Writer Spotlight: Dee Holloway
Welcome to the sixth installment of Writer Spotlight. This week’s focus is Dee Holloway. I’ve reviewed three of Holloway's short pieces individually that qualify for Inkfoundry’s “Get WYSR” feed, and the rest of her provided five stories below. (In case you didn’t know, Inkfoundry is a wonderful and free resource that aggregates short fiction and poetry pieces!)
Recurring Themes:
Poetic, Stained Glass Style
Historical fiction
Florida based settings
Horror
Expanding my vocabulary!
Day One - Feb 5
Told through a series of letters, Gabriel brings his dead lover to a doctor known for inscrutable things.
Most people waste their menstrual blood by flushing it down the toilet. Not this person.
The Pairing:
Both these are horror stories! Also, in both, something not-alive is sought to be brought to life.
Individually: (Spoilers below for Catamount)
“The Catamount” I think is historical fiction as well as horror. I have less experience with historical fiction, but I admire it for sure! The old timey-speak always gives the text such natural setting through the verbiage itself. This story is told in an alternative format, through letters, and gave me Hamilton vibes from the way Gabriel talks to Annabel, the person he’s writing to. There are multiple times he compliments her mind and “fiery intellect”, and says that he’s always felt this way, even though I believe Clara was his fiancé and/or his lover. As later on it is revealed that he is, in fact, also attracted to the Doctor, also referencing the Doctor’s keen mind, I believe Gabriel is sapiosexual, or attracted to intelligence as much or more than bodies, as well as perhaps being queer in some way: bisexual or pan, maybe. All this made me think of Angelica’s rap in Hamilton:
So, so, so
So this is what it feels like to match wits
With someone at your level, what the hell is the catch?
It's the feeling of freedom, of seein' the light
It's Ben Franklin with a key and a kite
You see it, right?
There are also themes throughout of religion vs. atheism, which is very interesting! And, of course, corpses and the hope of bringing them back to life in some way.
I should also note that Holloway has humbled me in that I often find myself looking up the definitions of certain words, which I will document below:
Catamount - a big cat, like a cougar
Profligate - a reckless, extravagant use of resources
Tantalus - A Greek God, famous for his punishment in Tartarus.
“The Blood Child” is a shorter piece. The idea of menstrual blood (why does menstrual have ‘men’ in it, ugh) becoming a child is fascinating to me. The descriptions of how the blood is gathered adds to the overall eeriness.
Day Two - Feb 6
3. “Christmas at Santa Casilda”
In 1680, an accomplished woman named Catalina deals with a trapper who doesn’t know the meaning of “no.”
4. “The Grotto”
Lucille, an alligator-shifter, hides her identity and works as an oracle at The Vapors.
Pairing:
Both of these stories feature women overcoming and upending patriarchal expectations! One very definitely has lesbian representation, and the other feels lesbian-coded. To continue a running theme, they both also have elements of magic/witchery as seen in “The Catamount” and “The Blood Child.” They are both also set in Florida and contain Floridian-based water cryptids. THIS IS SO COOL.
Individually:
“Santa Casilda” further solidifies Holloway’s impressive historical fiction skills, as seen in the “Catamount.” This story also has expanded my vocabulary as “Catamount” did (words I learned are listed below!) and contains delightful witchery, a reference to Mari Lwyd, and water horse cryptids from Florida! I’ve been a fan of water horses ever since I read The Scorpio Races. I also learned that the Floridian lime runners appear in Holloway’s novella, Little Nothing which can only mean one thing: I WILL need to read that.
Words I learned!
limerunner - a type of water horse cryptid in Florida like the Scottish kelpie
Tequesta - native tribe of southeast Florida
piraua - a type of dugout canoe
bateaux - a light, flat bottomed riverboat
“The Grotto” depicts a woman afraid of her identity as an alligator shifter, introducing a theme on being “in the closet” in more ways than one. I love the idea that she is also hesitant to get in the clear running water where she works, because she’s not sure if her alligator can survive in it. Really interesting piece!
Day Three - Feb 7
The boys have come to town, but they’re not boys, not really. They’re a force to be reckoned with.
6. “Cantrip”
They warned her about the handsome men and the lovely women.
