Sylvia Beaupré lives and writes in her childhood home in NH, USA. Her writing has appeared in print and online for many years. She is the author of COMMON GROUND, a poetry chapbook, and TAVERN VILLAGE TALES.

Her story ‘Weeds’ features in THE BARE BONES BOOK OF HUMOUR. The anthology’s editor Ankit Raj Ojha describes it: “A widower throws caution to the wind as he rediscovers a dormant member.”

Ankit interviewed the author to find out about her literary influences.

Tell us about your perspective on humour and its place in writing and in life.

Flaubert called creating one’s own world through writing “delicious”. Chuckling while writing humour is definitely delicious. And not to get too lofty about it, I call on Dr. Seuss: “Oh, the places you’ll go.” 

What are the things, works, and authors that have influenced your writing? 

Returning to my hometown, living in my childhood home, and walks in the woods have strongly influenced my writing. Also, while writing and reading across genres, I have been inspired by single works from favorite authors: Alan Paton’s CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY; T.C. Boyle’s short story ‘Swept Away’; and poems by Stanley Kunitz (‘Halley’s Comet’), William Stafford (‘A Valley Like This’), and Wendell Berry (‘The Wild Geese’). 

Is there any image, phrase, idea, place, person, or memory that became the seed for ‘Weeds’? 

The seed for my story came from a visit to a mobile home park in Florida and an article I read about seminars held across the U.S. on how to purchase and profit from these properties. I took advantage of that information along with the fact that death and dating are frequent occurrences in parks reserved for an adult population. In my story, a threatening letter from park management arrives during a feast of kisses and cookies: What could go wrong?