Carmen Maria Machado, "The Things Eric Eats Before He Eats Himself"

It’s December 20. Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House, doesn’t engage with Craigslist for this very reason.

How would you describe your story?

CARMEN MARIA MACHADO: A retelling of the Greek myth of Erysichthon that imagines him as the heartless, evil son of a heartless, evil real-estate mogul. I’ve always found the story of Erysichthon to be pretty delicious: A man who commits a terrible deed is punished with an appropriate and horrifying curse. (If only it worked that way in real life!) There are so many fun ways to potentially adapt it—including as a body-horror cozy mystery, which I still think is not a half-bad idea—but once I started writing “The Things Eric Eats Before He Eats Himself,” I found myself unable to unsee Erysichthon as anything but a pawn. Not sympathetic, exactly. Rather, as a part of a larger system of entitlements and appetites, one that ultimately destroys almost everything it touches. Erysichthon learns too late what so many other people already know: If there’s a list of things to be eaten—without compunction, without compassion, without mercy—chances are you’ll eventually be on it, too. 

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

CMM: Ages ago! Summer of 2018, in the middle of writing my second book In the Dream House. It was a nice fiction break from a tough memoir project. 

What kind of research went into this story?

CMM: I just re-read different versions of the myth over and over, looking for a way in. 

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

CMM: The brevity of the short story allows for formal experimentation that’s far harder to pull off at novel length, for starters. And there’s just something so satisfying about picking up a short story and having your life and perspective altered by a story that’s only two thousand, four thousand, eight thousand words. It’s an incredible feat.

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

CMM: carmenmariamachado.com.

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

CMM: Last year for Christmas, my incredible partner Lauren made me a perfect clay replica of my childhood stuffed dog Pinky so I could have it next to my computer when I worked. I have a lot of tchotchkes, but this one is by far my favorite. 

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