The author of The Years of Blood talks about his new collection and its impetus, the Poetic Justice Book Prize, influences, structures, ‘Faith’ and the visceral, Yoruba culture, the catastrophe already here, the use of grammar, especially the em dash, in poetry, the impact of music on his writing, Nigeria’s vast literary tradition and upcoming books to look out for, and much more.
Tag: Interview
An interview with Connie Willis
Connie Willis has won more major science fiction writing awards than any other science fiction author. More than the Big Three—Asimov, Clarke, Bradbury—more than her “hero” Heinlein, more than George R.R. Martin, more than the irascible Harlan Ellison. When I chat with her on a beautiful sunny afternoon in Greeley, Colorado, she’s matter-of-fact about her writing accomplishments, and not all that impressed with herself.
An interview with Joshua Vigil
The author of Bastardland talks about his latest book, his writing habits, the satisfaction of writing, social media, on unsettling a reader, the joys of publication, and more.
An interview with Brian Jacobson
In this tongue-in-cheek interview, the author of Life Engineering and The Truth About the Moon and the Stars talks about his writing process, what he exclusively listens to, why he writes fiction, his ideal readers, what he does for fun, and more.
An interview with Stuart Nadler
I spoke with Stuart over Zoom to discuss the dangers of beauty, the difficulties of depicting atrocity in art, and the value of humor in dark times.
An interview with novelist Jamey Gittings
The author of Jane talks about his latest book, his writing process, his influences and personal history, his themes, his new book in the works, and lots more.
A Conversation with Richard Martin
I’ve been fascinated by Martin’s work since we first met in the mid 1980s. His observations are probing without condescension, and his special brand of humor highlights the peculiarities of human nature as well as the mysteries of the world. He is prolific but never redundant. Given the particularly turbulent state of the world currently, I believe his work is extremely relevant, and readers can benefit greatly from his insights.
An Interview with Suzanne Mercury
Suzanne Mercury is a poet whose work lies in the interstices of the natural and metaphysical world. In this interview she talks about her latest book Hive, about Magic Squares, bees, writing exercises, ecology, and more.
An interview with Carol Guess
The author of Sleep Tight Satellite talks about her latest book, on writing through quarantine, epiphanies, writing in second person point of view, the book’s narrative arc, compression, and lots more.
An interview with Mark Wish
On January 7, 2021, the day after the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Mark Wish, along with his wife, Elizabeth, disturbed by what they’d seen on TV the previous evening, hoped to create a response, a reaction, a way to find common ground with Americans—all Americans. The product of their desire and vision? Coolest American Stories. And the first volume of this annual anthology of short stories, Coolest American Stories 2022, was wildly successful. It’s just gone to its fifth printing.