Category: Author interviews

“A poem is an object made of words”: A conversation with Flemish poet, novelist, and art critic, Willem M. Roggeman

In re-reading the interview now, it is clear that Gary Snyder was just an entry point for me to have a conversation with a true renaissance man of poetry. I’m reminded of the Pakistani proverb that says when you share the first cup of tea, you are a stranger. With the second cup, you are a friend, and with the third cup, you become family. Mr. Roggeman and I sipped coffee during our conversation, and it was clear that we quickly moved through the three cups from strangers to friends.

An interview with Tom Maremaa

Tom Maremaa talks about his new book Chrome and Punishment, a new mash-up of a Dostoevsky classic, including how the book came about, what makes this mash-up different from the original, St Petersburg, Raskolnikov and how he fares in this new version, his new characters, a hint at the ending(s) and more.

An interview with Julia Brewer Daily

The author of The Fifth Daughter of Thorn Ranch talks about her new book, research, personal connection to the work, the fact behind the fiction, women’s reproductive rights, and more.

An Interview with Xu Xi, author of Monkey in Residence and Other Speculations

Xu Xi is an Indonesian-Chinese novelist, fiction writer, and essayist from Hong Kong who became a U.S. citizen at the age of 33. Author of fifteen books, including, most recently, Monkey in Residence and Other Speculations (Signal 8 Press, UK, November 1, 2022), This Fish is Fowl: Essays of Being (Nebraska 2019), Dear Hong Kong: An Elegy for A City (Penguin 207), That Man in Our Lives (C&R 2016), she also co-authored The Art and Craft of Asian Stories (Bloomsbury, 2021). In this interview she talks about her latest book, her inspiration, her typical writer’s day, and more.

In The Tradition of Dutch Masters: an interview with Ben Rikken

Rikken feels it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact moment one decides to make art their life, but there is still a traceable, cumulative trajectory and the necessity to reflect upon history and past traditions. To define one’s unique art and expression, there comes an inevitable absorption then rejection of established theories that allows the artist to express their unique voice.

An Interview with David Sklar

The author of Moonstone Hero talks about His own experience climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and the effect that experience had on him, how, as a medical doctor, he incorporated his expertise into Moonstone Hero, the various philosophical and moral questions that the novel dives into, how he blended aspects of several genres (adventure, romance, literary fiction) into one cohesive story, on the nature of heroism, how Moonstone Hero is a tribute to the doctors who have risked their lives for others during the Covid-19 crisis, and lots more.

An interview with Jeff Seitzer

The author of The Fun Master talks about his new book, about being a stay-at-home dad, how his own neurological experience both helped and hindered him in managing his son Ethan’s special needs, the best (and worst) parenting advice he received, what changed for him as a stay-at-home dad after Ethan passed away, how he came to write the book, and lots more.

An Interview with Rudy Ruiz

The author of Valley of Shadows talks about his new book and its relation to his previous book, the historical events that inspired the book his protagonists, the role of the U.S.-Mexico border in Valley of Shadows, his advocacy, magic realism, his themes, and much more.