Meet Mag Gabbert | Writer, Editor, & Creative Writing Professor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mag Gabbert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mag, how do you think about risk?
On the surface I think you could say I’ve been very fortunate when it comes to risk-taking, because most of the time I’ve been able to choose which risks I’ve undertaken. Growing up, I always had access to a good education and had family members who were willing and able to help me out when ends didn’t meet, so to speak, so I started off in a very privileged position, and I’m grateful for that. On the other hand, I began to wander away from the path that was laid out for me pretty early on. I decided, for example, that instead of continuing to attend private school after 8th grade I would audition for Dallas’ arts magnet high school–Booker T. Washington HSPVA–downtown, and I was accepted. My family was supportive of my choice to switch schools, but I could tell they were hesitant, too. Would I still go to college? Would I be able to make a living in the arts? And actually, it wasn’t really a cut-and-dry choice for me either, because–even though I knew this was a great opportunity and I wanted to follow my passion–I was also nervous about leaving the friends I’d grown up with and starting over completely, not knowing anyone at all. Looking back now, I can see that that change played a formative role in shaping the person I am today; it gave me the foundation I needed to pursue a career in the arts, and, more importantly, it helped me to understand that my own experiences weren’t “typical,” that there were whole communities (or, it seemed like whole galaxies) of people who loved and created and worshipped and suffered just like I did, but whose everyday lives didn’t look anything like mine. On the other hand, if I’d continued to go to private school it’s possible that I could be making six figures by now, or be married to Jake Gyllenhaal (hi!), or be living in a fancy treehouse; one of the things about taking risks is that you don’t get to know what the other outcome would’ve been. But what I do know is that I’m very grateful to have ended up where I am, and I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t taken that risk. Of course, being a writer does involve taking other risks, too. Not the least of which being the risk that you won’t make it in this field, that you’ll never earn the recognition or forms of validation–prestigious publications, awards, etc.–that you’ve worked so hard for in a craft that you’re dedicated to. In my view, these risks somewhat mirror the risks that are required in the work itself. I often ask my creative writing students: What’s at stake in this piece? Why does it matter? If there’s nothing on the line in your poem (or essay, or story, etc.), then there’s no reason for the reader to become invested. There’s nothing to look forward to or to potentially even dread, there’s no conflict or development. I think we can all agree that very few people would want to read a book like that, where everything stays the same, stays more or less boring and predictable, from beginning to end. So, why would anyone want to live their actual life that way? Every choice we make is, to some degree, a kind of risk we undertake: who we trust with our love, which job we apply for, where we decide to live, and so on. And if we let ourselves freeze up without ever making a move or making up our minds, then nothing ever happens. Personally, I don’t want to live that way.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I first discovered my interest in writing poetry and nonfiction as a college freshman. I was lucky to have taken classes with the poet Jenny Browne and fiction writer Andrew Porter early on, since those really introduced me to the world of contemporary literature and ultimately helped me to figure out what my passion was. From there, I was able to completely redirect my course of study and dedicate most of my time as an undergrad to improving my writing. However–and I can’t stress this enough–I was not a good writer back then. I made all of the cliché mistakes that new writers make, and I think nearly anyone who read my work during that time would agree that it didn’t seem especially promising. What I did have going for me was an inexhaustible amount of dedication and curiosity (in hindsight, now that I’m also a professor, I realize it was probably an annoying amount). In the end, that’s what allowed me to progress as a writer and to start making strides professionally. I hesitate to distill things down to something so simple–because, you know, life definitely isn’t simple–but I really believe this was the most important factor in getting where I am today: that I just wanted to be a writer more than anything, and that I was willing to do whatever it took, to invest everything I had in it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh, this one is easy. I’ve been lucky enough to have a few friends visit over the last couple of years, so here’s a breakdown of some of the places we went and things we did: In Bishop Arts – I love taking my friends to The Wild Detectives bookstore in this neighborhood, to Dirt nursery, and checking out all of the little shops and art galleries along N Bishop Avenue. As far as food goes, there are tons of great restaurants within walking distance from the intersection of N Bishop and W Davis, but some of my favorites include Eno’s, Oddfellows, Ten Bells, Boulevardier, and–omg–the desserts at Cretia’s. Their cheesecake brownie is one of my favorite things on earth. In Downtown – My favorite restaurant downtown is Mirador on Elm Street–their food is delicious and the atmosphere makes me feel like I’m eating on the upper west side of NYC. I also love grabbing coffee at Otto’s and hanging out in the lobby of The Adolphus, which just seems like the pinnacle of luxury to me. If my friend and I just got paid, we might also snag brunch reservations at The French Room or treat ourselves to facials at The Spa at The Joule. Two more favorite destinations downtown would include the DMA and the Dallas World Aquarium. In Deep Ellum – Of course everyone knows Deep Ellum as Dallas’ live music hub, but I also love going to reading events at Deep Vellum Books, or just checking out their new arrivals. Then I’d especially recommend grabbing a cocktail–and a bite to eat, if you’re hungry–at Shoals on Elm Street or Ruins on Commerce. If you’re feeling a little wild you could always round out the night with new friendship tattoos (I go to Taboo Tattoo on Main Street) and maybe some late-night coffee at Buzzbrews or Cafe Brazil. In East & Central Dallas – If the weather’s nice, I always like to take my out-of-town friends over to see White Rock Lake and visit the Arboretum for a day. Then in the evening we might grab dinner and some drinks at Goodfriend’s or Lounge Here. Heading back toward Central Expressway, we’d also have to stop by Mockingbird Station for an afternoon to visit my favorite bar, The People’s Last Stand, and hopefully I’d be able to talk my friend into getting pedicures at Castle Nail Spa. Last but not least, during wintertime visits, I’d love to take my friends on a horse-drawn carriage ride to check out the Christmas lights in Highland Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe any measure of success I’ve achieved so far to an overwhelming number of people–to my family for encouraging and supporting me, to my mentors for investing their time and belief in me, to the editors who’ve published my work, and to the institutions and individuals who’ve paid me to teach, just to name a few. But, I want to dedicate this shoutout to the handful of folks who continue to uplift me not only as fellow writers and mentors, but also as my friends. They are: Alex Temblador, Sebastián Hasani Páramo, Chloe Honum, Leila Chatti, Maggie Downs, and Chen Chen. Without the generosity that these friends have shown me by commenting on my work, taking part in collaborative projects, sharing their experiences and offering advice, recommending my work to others, presenting me with opportunities, and–most importantly–by always showing up with their selfless love and encouragement, I absolutely wouldn’t be where I am today. In fact, I wouldn’t even be the same person.

Website: maggabbert.com
Instagram: @mag.gabbert
Twitter: @mag_gabbert
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.m.gabbert/

Image Credits
Yesi Fortuna