If you love the world of dark and gothic, if you are a fan of genre stories then you should not miss the interview with Mariarita Cupersito, an alternative writer and model who has many collaborations with Italian but especially foreign magazines.
L: Who is Mariarita Cupersito?
M: Really a very good question, which I don't think I can answer fully, but let's try! Mariarita Cupersito is a living contradiction, a restless soul but very happy to be one. A girl who loves dark and macabre, diaphanous complexions and gothic clothing, but always dresses in jeans and a T-shirt and loves to tan. She has an unbridled passion for movies, music, literature and generally everything horror-related, but then she is afraid of the dark. She is lazy and refractory to any kind of sport but does not hesitate to throw herself into extreme activities whenever she gets the chance. She is a former child who planned to work in a funeral home but then cried in despair when Mufasa died in the Disney movie "The Lion King." This caused her to mature doubts about her vocation, so she preferred to pursue something else and study law. Right or wrong choice? Only time will tell.
L: When did your passion for writing begin?
M: My debut in the world of writing came very early and was a natural consequence of my boundless love of reading, which has always accompanied me. However, contrary to what one might think, I discovered to my cost that being an omnivorous reader does not allow me to try my hand at any kind of story as a writer: when it comes to creating characters, situations, plots and entire universes from nothing, personal inclinations come overbearingly to the surface and define the unique and recognizable style of that author. I am no exception: all my texts are characterized by the strong psychological, often deviant, component of the characters that spring from my pen. Subjects on the verge of insanity who do not know the difference between good and evil and who casually commit heinous crimes, yet always convinced that they are absolutely in the right. Over the years, these narrative details have remained constant in all my writing. On the other hand, I do not have much sympathy for fantasy elements, which I rarely include in my stories; I prefer to investigate the depths of the human soul while remaining in the realm of the rational, to provide a final explanation for even the most seemingly unreal events, and to mark the fact that what is really terrible and frightening is not some bogeyman hiding in the shadows, but the human being himself.
L: When you were only sixteen years old, you were awarded by Andrea G. Pinketts in the "Mini Yellow of the Year" contest held by the Pro-loco of Atena Lucana (SA). What can you tell us about this experience?
M: In retrospect, I can say that it was a grand debut, but one whose scope I had not fully learned. Blessed youth! I still remember when the teacher read in class the notice advertising that competition for students in my area and I thought "why not? Let's give it a try!" I set out with a very "American-style" short story written for the occasion, a story somewhere between mystery and horror entitled "Death in Phoenix." I knew that the participating stories would be evaluated by Pinketts, but I confess that at the time I still had no idea who he was. A gap I have since largely filled! Just a few months ago I took part in a radio program in which Andrea G. Pinketts himself reviewed my short novel Seeing You Crawl (calling it "absolutely chilling") and it was a pleasure for me that our paths crossed again about ten years later. I hope it doesn't have to be another ten for the next time.
Going back to that first student competition, when the invitation for the awards night arrived I hoped I had made it to at least the top ten finalists and went there full of expectation. As the awards ceremony continued and we climbed toward the top positions, however, my enthusiasm waned, as the idea of finding myself at the top and even first runner-up had not even crossed my mind. The surprise at hearing my name listed right last was indescribable; I still remember a couple of friends tugging at me to get me up and go collect my prize. A victory that actually went against all odds: I was the youngest participant in the competition and the only one who was not from classical high school, having studied accounting. Oddly enough, this achievement did not push me in later times to try my hand at the field again; I considered that victory little more than a fluke, an isolated incident destined to have no sequel. So for quite some time I devoted myself to other things, graduation and university first and foremost. Only in 2009, when the years were already 23, did I resume writing short stories and submitted them to various publishers, with good results.
L: In fact, in 2009 you also won the national literary contest "Poets and Narrators" organized by Gds Editions with the short story Lady Catherine. Can you tell us about that?
M: Getting back into the game after so many years and with only one (albeit illustrious) precedent was not easy. Not knowing the publishing world at all and not knowing in which direction to move, but well determined to keep away from all forms of paid publishing, I continued on the only road I was already familiar with: that of literary contests. "Lady Catherine," the story I submitted for the "New Poets" contest, was the first of my texts to have a strong gothic imprint, probably a legacy of my favorite reads, and I did not know whether this would benefit or penalize me in a literary contest open to fiction in general; fortunately the response was more than positive and GDS editions in addition to awarding me published my story in an anthology along with texts by other authors, offering me then shortly thereafter the possibility of some individual publications.
