Niya Sisk

Books by Niya Sisk

Po'Bird: A wingless bird determined t...

by Niya C Sisk

Sweet Bee Books, 2012.

Bragging Bantering Bawling: Collected...

by Niya C Sisk

Sweet Bee Books, 2011.

About Me

Niya is fascinated by how the nonsensical in storytelling somehow makes sense in life. She was mesmerized by Dr. Seuss as a child. She likes to tell stories visually first and then follow the thread—the unifying elements that make the character come alive.

She is the author of Bragging Bantering Bawling story collection and Po’Bird, illustrated children’s book. She is the founding editor of Curly Red Stories flash fiction journal with over twenty-four flash fiction writers and interviews. She received her MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a certificate in screenwriting from UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television.

Why do you write?

I see the story is scenes first and then the words push hard on me to work. Pretty soon something is making its way into a medium. The medium itself is not clear until the story is told.
I'm currently working on a silk illustrated adult fiction novella - the process of how it arrived at silk painted is illustrations surprised me. I wrote a post about it here: http://niyasplace.com/when-art-tells-you-its-story/

Any favorite authors? Books?

"I'm going to marry my novels and have little short stories for children." - Jack Kerouac

Kerouac is one of my favorite thinkers. Carver is one of my favorite authors. Sherman Alexie is a favorite irreverent, energetic writer poet. Dillard? Where do I start, I'm lost in love of every word from start to finish--her layering of physical detail and poetic injustices of the human condition. "The Feast of Love" by Charles Baxter is what I read over and over again when I need a shot of compassion and community. Murakami... pure genius. His stories have actual geometrical shapes to them that bring home intuitive, large scale truths.
And there is more...
...But that's a start.