A Conversation with Rebecca Watson
Rebecca Watson is a writer and storyteller whose work blends humor, metaphor, and emotional honesty, often with a dark, horror-tinged edge. She is the creator of the Substack publication Stay Weird Press, where she explores everything from absurd short fiction to eerie, unsettling tales and reflections on identity, motherhood, and the strange poetry of everyday life. Her work moves between the chaotic and the profound, searching for beauty, fear, and meaning in unexpected places.
Rebecca’s poem, “Threshold,” can be read in Issue no. 1 of Sabr Tooth Tiger Magazine.
gray: tell me about yourself: your name, pronouns if you’re comfortable, where you’re from, and what hobbies you have besides writing.
Rebecca: My name is Rebecca Watson (she/her). I’m from Tennessee, where I spend much of my time chasing after my daughters. Outside of writing, I love to read and am always trying to learn something new.
gray: what does your writing process look like for one poem?
Rebecca: Usually it starts with a single word or rhythm that won’t leave me alone. I’ll type it into my notes and let it sit for a while. Most poems go through several quiet revisions before I trust them to speak on their own.
gray: “Thresholds” featured a prominent rhyme scheme. do you often gravitate towards rhyme or other poetic devices in your writing?
Rebecca: I do. Rhyme, to me, is like heartbeat—it adds rhythm and inevitability. For “Thresholds,” it felt right because the poem is about pause and movement. I love subtle internal rhymes and repetition that mimic breath and hesitation.
gray: this inspirational piece included themes of waiting and transformation. what led you to write it?
Rebecca: “Thresholds” came from that strange stillness before change, the kind that feels both terrifying and sacred. I wanted to capture that moment between who you were and who you’re about to become. It’s about courage, but also gentleness with yourself as you stand on the edge of something new.
gray: what poem do you wish you had written?
Rebecca: Probably “Feral, I Hunt” by one of my favorite substack authors, Istvan Markan. The diction balances raw animal energy with intimate sensuality, making the piece feel both violent and tender—like love and lust at their most unguarded. That closing return to the hunt gives it a ritualistic, almost mythic power, a reminder that desire is endless and always beginning again. You can find his work here.
