In episode seven, Nicole kicks it with Zin E. Rocklyn, a horror and dark fantasy author of Trinidadian descent hailing from Jersey City, NJ. A contributor to several anthologies, Zin's creative nonfiction essay, "My Genre Makes a Monster of Me," was published in Uncanny Magazine’s Hugo Award-winning Disabled People Destroy Science Fiction issue, and her debut novella, Flowers for the Sea, earned the Shirley Jackson Award.

Nicole and Zin explore the complexities of vulnerability, mental health, and family dynamics. They discuss the importance of being open about struggles, the impact of upbringing on identity, and the challenges of navigating relationships, particularly with mothers. Zin shares insights on the writing process and offers advice for aspiring writers.

Chapters
00:00 The Power of Vulnerability
03:33 Navigating Mental Health Challenges
05:50 Exploring Family Dynamics
11:45 The Impact of Maternal Relationships
18:08 The Evolution of Monstrous Relationships
22:01 The Power of Personal Narrative in Writing
28:34 The Catharsis of Writing About Trauma
35:16 The Role of Writing Workshops in Development
39:05 Challenging Perceptions in Speculative Fiction
40:51 The Birth of a Story
44:41 Exploring Themes of Hunger
50:40 Monstrosity and Care
53:25 Invisible Disabilities and Personal Narratives
55:27 Writing Process and Sensitivity Reading
59:07 Crafting Complex Characters
01:03:18 Of Monsters Rapid Fire Segment
Read Zin's Work
"Summer Skin"
"My Genre Makes a Monster of Me"
"Birds"
The Night Sun
"Teatime"
Flowers for the Sea
"Tet Fe Mal"
"A Keening for Churile"
"Bloodhound"
"Wolf Like Me"

Follow Zin on Bluesky at ZinRock. Learn about the Black Book Bash.

Of Monsters: A podcast with Nicole Shawan Junior features intimate chats with speculative fiction masterminds and the characters they create.

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Written and performed by Nicole Shawan Junior, the Of Monsters intro music was created by Ben Ford, produced by Caits Meissner, and engineered by Tatenda Dizha.