Ramona Ausubel is a prolific writer of both novels and short stories. In her most recent short story collection Awayland, she structures the book around four different lands: Bay of Hungers, The Cape of Persistent Hope, The Lonesome Flats, and The Dream Isles. In her mystical and fantastical voice, she uses these geographical areas to explore themes like relationships, leaving, and motherhood. In this Q&A, Ausubel talks about why she returns to the theme of motherhood in particular, how her writing style changes with the format, and what she's working on now.