February 2021

Q&A with Author Brenda Kezar

Hi, Brenda. We're excited to podcast your story and talk about it with you here. Can you tell us a little about what "The US Portal Service" is about?

It's the story of how technology comes up with a solution for the growing problems associated with more online buying: increased transportation costs, increased manpower needs, porch pirates, etc. Of course, people are often suspicious of any new technology. . . and sometimes they aren't wrong.

How did you come up with the idea?

The story came to me after I read what seemed like my thousandth article about porch pirates. I thought to myself, there has to be a better way of foiling them than doorbell cameras and decoy packages of dog poo. We are in the 21st century, surely we have the technology!

Of course, every advancement that solves a problem just ends up making fresh problems. This story touches on the problem of privacy versus trust of government agencies/service providers. I remember how aghast I was when Amazon began experimenting with in-home delivery, delivering packages inside your home when you aren't there. Just how much privacy are we willing to give up for convenience?

What is your inspiration for writing as a whole?

I have a what-if kind of mind. That can manifest itself in a whole lot of anxiety in real life. Writing allows me to turn that power around and use it for good (or at least for the entertainment of others).

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I live in North Dakota with my hubby and three dogs. During the day, I work as an animal care tech, taking care of mice in a university research department. Nights and weekends, I write short stories. I've tried longer forms and discovered I'm just not that kind of writer. I'm okay with that. I've also dabbled in various genres, and I've discovered horror, fantasy, and science fiction--sometimes tinged with a little humor--are the genres that really work best for me.

I'm also working my writing career a little backwards. I started writing and publishing back in 2008 or 2009, but I'm just now getting around to earning my degree in English with an emphasis in creative writing.

Where can listeners find more of your work?

They can find a full listing of my short stories on my website, BrendaKezar.com

Any new work we should keep an eye out for?

My short story, “Nomad's Land,” will be appearing in Cosmic Horror Monthly in February.

(And just for Juli's curiosity: What are you reading now?)

I listen to A LOT of podcasts at work, so I have a pretty steady diet of short stories. As for actual text, I'm currently reading Volume 2 of The Collected Essays of HP Lovecraft (just a little light reading for fun). Next up on my list is Future Home of a Living God, by Louise Erdrich.

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Editor's Note: If you enjoyed this story, you might be interested in reading the whole anthology, Brain Games: Stories to Astonish, with many more great stories. It's available on Amazon

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