the Clarion West board of directors, welcome! And now you’re the Chair of the Alumni Committee! That’s a lot of extra time, what made you agree?
The program really helped me gain a better sense of my own identity as a writer, and I just wanted to find a way to give back to the program. Also, there are so many talented Clarion West alumni, and I wanted to work with the board to help make sure that alumni have the chance to keep in touch and connect with other alumni if they’re interested in doing so!
7. What are the goals of the Alumni Committee and what plans do you have in place for the rest of the year?
The goals are to really help Clarion West alumni stay in touch! I also would love to help organize online events that help to bring together the community. Case in point, we’re hoping to introduce a new lecture series led by alumni for alumni, and we’ll be sharing more information about this soon!
8. Who should join the committee?
If you’re an alumnus and you’d like to help organize events that will help support the Clarion West alumni community–whether that’s fun classes or low-key writing sessions–then feel free to join!
We’re looking forward to seeing what more the Alumni Committee will do. Interested in joining? You’ll meet with fellow Six-Week and Novel Workshop alumni to plan writing sessions, alumni-focused lecture series, reunions, con meetups, and more. You can also attend this group to support Regional Affinity opportunities: Do you want to be put in touch with other alumni in your country, city, or metro area? We’re working on new ways to get our alumni in touch, from hubs like New York City and LA to places outside the U.S. Let us know you want to be on the committee:
More about Stefan
Stefan Alcalá Slater is a speculative fiction writer from Los Angeles. His work has appeared in F&SF, Flash Fiction Online, and Tales & Feathers. He is a graduate of Clarion West, and he has an MFA in creative nonfiction from Goucher College. You can check out more of his work at stefanalcalaslater.com.
Whether or not you wish to be on the Alumni Committee, we hope that you’ll keep in touch, attend special events, and let us know about your publications and awards!