Writer Spotlight: P.A. Cornell
Welcome to the tenth installment of Writer Spotlight. This week’s focus is P.A. Cornell. I’ve reviewed 13 of Cornell’s pieces, ten of them individually on Inkfoundry’s “Get WYSR” feed. (In case you didn’t know, Inkfoundry is a wonderful and free resource that aggregates short fiction and poetry pieces!)
Recurring Themes:
Playing With Time / Time travel
Embodiment & Sensory Descriptions
Raises Philosophical Questions
Older/Younger Generation Dynamics
Separation & Connection
Music
Robots/AI
Day One - March 5
Joey must make a decision if they want to join the City, or stay with their grandfather.
Annie is one of many people affected by the “Split,” where her past selves have materialized in her world.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These two stories have so much in common! They both have themes where the past somewhat haunts the present characters. In “Vinyl” Rebel haunts John - not the main character, but an important one, nonetheless. She doesn’t haunt him in the ghost sense, but the memory of her hangs over him. While in “Splits,” that sense of the past hanging over the present is more physical, in that there are literal physical versions of Annie that have come to life.
I thought it was interesting as well that both stories play with the concept of “merging” in some way and the rejection of it: in “Vinyl,” there’s the City, and Joey ends up rejecting going to merge with it, and in “Splits,” there’s the multiple time identities where Annie ends up deciding to evade the police and the required merge.
“Vinyl” also explores the dynamics between older and younger generations. I thought Joey and John’s relationship was so endearing. “Splits” does that inherently through the novum of the story itself, but also, I noticed, with the Nancys and how Annie interacts easier with the split version of Nancy rather than the “alpha.”
Individually:
"Vinyl Wisdom” also centers around music, specifically punk, as one of its main themes, and inherent in that, rebellion.
"Splits” I really enjoyed the novum for this, the concept of the Splits itself. I found it really interesting.
Day Two - March 6
Stan signed up for war because they have the power to regenerate anything. He didn’t count on his body remembering the trauma of being blown up.
4. “Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont”
The Oakmont sits on a time vortex, and it calls to certain people.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Whoa, Cornell has come out swinging with these two stories today! These two were vastly different in tone, but they still had some similarities. There’s the theme of memory in both: in “The Body Remembers” it’s about trying to forget, and the body not being able to, while “Oakmont” touches on memory loss because of the magic of the place, and how it works on its residents as one of its rules. Many times, at least for Sarah, she wishes she could remember.
There’s also the sense of dread in both. In “The Body Remembers” it’s the dread that comes with being afraid of what will happen next time a limb gets blown off, and in “Oakmont” it’s Sarah’s dread about losing Roger.
Individually:
“The Body Remembers” also reminded me of “Splits” and “Vinyl” with the physical element of both. I’ve come to realize that Cornell is wonderful at embodiment, at writing the physical sensations and making me really feel like I’m there with the characters. Not that I want to be in Stan’s world . . .
“Once Upon a Time at The Oakmont” definitely establishes a running theme around time, and how it affects us, as she did in both “Vinyl” and “Splits.” I noted earlier that there was a generational dynamic she explores, and she does in Oakmont as well. There’s a definite playing with people at the different times in their lives. In Oakmont I feel that she took this to another level, or looked at it perhaps in another angle. It’s not just about different ages, but also about how time and place influence us as well. The events that become history. Cornell has played with that in this piece, in that her protagonist, Sarah, knows what certain events will happen in other peoples’ lives but is powerless to stop it.
There’s also an element of grief here, as Sarah loses her memories and her interactions with the other people at the Oakmont, and one of a loving community.
Day Three - March 7
Why would you need a human to act an entire movie when you can get an AI to do it?
6. “And I Will Read to You About Butterflies”
When their child dies, the parents take a chance on new tech and upload his consciousness to a new body.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both these are sci-fi stories with overarching themes about technology, and in one it takes the place of humans in the sense of their careers, livelihoods, and joy, and in the other, it literally takes the place of a little boy.
Individually:
The title of “Through the Machine” makes me think of “The Body Remembers” in that Stan had to go through a war machine. In this story, though, Steve feels like he is going through a capitalism machine, a money making machine. Something that doesn’t care about him, that only thinks of him as a product.
