CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHT:
Interview with Skye Ayla Mallac

Rappahannock Review Interview Editor: “Betwixt and Between” is a piece that shares the most intimate parts of caring for a loved one. The title is a direct quote from your grandad. How did you interpret this while his health was declining, and why did this stick out to you to use as your title?

Skye Ayla Mallac: In the last weeks of my grandad’s life it felt like he was slipping between worlds: ours and the one beyond. It was a very visceral experience for him and quite unsettling for us. We couldn’t fully understand what he was navigating but when he used the term “betwixt and between,” which was unusually poetic for him, I thought it was a beautiful analogy for his experience.

RR: Throughout the piece, there are only glimpses of other characters like your mom and your step-grandma. Is there a reason you chose not to mention them more throughout the piece?

SM: I didn’t think it was my place to speak to their experience. It was actually quite scary to share this piece with my family, as it’s so personal and yet involves them. I felt that each of us had a very unique experience at that time and I worried that the harshness and intimacy I expressed might not reflect theirs.

RR: While writing the piece, what made you decide to start with your experience struggling with COVID and travel regulations?

SM: My decision to leave South Africa in February 2020 was one I regretted immediately for many reasons, but the biggest was then getting stuck because of COVID. It was very unsettling as South Africa was not offering support for stranded citizens and I had to wait

almost four months to get home, while my grandad’s health deteriorated rapidly. As such, there was very little family present in his last weeks and almost none at the funeral because of the pandemic. It was an integral facet of the experience.

RR: Your bio mentions that you worked as a music journalist for nine years. How has this influenced the way you write?

SM: It gave me diligence in my writing practice and the ability to paint people in as authentic a light as possible. The most regular feedback I received from musicians I worked with was “thank you for just getting us.” It was something very important to me to bring people’s essences into my work.

RR: What music do you feel like “gets you,” especially when you are writing a piece like this?

SM: I don’t listen to music while I write unless it’s purely instrumental. Yann Tierson is a personal favourite because his music can span so many emotions. Also, as mentioned in the essay, Rod Stewart’s “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” holds a real place in my heart from that time.

RR: Are there any nonfiction authors who inspire you?

SM: I actually don’t read much nonfiction, but these memoirs really made an impact on me: Maggie O’Farrell’s “I am, I am, I am,” Tara Westover’s “Educated,” and Evanna Lynch’s “The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting,” for their unflinching approach to personal matters.