Strange Horizons · The Strange Horizons Editorial Collective

SH@25 Episode 10: An interview with Jordan Kurella, and a reading of his poem, 'this tree is a eulogy'

March 17, 2025·49 min·4 clips

Jordan Kurella explains how the New Weird unsettles you without scaring or comforting you.

A tree speaks first. Its body is refuge and record at once, marked by blows, spring nests, autumn scratches, and names cut into living bark. Then Kat brings listeners back into Strange Horizons at 25 and places the interview inside the magazine's history with spec work. There is one practical note: Jordan's audio gets choppy midway, so the transcript and links sit on the website for anyone who wants a clearer companion. The reading keeps grief close to the skin. The poem does not lecture about mourning. It lets branches, sparrows, walls, and carved names do the work, which makes the ache feel quieter and worse. From there, the talk turns to making strange voices behave on the page. Jordan describes a story in first person plural, with the narrator imagined as all four winds in relation with other elements. The origin is almost funny: the idea showed up in the shower, fully enough that Jordan had to run out and type before it disappeared. Strange Horizons felt intimidating, but not impossible. After looking back at rejections, Jordan noticed three of four had been signed by editors, which made another try feel worth the risk. The piece was accepted in 23 days. Its tiny size, under 950 words, bumps up against the odd pleasure and awkwardness of having family read it, especially once its sensual charge becomes obvious. Kat keeps pressing on craft in a useful way. First person plural is rare, and Jordan's answer lands on the need for a real reason to use it. The coming novella offers one: a mountain that is an ecosystem, so the voice feels lived-in rather than pasted on. The episode ends with the usual community machinery: credits, music, transcript, donation options, and the anniversary invitation to help keep Strange Horizons going.

As heard by us

A craft-first anniversary episode where a reading and interview settle into grief, form, and Strange Horizons history.

Strange Horizons at 25 uses Jordan Corella's "This Tree is a Eulogy" to anchor a conversation that stays close to the work itself. Kat Kerbeti keeps the focus on the magazine's history, Jordan's first publication there in 2019, and the appeal of writing in first person plural,…

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Press play for a poet-narrated Strange Horizons episode about a speculative piece in first person plural, grief, and trees.

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