Pairing:
These two stories both have eerie magic in common, which is I believe a staple in Holloway’s writing! Specifically, these two also seem to be centered around the fae. It’s stated in “Cantrip” but implied in “Dino’s” from the descriptions of the boys. Or perhaps fae-like creatures. Dangerous beings to be reckoned with, in any case. Both these stories show off Holloway’s poetic style and are horror-based.
Individually:
In “Dino’s” the main character seems to be gay, which adds this story to the “Catamount,” “Casilda,” and “The Grotto,” for overall queer representation! And, as I mentioned in the WYSR review on Inkfoundry, this story is very good at descriptions and characterization. There’s also a few instances of sarcasm around Christian values, such as “leaving a Jesus-shaped void” for a dance partner. I had a good chuckle at that one, I heard it CONSTANTLY growing up.
“Cantrip” Wow, the prose of this is incredible! “She’s no rib from Adam’s chest but her own bone palace” is a banger of a line. “Catamount” and “The Grotto” both displayed this stained glass style, as well, but “Cantrip” brings it to the forefront. I will also say that this has the themes of witchery as well, of the magic women hold, as seen in “Santa Casilda,” “The Grotto,” and “Blood Child.” This story also has themes of fae magic, and, as in “Santa Casilda” and “The Grotto,” overcoming something that was expected.
Day Four - Feb 8
7. “This Deviant Flesh” Published in Unfettered Hexes Anthology
Two girls used to be three. One mourns and rages at the loss of the third, while the second only seems to remember the good times.
8. “Desire Path” Published in Mythic Circle 2025
The story of a lady of pleasure named Krysanthe, who lived in the times of the Lykosourans.
Pairing
These two stories reminded me of day two, when I reviewed “The Grotto” and “Santa Casilda,” in that one of these stories is historical fiction, and the other is a chilling horror with eerie vibes of dark magic.
Individually:
“This Deviant Flesh” definitely joins the ranks of previous Holloway witchery stories: “Cantrip,” “Santa Casilda,” and “The Grotto.” It also excels with her stained glass prose style, reminding me of “Cantrip,” “Catamount,” and “The Grotto.” There’s also a mention of religion, as mentioned in “Catamount” and “Dino’s.” This story felt like it dove deeper into how religion can induce myopia, obsession with the forbidden, and brainwashing, all of which I appreciated as a deconstructed evangelical/charismatic Christian, myself (exvangelical for the easy hashtag.) There was also an interesting use of interludes using text messages.
“Desire Path” is another historical fiction, this time based in ancient Greece. Holloway touches on the ravages of war and disease in this one. She also took me to school once again! The main thing I discovered in researching the terms I was unsure of was the word Lykosourans:
From Wikipedia: “Lycosura: (Ancient Greek: Λυκόσουρα, romanized: Lykósoura) was a city in the ancient Parrhasia region of south Arcadia”
Personal Favorite:
“Downstairs at Dino’s”
Summary!
If I were to summarize Holloway’s writing in one sentence, I would say she tends to weave themes of witchcraft, eerie magic, queer representations, and wry observations of religion through both historical and overall speculative fiction, all while flourishing a gorgeous stained-glass style.
Interview Questions
What are the themes you tend to return to the most in your work overall? Why do think that is?
Holloway: Landscapes are always working on characters in my stories. I like to write stories that are heavily and specifically rooted in a place. I've lived in some pretty unique places; I'm also from a place that people tend to project onto. Setting and landscape are almost always my first consideration.
2. What is one of the characters in your short stories/flash pieces that you relate to the most, and why?
Holloway: Gabriel from "The Catamount" is a little armchair-intellectual religious weirdo, which I vibe with. I had a non-standard religious upbringing, which is usually obvious.
3. What short fiction author do you look up to? Why?
Holloway: E.M. Forster, Karen Russell, Avra Margariti, Mavis Gallant, Casey Plett, Jean Toomer, Kevin Maloney, Adam Golaski... oh, there are so many. What draws me to short fiction is confidence--the awareness of the writer of the short form's limitations and benefits, and the use of that form with full intent. A newsletter I love is A Personal Anthology, which spotlights different contributors' essential short stories every week. I get so many new authors from APA!
Anything else you’d like to say about your work?
Holloway: Just that I appreciate what Emmie is doing for short fiction authors, and also the chance to look back through my own catalogue with fresher eyes!