Q&A with Samuel Lawrence Sullivan

We are so excited to have recently published “Coues,” a short story written by Samuel Lawrence Sullivan. One of our fiction editors, Laura Jensen, interviewed Sullivan about his writing and the inspirations behind the piece.

There are a few images in the story that still hang in my mind – the truck in the snow storm, the cougar cubs tossed into the chasm, and, of course, the Coues deer. When starting to write this story, was there an image that came to you first? Something that started it all for you? Is there a specific image that still lingers with you?

The story went through several drafts but always started with a snowstorm. In earlier versions, Nick began his journey at a hunting lodge, glassed for Coues deer on a razor ridgeline, and wandered in the snow for a bit. The story took too long to get going. Once Bill’s headlights cut through the snow, I knew I had my true start to the story. 

The image that sticks with me the most is the cougars curled up in the bed of the truck. It’s always felt sad and haunting to me.  

The Coues deer feels very emblematic. Why did you choose this animal for the story? What does it represent to you? 

I think Coues are fascinating. All animals are shaped by their environment, but Coues were marooned by a changing climate. Their ancestors—Eastern White Tail—climbed higher and higher into the southern Rockies back when the deserts of Arizona, California, and New Mexico were grasslands. Eventually, the land below grew harsh and unsustainable, isolating those deer from the rest of the world’s populations.

While researching this story, I was captivated by the mythos around Coues. Hunters talked about them as though they were spirits of the mountains, so I adopted their mindset. 

The situation Nick finds himself in with the cougar cubs is fascinating. It’s not very black and white, and even Bill seems torn up about his role in it all. What are you hoping readers get out of this moment?  

I hope readers see Nick and Bill as complex people dealing with a difficult situation. The hunters and farmers I know have always shown deep respect for animals and always kill as humanely as possible. Nick and Bill share a degree of that respect and regret the cougar’s death.

I’d love to hear about the genesis of this story. What inspired it? Is the search for the Coues deer based on a personal experience? 

My cousin Drew comes from a family of hunters. A few years ago, while hunting Coues deer, he got stranded in a snowstorm and had to hitchhike his way down the mountain. His descriptions of the deer and his journey inspired me to write a story about that night.

What really struck me in this story is its discussion of human impact on the environment, particularly wildlife. Does this topic often inspire your writing, or does your writing span across many subjects?

I enjoy writing about nature and our effect on the natural world. I’m currently working on my second novel, The Lot, in which the residents of a seaside neighborhood fight over a piece of quickly eroding beachfront property. 

My writing spans many subjects. My first and yet to be published novel, Lost in the Words of the Guru, follows an amateur journalist as he details the journey of an estranged high school friend who has become a zealous follower of an Instagram self-help guru. 

No matter what I’m writing about, I try to bring rhythm into my prose. If it sounds good to the ear, it’ll read well on the page. 

When it comes to style and subject, are there any authors that you feel inform your writing the most?

I love the work of George Saunders, Joyce Carol Oates, Anne Carson, Emma Cline, Lauren Groff, and Percival Everett. I’m currently reading The Underland by Robert Macfarlane and thoroughly enjoying every sentence.

The ending of the story is a bit unexpected – I was fully prepared for Nick to never see the Coues deer. Did you always know how you wanted to end this story, or did it come as you wrote it? What do you hope readers feel after reading? 

There were many drafts in which Nick never sees the Coues deer. To me, the image of the deer standing on the snow-buried road represents the relentless majesty and mystery of nature. I hope readers feel the same way.