There’s also a sense of nostalgia for when things were better that reminds me of “Vinyl Wisdom” and “Oakmont” that I didn’t notice before!
“And I Will Read to You About Butterflies” joins “Vinyl Wisdom” and “Splits” for the theme of consciousness uploading/merging! This one also expanded on grief as a main motif that was also in the “Oakmont.”
Day Four - March 8
7. “440 Broad Street, Apartment 4C”
When the end of the world arrives, would you stay alone or team up with your neighbors?
The robot hasn’t moved in 40 years, but it’s actually okay with that.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These two stories don’t have too much in common, but individually, they resonate with others for sure!
Individually:
“440 Broad Street, Apartment 4C” has aspects of community that I noted in “Oakmont.” It also definitely has the embodiment/physical awareness that “Vinyl,” “Splits,” and “Through the Machine” had. There’s a lot of action, as well, and urgency, which I wrote about in the individual review.
“A World Unto Myself” slows the reader down with gentleness. There’s a beauty in stillness, here, that the robot achieves. It’s interesting that its slow decay and rust could be read as “merging” with the earth, an echo of the themes seen in “Vinyl,” “Splits,” and “Butterflies.” Only in this iteration, it's portrayed in a positive light, as contributing to the world around it.
Day Five - March 9
9. “Decorative”
A neglected robot contemplates her purpose.
Two aliens from differing worlds try to make a relationship work.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
Both of these are sci fi stories, but I don’t see too many other similarities. However, each of them share running themes with Cornell’s broader body of works.
Individually:
“Decorative” of course immediately brought to mind the previous robot story I read yesterday, “A World Unto Myself.” The plot similarities are striking - a robot is abandoned and left alone, and the robot contemplates their purpose - but the ending and tone is decidedly more negative and cynical in “Decorative.”
“The Space Between Us” echoed themes of “Oakmont,” in that there are environmental barriers that separate people who love each other that is outside their control.
In an overarching sense, I just realized that much of Cornell’s work speaks about barriers and/or connection. In “Vinyl” as I noted before in my thoughts on the theme of merging/consciousness uploading, there is the barrier of the City, and whether or not people will merge. Once they do, there is a block between them and humans who have not merged.
“Splits” absolutely is in conversation with this motif, as you could argue that before they split into different times, people were blocked from those other parts of themselves.
Then there is “Oakmont” as I mentioned above, a manifestation of time and space that sometimes acts as a barrier.
“Butterflies” of course has the barrier of the child’s mind to the new body, plus the emotional barrier between the child and the mother.
In “Through the Machine,” there is a separation between the AI image the companies portray and who Steve wants to be. “440 Broad Street” is about connection in a time of crisis, how people can overcome social barriers.
“A World Unto Myself” for sure has this theme, as the robot contemplates becoming one/merging with the soil and feels a deep connection to the living beings around it.
“Decorative” is about a barrier between Annie and Dean, one that Dean put up, and “The Space Between Us” is the story that made me realize this motif in the first place: two people trying to make a relationship work but struggle against the environmental barrier of what their bodies can physically handle.
Day Six - March 10
11. “El Bordado”
A series of letters from a woman to her mother, detailing the struggles of immigration and a new life on Mars.
A veteran cage fighter puts everything on the line to escape her hard life.
The Pairing: (Spoilers)
These two join the ranks of those I mentioned above, talking about separation/connection. The narrator in “El Bordado” must go through many layers of separation, from leaving her family back on Earth to the language and cultural barriers on Mars. In “Sawdust” Julia has to overcome the very physical barriers of the other bodies of women she’s forced to fight, along with the metaphysical cage Oliver has put her and the other women in.
Individually:
“El Bordado” is written in alternative format, using a series of letters. It covers themes around immigration/feeling out of place in a new culture, and the inevitable racism that comes along with that. There’s touches of fear around loss of culture, as well, which reminded me “Vinyl” and “Oakmont.” And of course, the generational dynamic because of the main relationship between the grandmother and the mother.
