Earlier this year, on June 11, I wrote about my interview with poet and American University professor David Keplinger. Today’s post features my interview with novelist Melissa Scholes Young, David’s AU Department of Literature colleague, who among many other pursuits, is the Director of Undergraduate Creative Writing. (AU is my undergraduate alma mater.)
I first met Melissa in person in 2018, at the 6th Annual Washington Writers Conference, held that year in College Park, Md. She was one of the panelists for ”There’s Always a First Time: Debut Authors Across Genres and Publishing Paths.”
I had connected with her the year before on social media after she was featured in an interview for Deborah Kalb’s Book Q&As, for her debut novel, Flood. Melissa was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri; Mark Twain territory and the setting of the book, as discussed in her interview with Chelsea Horne on Literary Hub, “Seeing Your Hometown Through the Fresh Eyes of Fiction.”
For instance, one of her responses is, “When you grow up in a place like Hannibal, you’re surrounded by stories. Mark Twain is mythologized, and I wanted to understand how a town creates so much of its identity on one book. Hannibal isn’t just a setting for me in the story; it’s a major character.”
Her second novel, The Hive, was published in 2021, about a fourth generation family business in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. In her Washington CityPaper article about the book, Hannah Grieco writes: “The title is a fitting metaphor, combining the family-run pest control company and “the hive” of the Fehler ladies, and the book is a fun, fast-paced read. Young is a masterful writer who keeps us hooked, delicately balancing tough dilemmas with humor and lighter family moments.”
I’m grateful to Melissa for answering my questions about her multidimensional life as a novelist, editor, educator, and literary community builder.
At American University, can you describe your teaching and administrative duties responsibilities as Director of Undergraduate Creative Writing, and do you also teach and/or advise graduate students in the MFA program or elsewhere at the school?
As the Director, I’m responsible for curriculum development for our Creative Writing majors and minors. I advise on course offerings, scheduling, hiring, and student senior creative projects. I lead department-wide Creative Writing Committee and serve on the Department of Literature Executive Board. I also teach undergraduate and graduate fiction workshops and Literary Editing and Publishing, a course I designed for MFA students. One of my favorite projects as Director is sponsoring the annual spring Barrelhouse Conversations & Connections Conference at American University. AU students attend for free and our AU alums receive a discount on registration. The conference is fun because it’s Barrelhouse, and it bring together our DC literary community for a day to learning about publishing. Mark your calendars: April 19, 2025!
As a novelist and writer in other genres, is it accurate to say that your mindset as a writer is ‘always on,’ in the sense of thinking about and developing concepts, ideas, and approaches for current and future writing (or editing) projects?
It’s true. I find stories everywhere. I notice details and character traits that I tuck away for later. I’m a good listener, but I’m an even better observer. I always have my journal, and I record voice memos for sound and narrate sensory descriptions. I also like to ‘pitch’ novel concepts and editorial themes to see how they are received.
Can you describe the personal/professional value to you of your extensive involvement in writing conferences (and related events like workshops, book festivals, and so on), and how important they are to you as a writer and editor?
A literary community means so much. You have to show up for it, and you also have to contribute to building it. I attend many local readings, launch parties, and workshops. I’m honored to be the Editor of the Grace & Gravity anthology series of DC Women Writers, founded by Richard Peabody. We’ve published thousands of stories in our twenty year history and annually gather the community for readings and events. Our latest books, Grace in Darkness, Furious Gravity, and Grace in Love are available at Politics & Prose Bookstore, and we are currently open for submissions for Gravity & Grit (pub date May 7, 2025). The energy of the project is contagious. It can be welcome fuel when you return solo to your writing desk for the work.