BCC Shines A Light On: Kate Deimling
BCC Shines a Light On:
Kate Deimling
Name of the piece published by BCC:
Where was your piece originally published:
Issue 7 (2022) of Little Death Lit, which is now defunct.
What is the background of the piece? What led you to write it? What’s your process?
I remember quite clearly how I came to write this piece: I was walking my dog in the park, and
somebody was playing the song “Cupid” by Sam Cooke on a speaker. This got me thinking how strange it
is that this ancient god of love is so familiar to us that everyone still gets the reference today. Then I had
the idea of Cupid appearing to someone, a woman having relationship problems, who would be kind of
cynical about the old-fashioned notion of true love that he represents. I went home and wrote it. I didn’t
want to use the word “Cupid,” so I titled it “Let Your Arrow Fly,” which is a line from the song. I wrote it
pretty much in one go, and then I always do a few edits to tighten things up.
How did you feel when it was first published and how have your thoughts or feelings on the piece
changed from then to now?
What I really had fun with when writing this piece was that I wanted Cupid to have a physical
presence, like a real toddler. There’s dirt, snot, a diaper…reading it again now, I’m still struck by how
gross he seems. For me, there’s a little thrill in the ending, because Cupid now seems magical and
mysterious, and there’s a sense that the woman in the story has been changed by his visit. Endings can
be hard, but this one came easily to me, which was a great feeling. So my feelings on the piece haven’t
really changed, but I’m thrilled that it has found new life on Bulb Culture Collective!
Is there a specific message you’d like readers to take away from reading this piece?
No specific message, but I hope readers feel like they’ve had an encounter with this
otherworldly little fellow. And I guess maybe an awareness that cynicism may conceal a belief in the
ideal.
Where can readers find more of your work? (Website/social media, etc)
At www.katedeimling.com. And, for now, I am still lingering on the platform formerly known as
Twitter @DeimlingKate.
