Sofia Mostaghimi, "The Hole"

It’s December 5. Sofia Mostaghimi, author of Desperada, still hasn’t figured out how to dig up.

How would you describe your story?

SOFIA MOSTAGHIMI: Abandoned by her husband and daughter, an embittered woman is confused, then enraged, when her sister, a recovering alcoholic, begins to dig a hole in her backyard. From the woman’s perspective, it’s a story about the injustice of life. From her sister’s perspective, it’s a story about attempting redemption. I think both versions are true.

When did you write it, and how did the writing process compare to your other work?

SM: I started writing an earlier draft years ago, then completely forgot about it. After the birth of my daughter, I felt inspired to return to the story following an encounter with a woman who reminded me so much of this story’s protagonist. I do not find my protagonist very likeable, so part of my process for this story was to learn to write about her with tenderness and grace. I really had to dig (ha!) within myself to find her qualities, understand why her dutiful kindness had morphed into meanness over the years, and, though she doesn’t seem to, and the reader might not, either, as the author, forgive her for it. 

What kind of research went into this story?

SM: I paid close attention to feelings of resentment harboured by myself, or those close to me. I thought about meanness, forgiveness, joy, and family trauma. I listened to my extended family members speak about the past. Basically, I paid attention. 

What, to you, makes the short story a special form? What can it do that other kinds of writing can’t?

SM: An entire world is condensed into one moment, or a series of interrelated moments to reveal a particular feeling or truth. I find the form incredibly powerful and beautiful, because of what it strives to do with so little. As a writer, working within a form that restricts (in this case, the word count), is challenging but offers so many opportunities for ingenuity in a way that long-form fiction simply can’t. Finally, I think in an individualistic, capitalist world of plenty such as ours, the short story, and short-story collections such as this one, remind us of the power in restraint, and the importance of many stories (many people, many truths, many feelings) coexisting simultaneously. In this way, the short story form is actually highly democratic and anti-capitalist.

Where should people go to learn more about you and your work?

SM: My website is a good place to start: www.sofiamostaghimi.com. Or you can follow me on Instagram at @sofiasheeva. 

What's the best gift you've ever been given?

SM: My daughter. 

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