Mr BioFile Interviews by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: American writer, professor and critic of literary fiction. His work often explores mythological motifs, religious themes, and dreams as a substrate of reality.
DOB: July 4, 1963 In: Orange, NJ
Education: Lakeland Regional High School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick (BA, English Literature); Columbia University, NYC (MA, Comparative Literature), Rutgers-Newark (MFA, Creative Writing).
Inspirations: Chief Crazy Horse, Vincent van Gogh, Carl Sagan, Charles Darwin, Sugar Ray Robinson, Samuel R. Delany.
First Writing Memory: When I was 11 or so, I tried to write a book about Jupiter.
Last Book Read: Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson.
Favorite Movies: On the Waterfront; Altered States; Rumble Fish; Blade Runner; The Good, The Bad & The Ugly; Once Upon a Time in America.
Musical Tastes: The Doors, Dire Straits, Billy Idol, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Moby, Roxy Music, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Ferry.
First Job: Paperboy.
Current Car: Acura TSX.
Favorite Meal: Vegetarian lasagna.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla-fudge.
Greatest Career Moment: Well, technically speaking, I’d say the publication of Sun Eye Moon Eye, which I consider my best book and which took 31 years to see into print is my greatest career moment. But winning the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Prize for Short Fiction in 1994 felt like my greatest career moment. I was flown to New Orleans—all expenses paid—for a three-day celebration and put up at the 5-star Windsor Court Hotel. I hung out with the likes of Allan Gurganus, Robert Olen Butler, and Richard Ford. I and the other contest winners (for novel and novella) ate in the best restaurants and were treated like minor celebrities. I was a young man being feted in the French Quarter and hobnobbing among the literati—hard to beat that one.
Most Painful Career Moment: The contract for a new novel was canceled because the publisher kept trying to rewrite it, including the ending, and I pulled out. Still no new publisher in sight.
Favorite Artists: Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Edward Hopper, Rembrandt, Salvador Dali, Paul Cezanne.
Funny Career Memory: Some years back, after giving a reading at a New York City venue with a stage – I no longer remember the name of it – I, my girlfriend, and most of the crowd went into the street. A woman in her twenties, who may have been waiting to go in, said, “Hi, Mr. Stamos.” I said, “I’m not John Stamos.” She nodded knowingly and said, “Sure you aren’t,” and walked away looking a bit offended. My girlfriend and I thought this was hilarious.
Embarrassing Career Memory: I was once scheduled to read at the Free Library of Philadelphia, a pretty prestigious venue. I drove a couple hours to Philadelphia, and I was very excited to have been included among the authors invited to read there, but only six people showed up. They had forgotten to list me in their promotional materials and one staff member didn’t even know I was reading that day!
Favorite Writers: William Gaddis, Samuel R. Delany, Alice Munro, Paul West, Guy Davenport, Denis Johnson, John Updike, Jayne Anne Phillips, Walt Whitman, Jorge Luis Borges, Jack Kerouac,
Hobbies/Leisure Activities: Scuba diving, photography, cycling, hiking.
Childhood Dream(s): President of the US (Lol), astronaut, astronomer.
People Qualities Most Admired: Compassion, open-mindedness, honesty, intelligence.
