A Love Note to Postcards
Postcards are everything. Snapshots, posed and staged, the Instagram version of life since the Victorian Era. Sometimes bizarre. Marrying image and text. Carrying private messages that any stranger can read.
As a written art form, the postcard requires careful editing. It’s the epitome of “less is more.”
To me, postcards are much more than a way to stay in touch while traveling. They’re everything I want to be.
So who the f*** am I? Good question.
Writer:
Left to my own devices I write mostly speculative fiction. A couple dozen short stories have been published over the years (full list here), and my favorites were collected into Living Forever & Other Terrible Ideas, which was published in 2020 by Fairwood Press (buy it here!). I’ve also done tie-in writing in shared worlds. Got a project you think I’d be a good fit for? Contact eskaftun (at) gmail (dot) com.
On the nonfiction side, I’ve done a little bit of everything. Call-out boxes and other “creative content” for the award-winning magazine Stranger’s Guide. Worldbuilding for Amazon Games. Features, reviews, editorials, interviews and more for The Norwegian American. Web content. Travel writing. I am available for hire as a writer.
Editor:
For six years I was Editor-in-chief of America’s only Norwegian newspaper, a role that entailed every aspect of publishing, including literally saving the paper from extinction while transforming it into something worth preserving. I’ve founded literary magazines, read slush, and streamlined processes as Managing Editor. Once, I was invited to judge a Scandinavian haiku contest (haikuff-da!). As a freelancer, I’m available for developmental editing, line edits, copyediting, and proofreading. Message eskaftun (at) gmail (dot) com.
Designer:
I’ve been using InDesign since it was PageMaker. I handled all page layout for Stranger’s Guide and The Norwegian American, and as a freelancer I’ve done book interiors, newsletters, and more. I’m co-lead of my derby league’s Creative Team, acting as Art Director to manage the look of each season’s graphics. I’ve created in-house and client advertisements, marketing postcards, and designs just for funzies. Got a project? You know what to do. eskaftun (at) gmail (dot) com.
Postcard Nut:
I’ve been writing 100(ish)-word postcard stories based on actual postcards since 2012. You can read many of them here, and buy one-offs here, but the only way to make sure you see every single one—delivered to your inbox each Friday—is to join my patreon for as little as $3/mo.
Bio:
Emily C. Skaftun is a speculative fiction writer, editor, taxidermist, and irony enthusiast. Her short story collection, Living Forever & Other Terrible Ideas, was published in November 2020. Emily lives in Seattle with a furry house monster named Basilisk. In her spare time, she plays roller derby as V. Lucy Raptor and writes postcards to the void.