Emily Sartor

Region: Northeast

There is a terrible pressure on nature from man, on man from nature, and occasionally there is equilibrium. If the story of this pressure is told from a certain distance, it becomes a romantic disaster with epic proportions- beautiful, destructive, and fodder for inspiration.

Growing up on the bank of a Louisiana River has left an indelible mark. The landscape of the river is one of the main triggers in this work. I use the lush landscape of my childhood as a backdrop for stories and manners of our contemporary life.

In recent years we have grown more familiar with the landscape of America's southern coastline. Hurricane season is as ominous as when Faulkner penned The Wild Palms, a story set amidst the levee breach of 1927. In southern literature a deluge can often be found acting as both backdrop and antagonist, revealing in its aftermath.

As we change the landscape, it changes us; the effects are immense and mysterious. The natural world is violent in its lack of sentimentality, and we are violent in our sentimental abundance. In this conflict lies a compelling story.