Featured Interview

Mariya Kurbatova

Hi all! dogyard is back with an interview from our Fiction Editor, Mariya Kurbatova. Mariya is the realest dog of all, trust me. Check her Insta if you don't believe me.

We are grateful for the reception so far and like to invite you to continue submitting your fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essay, and visual art/graphic narrative! Make sure to check out our submissions page and all of dogyard mag's other content! Follow us on Bluesky and Instagram to keep in touch! Missed our last interview? You can find it here.

Your Instagram handle is @dogenthusiast; what made you first enthusiastic about dogs?

I had an early childhood dog named Dasha (I think) who I don’t remember at all. I assume she imprinted on me though, and established this lifelong subconscious enthusiasm. My parents’ friend also had a weiner dog I was obsessed with as a kid. I remember reading that those dogs have very delicate backs though, and would always get nervous playing with her, like her spine would break at any moment.

If you were a dog, what breed would you be?

I feel like a lot of dogs were bred to have specific jobs – hunting, or herding, or rescuing, etc. – so I’d want to be some kind of breed that isn’t expected to earn its keep beyond just being cute and nice. So maybe something like a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

How did you first get into writing?

I was always reading & writing as a kid. My mom really spoiled me with books. One of my first big writing projects was my 4th grade Warrior Cats fan fiction. They were graphic novels before the official Warrior Cats graphic novels came out. I think it just kind of kept going from there.

What writers do you feel most influenced by?

Carmen Maria Machado! She was the first modern writer I saw incorporate folk tales into modern life. I was like “Oh, you can do that?” It kind of changed everything for me in terms of writing -- how I create characters & setting & plot, how I play with archetypes & myths. Sylvia Plath, also. Her language is just so intense, so poetic. I care a lot about writing on the micro-level, the sentence-level, and she was the first writer I saw who poured so much thought & emotion into choosing every specific word. So I’d say those two are my North Star.

What is your favorite font to write in?

I write in Arial because it helps me not take a draft too seriously. (It’s kind of a fundamentally goofy font). When I feel like the work is mostly done, I’ll convert the whole thing to Times New Roman or something else that feels more Serious.

Describe your writing process?

When I get an idea that really excites me, I lock myself in my room, and I don’t leave until it’s out. I try to write my first drafts as cleanly and deliberately as possible because I hate editing!!

Do you have any reading icks?

I hate it when a story is clearly a mouthpiece for an idea. There are some novels that I think should have been essays or treatises or manifestos instead of coyly pretending to be fiction. I also hate when characters are written to be unironically pretentious. I think these types of characters and these types of novels go hand in hand. It creates a very YA effect (derogatory) for me.

What in a story/piece of writing makes you excited?

I love descriptive language I’ve never seen before, like an author that actively avoids cliches. I also love contemporary works that function as time capsules, where they’re able to capture all these minute details of our current world. It makes me feel like history keeps going, and will keep going, and we will be remembered. Also love the integration of mythical elements into daily life.

What are your favorite foods?

I love a cultured dairy product. (Yogurt, kefir, sour cream, etc).

Interview by Nicolle Lioncourt