L: Black Crystal Drops is a collection of five horror stories compiled by Gds Editions. What exactly is it about? What were you inspired by for this project?
M: "Black Crystal Drops" collects my early short stories in a distinctly Gothic vein, including "Lady Catherine" itself. It was not originally started as a unified project, in fact each of the five stories was later also published separately in various anthologies. But once I put them together I realized that they really tied a lot together, as if a single thread united the various stories and characters. So in agreement with GDS Editions we decided to re-publish them all together in a small volume, which has since received quite positive reviews, despite the fact that the genre covered is really very sectional.
L: In 2010 - 2011 you were a finalist in the "Yellow Footprints" literary contest. How did this experience mark you?
M: My first victories and publications encouraged me to continue, to refine my technique and to gain more self-confidence, without which I would never have dared to enter the famous "Yellow Footprints" literary contest in 2010. My controversial short story "Sacred Hell," which I might call an urban gothic, was for all intents and purposes a leap in the dark... half successful: on that occasion in fact I did not win, but I was nevertheless lucky enough to be among the ten finalists and also to see that new short story of mine published along with those of several respected authors.
L: Your stories are translated and published in Italian and foreign magazines (Carpe Nocturne Magazine, Elite Online Magazine, Dark Magazine, Alt Noir Magazine, Gothic Noir Magazine...). How did the collaboration with the magazines start?
M: In order to allow my texts to cross national borders, a decisive role was played by the various dark and retro-inspired photos for which I had been posing for some time and which circulated on the web enjoying some success. Some foreign magazines specializing in dark, gothic and horror themes initially contacted me to publish some of my photos on their pages and often asked me for a short biographical text to accompany the images. In discovering me as a writer with a predilection for the gothic genre, it then happened that they asked me if I would be willing to publish some of my stories as well, translated sometimes by them (if they had someone of Italian origin on their staff) and sometimes by me (but I always insisted on their very careful final revision, not trusting my English too much). Needless to say, how all this has been immensely satisfying for me, also and especially in view of the fact that both writing and photography must remain, by necessity, secondary activities compared to my legal studies and work, which takes up a large part of my time and energy. This is one of the main reasons why I more frequently write short stories instead of novels, which require a much longer and more complicated "gestation" (but with also much more satisfying results, I cannot deny it!). As a reader, however, I much prefer the novel to the short story, because of the possibilities it offers for deepening characters and situations.
L: "Then Came the Dark," "Madeleine's Guilt" and "Cassandra" are other novels of yours published by Gds. Which of these would you recommend to a fan of horror literature? Can you tell us about these three works?
M: Probably "Madeleine's Guilt" is the one that comes closest to the horror genre; it tells an unusual tale of revenge set among convents, coffins and cemeteries, and the ending leaves you remembering. "Then Came the Darkness," on the other hand, is a murder mystery centered on a good night out gone wrong and in some ways reminiscent of my first short story "Death in Phoenix," with an investigation to be solved as the deaths mount. Finally, "Cassandra," which contrary to what the title would suggest has nothing to do with mythology; in fact, it is a thrilller featuring a psychiatrist and his patient engaged in a slow, mutual game of murder.
Three stories that are different but share many constants: death, madness, revenge and cruelty are not lacking in any of the three.
L: "Seeing You Crawl" is a short novel of yours from 2011. What can you tell us about it? What inspired you to write it?
M: "Seeing You Crawl" is the story of two girls grappling with unexpressed grudges and latent obsessions that I hope anyone who wants to read me will enjoy. Dalia and Alba, the two protagonists, are each other's negatives; two opposite and incompatible personalities but inextricably linked by an invisible thread of morbid obsessions and old grudges that creep silently.
The situation precipitates when by a series of circumstances they find themselves living in the same apartment: old fears resurface from the past and the specter of madness creeps in between the two. Something unspoken threatens to poison their minds day after day. Many of the elements that characterized the previous stories are also present in this story, proving that I have no intention of departing from the style that now distinguishes me; this perhaps precludes me from new categories of readers, but neither would I be willing to "betray" those who have been following and appreciating me since my beginnings.
L: Are you working on another novel currently? If so, can you reveal something in advance?