“The Smell of Sawdust” possesses that embodiment/physical focus that I noted in “Vinyl,” “Splits,” “The Body Remembers,” and “440 Broad Street.” There’s also the theme of music, that I now remember was also present in “Oakmont” and “Vinyl.”
Day Seven - March 11
13 & 14. “The Soundtrack of My Afterlife”
A ‘72 mustang experiences life through music and the people who drive him.
This novelette rounds off Cornell’s body of work for this capstone review beautifully. What a gorgeous tapestry of songs and life displayed in a story! Of course, there’s a massive music theme, joining “Vinyl,” “Oakmont, and “The Smell of Sawdust.”
There’s also an element of generational dynamics as what I noted in “Splits,” “Vinyl,” “Oakmont,” and “El Bordado.” Maybe I should just call that family dynamics? But it feels a little more specific in that it feels that Cornell is touching on multiple generations in each.
Closely tied to that, of course, is the theme around time and playing with time, and this is definitely apparent in “Soundtrack” as we watch Red live through several decades and knows that he is from a different era when he was human.
The motif around separation/connection makes an appearance as well, as Red is a car and cannot speak to the humans who drive him or ride around, but he still manages to somehow make himself known as a personality.
Emmie’s Personal Favorite: This was a hard call, but I ultimately ended up loving “The Soundtrack of My Afterlife” the most!
Summary!
If I were to summarize Cornell’s style in one sentence, I would say she excels at sensory descriptions and embodiment to place her readers in her character’s shoes, and that she gravitates towards exploring themes like separation, connection, and multigenerational dynamics while playing with time travel, music, and robots.
Interview Questions
What are the themes you tend to return to the most in your work overall? Why do think that is?
Cornell: I often write about relationships. Not just romantic ones but also platonic, familial, etc. Some are successful relationships, some not. I’m really interested in what makes people tick and how they relate to each other and the world around them. I find that a lot of my stories have something to do with that. In fact, the theme of my forthcoming short fiction collection The Astronaut Among the Flowers and Other Stories is “connection” and it explores this throughout, in various ways.
2. What is one of the characters in your short stories/flash pieces that you relate to the most, and why?
Cornell: In one way or another I probably relate to most of them—at least partially. But if I have to pick one, then maybe I’d go with one of the “mother” characters, since I’m kind of in that phase of my life right now. For instance, the mom in “Kiss it Better” or in “A Fall Backward Through the Hourglass.” Really, there are so many though. I take a lot of inspiration from my own life so a lot of what my characters deal with (or at least aspects of their lives and who they are) are things very familiar to me.
3. What short fiction author do you look up to? Why?
Cornell: Again, I think the answer would be several. There’s no “one” writer I look up to or admire. Instead it’s more aspects of the way they write that stand out to me. That doesn’t mean I try to emulate it, but rather that I think it’s cool when they do it. For instance I love Sarah Pinsker’s ability to blend fantastical elements into such grounded stories. I love the risks Caroline M. Yoachim takes. I love the way Thomas Ha handles mood and tone. I love Eugenia Triantafyllou’s inventiveness. I love the way Somto Ihezue’s stories always make you feel something. I could go on, listing names.
4. Anything else you’d like to say about your work?
Cornell: I guess that it varies a lot. I write across genres, in varying tones and points of view. Sometimes I wonder if readers will be thrown off because they fell in love with a silly or cozy little story and then the next thing they read from me was horror or something. My hope is they don’t mind, or that I’m reaching readers who—like me—enjoy a little variety.
5. Do you have any piece, listed here or otherwise, that you would like to promote?
Cornell: Well, I mentioned my collection, which comes out in August, through Stars and Sabers. I also just released my newest book, Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl. I’m describing this one as a retro-futuristic, noir, love story. It’s a fun little romp that I think a lot of us needed as a break from the daily horrors we’re living through these days. Readers seem to be enjoying it for that reason most of all—or at least it seems to me this is the case.
Shoeshine Boy & Cigarette Girl
https://www.starsandsabers.com/books/shoeshine-boy-cigarette-girl/
The Astronaut Among the Flowers
https://www.starsandsabers.com/books/the-astronaut-among-the-flowers/