Why did you pursue writing?
Because I didn't make the football team and I have no talent
to be a celebrity chef. No,
seriously – the answer is basic and dangerously pompous-sounding: because I
believed, and believe, it's what I should be doing. This is no mystical inspiration. Writing, not too put too fine a point to it, is a pain in
the ass. Still. For me, it's as visceral a punching-in
as there is.
What inspired your book?
Keep this under your hat, but I am Imogen. As she/I went through the
ridiculousness of NYC apartment-seeking this year, it struck me that a dirty bomb
would be awfully handy in bringing down the astronomical rents. I did not want, in fiction or
otherwise, real misery to occur in the city (except for brokers). But ISIS was in the headlines every
day, I know something about human nature, and the two circumstances just itched
to come together in my fevered mind. The trick was to take something horrific,
something only obscene, and link them as dark comedy.
How long have you been publishing your work?
Since 2000? I think so. I self-published Southern fiction for some years, got a
fabulous deal with a major house for a book created to do just that and which
went nowhere, and now I'm back in the indie realms again. Where, if it's not fashionable, it's
roomy.
What’s your writing environment like?
Coffee maker and ashtray are essentials. Oh. TV. It must be
on in the background or the universe is off. I don't watch or listen, mind you – it's only
distanced company, like a purring cat, and less needy than an animal.
What projects are you currently working on?
New short stories which will be better than my old short
stories, some of which ain't bad at all.
Also, investigating career options as an older but fit male
stripper. That is not entirely a
joke.
Learn more about Jack Mauro's story by picking up a copy of Imogen & ISIS: A Story of Terrorism and Manhattan Apartment Rents at Amazon.
No comments:
Post a Comment