M: Yes, in addition to various short stories I am working on a book with a rather unusual theme, but I don't want to reveal more. The work is proceeding rather slowly due to a number of "external" factors, and the story may undergo some even radical changes over time, so it's better not to put too much flesh on the fire. If you have the patience to follow me, you will find out more!
L: You are also an alternative model. When did you get into photography?
M: The transition from writing to photography was almost immediate: it all started thanks to a photographer friend who suggested that I take some thematic shots inspired by my stories, then came other collaborations thanks mostly to the web that allowed me to get in touch with very good photographers and artists who used those photos as reference for illustrations and paintings.
Of course, my favorite style is always one pertaining to everything dark, gothic, retro.
"Alternative models," as girls who pose for these kinds of images are called, are very much in vogue in England, Germany and America, somewhat less so in Italy where they still constitute a rather underground movement present to my misfortune especially in the north and center.
Satisfactions, even important ones, have not been lacking: without taking into account all the times my photos have been published in magazines and websites, I am thinking in particular of when a few years ago one of my very first professional photos was selected to appear on the Italian website of Vogue; then last year I was included in the first volume on the best alternative models edited by the American organization The Alternative Model Directory, and at the beginning of this year I was chosen as testimonial of the American website DarkestGoth Magazine for the whole of 2014.
L: You love the dark and gothic style. Why do you think so?
M: I think the predisposition for the dark universe is a culture, a way of being that goes far beyond the physical aspect. You don't choose whether to be one or not: either you are, or you are not. It is an attitude, a lens through which we indistinctly filter all the reality that surrounds us, regardless of clothing and the aesthetic dimension, which, too, is of considerable appeal in this sphere. Let's say that when the two coexist and interpenetrate, it is ideal!
L: Who are your favorite writers and those who have influenced your writing vein?
M: I read a little bit of everything, but I especially love the works of Shakespeare, Baudelaire, Ann Radcliffe, Edgar Allan Poe, Daphne du Maurier, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Virginia Andrews, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Matthew Gregory Lewis, Henry James, Shirley Jackson, and many others. To list them all would be impossible! However, my favorite novel remains unquestionably Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, in my opinion an absolute masterpiece. I believe that each of their styles, blending with my natural inclinations, helped influence and shape my writing vein.
I also have a real mania for some Japanese manga with dark themes dear to me (Black Butler, Death Note, GodChild and many works by Kaori Yuki), as well as for the stories of Korean Lee-So Young. And I am an avid fan of Dylan Dog!
L: What can you tell us about horror cinema? What film figures do you appreciate the most? Are there any movies you would never get tired of?
M: Here the talk could get really long... To begin with, I love many of Tim Burton's films, who is practically a God to me. Even now I am still fascinated by Edward Scissorhands or Nightmare before Christams, but I also enjoyed The Mystery of Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride, Dark Shadows etc. I also like Quentin Tarantino's style; each of his films is a delirious little masterpiece. And let's not forget masters like Kubrick and Hitchcock. But more generally, I never miss a horror film or one that otherwise gives some thrills, from teen films to the more classic ones.
My leading actresses are Christina Ricci and Helena Bonham Carter, always wonderful.
Movies I'd never get tired of: Kubrick's The Shining; Barry Sonnenfeld's two devoted to the Addams Family; Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula; Neil Jordan's Interview with the Vampire; Alejandro Amenà bar's The Others; Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides; Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons; Billie August's House of Spirits. Tarantino's Kill Bill.
Let's stop here, it's better!
L: What are your future plans?
M: These days "Notes in Black," a book by EF Editions that collects noir stories related in various ways to the world of music, will be released. Among them is my "Le Spectre de la Rose," set in the world of Russian ballet. Then in the coming months more of my short stories will come out in various volumes, articles in foreign magazines and a short dossier on the Gothic in the world of Japanese manga, a project I have wanted to work on for a long time. In addition, I have been editing for a few months now a regular column on the subject of Gothic books and films for the Amerian Gothic Noir Magazine, which has published one of my stories and some of my photos in the past, and I hope to continue to do so for a long time to come.
L: An opinion of your own on this interview?
M: It was really a pleasure to answer all your questions, I just hope I didn't go on too long!
L: It was a pleasure for us too! Please leave a message for the DarkVeins community and everyone reading this interview!
M: Thank you to all the staff for giving me this opportunity and to anyone who may have had the patience to read me this far!
L: Thank you Mariarita for your helpfulness!
