When he sent me to the manuscript I immediately knew I wanted to publish it. I started reading his Craigslist posts when they were actually on Craigslist and there was this really romantic, almost mournful quality to the writing I loved. Brian Oliu’s work is so moving and charming and at times witty but always, always lovely. RG: I started a press because I wanted to put out books I felt passionate about. SR: Tell us a bit about what got you interested in starting your own press and what drew you to Brian Oliu’s work. RG: I don’t sleep much and I compartmentalize very well and I happen to have a job and lifestyle that are very conducive to being able to do all these different things. SR: How do you divide your time between writer, editor, publisher, and professor? Do you have any advice about making transitions between these aspects of your life? I also like talking about rejection because I think more writers should talk about the small failures, the things we go through, the frustration of trying to be great and often being told, “No, try harder.” Writing can be lonely and blogging is mostly a way of making things less lonely. Blogging a great way for me to write without thinking and I’m actually starting to cull essays from blog entries because the writing just seems to come to me when I open that WordPress window. It allows me to get most of my crazy out in a manner that is not self-destructive. Roxane Gay: My blogging is a lot of things. Is your blogging a form of catharsis, or is it meant to encourage other writers to persevere through their own struggles?
![roxane gay over broadway my beloved roxane gay over broadway my beloved](http://3hxjt216uum63hd4og46v94p.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20190817-Grace-Chu-Reykjavik-Pride-64.jpg)
Sophie Rosenblum: On your blog, you write openly about your feelings on Lifetime movies, but also about meetings with angry students and reactions to your work, including rejections you’ve received from journals.
![roxane gay over broadway my beloved roxane gay over broadway my beloved](https://44.media.tumblr.com/96e545f449fca22b8614ac26f86a2695/tumblr_p4ezquRpU21vehtqxo1_500.gif)
NANO Fiction’s Sophie Rosenblum asks Roxane Gay and Brian Oliu about Tiny Hardcore Press, musical theater, and the best video game characters to spend the weekend with.