Chris Dungey Interview

Q. Can you tell us a little about yourself and what inspired you to become a writer?

Ans. In 8th grade English, we read "Big Two-Hearted River" and I wanted to put words on paper that would move people in that way. Later, as a junior, it was "Catcher in the Rye" dangling its carrot in front of my ambitions.

Q. What genre(s) do you primarily write in, and what draws you to that particular genre?

Ans. I try to write literature, or something that might one day be considered literature. I love big, thick novels, often by Old White Men or Reclusive White Men (Wm. Vollmann, R. Stone, Bellow, D.F. Wallace, Carver, Martin Amis, Wm. Gaddis, Pynchon, DeLillo, and the like. But, I'll also read anything by Zadie Smith, Lorrie Moore, Iris Murdoch, Annie Proulx, and Ottessa Moshfegh.

Q. What is your favorite book, and what about it resonates with you the most?

Ans. Tough, tough choice. I'm going to say "Infinite Jest." For the horror of the wheelchair assassins, the interaction of the kids at the tennis academy, and the bravery of Don Gately confronting addiction.

Q. Who is your favorite author, and how have they influenced your writing?

Ans. This is so hard. I only get one? I've been influenced at different times by several. Okay, I'll name Don DeLillo overall. Hemingway and Carver when I want to be brief; Vollmann or Gaddis when I want to generate word salad.

Q. How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, such as work, family, or hobbies?

Ans. No problem for a retired man. I write something every morning at Starbucks, whether a paragraph or three pages. We have a regular group of old farts, so I get new work done early before everyone arrives. I can do editing and augmenting despite distractions. Writing is my hobby, aside from chasing two soccer clubs around: Detroit City FC and Flint City Bucks. Family interactions usually involve some youth sport or other.

Q. How do you show appreciation and love to your followers and readers? Do you actively engage with them on social media or through other means?

Ans. I don't do much of that. I have no followers. I'm always grateful for praise and quite often for observations or Suggestions if I'm using a friend as a beta reader.

Q. What do you enjoy most about being an author, and what keeps you motivated to continue writing?

Ans. I love the finished product more than the arduous process. The praise of an editor who has accepted a piece It's like water and manna in the desert.

Q. Have you ever faced writer's block, and if so, how do you overcome it?

Ans. I've been relying on ideas from my coffee friends. Autobiographical and confessional story roots, at this point, have been pretty well mined out. I occasionally rediscover a vein of an idea from the past and am grateful.

Q. Can you share any interesting or funny anecdotes from your writing journey?

Ans. Can't think of any.

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are just starting their writing journey?

Ans. I would say write what you know, but I had to research just about everything for "Evacuation Route." If you want to write, nothing will stop you. By the time you're forty, the accumulated life lessons will make it easier.

Q. Do you have any upcoming projects or works in progress that you'd like to share with your readers?

Ans. I'm trying to write a dystopian novel. Not hard to find inspiration in this crumbling democracy. Mine will be waiting for economic collapse more than fascism. (Think Lionel Shriver). I have a short story going with a similar premise.

Q. Finally, what are your goals and aspirations as a writer? Where do you see yourself and your writing career in the future?

Ans. Well, I'm 76 years old, so I'm beginning to think about which grandkid would like to serve as Literary Executor. I wanted to leave a lasting mark. Still do. How many of my novel and short story collections can be put into the hands that will pass them on, or at least not throw them in the dumpster when facing their mortality? The joke used to be that I wanted my work to be posthumously discovered and 'taught'. That's not likely as the mind of the university begins to close down. My work would brighten the fire outside any library.