Interview with Karen Rile, Editor-in-Chief of Cleaver

On The Edge

In order to celebrate five years and 20 issues of Cleaver Magazine, we are interviewing senior editors to hear their thoughts on their time with the magazine. I had the privilege of interviewing the editor-in-chief of Cleaver, Karen Rile. Karen started Cleaver in 2012. She is the author of the novel "Winter Music" and numerous works of fiction and creative nonfiction, such as her recent poetry published in Superstition Review. Her writing has appeared in literary magazines such as The Southern Review, American Writing, Creative Nonfiction, and Apiary. Her work has been listed amongst The Best American Short Stories. Karen writes articles and essays for publications including The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Times, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. I sat down to a skype call with Karen and, after saying hello to her dog, we talked about the editorial mission of Cleaver, the innovative spirit of the magazine, and the political nature inherent in all art. Interview by Ryan Evans, producer of On the Edge, Cleaver’s podcast.