The Steve Almond Interview

Today is the day to get up in someone's face.

Today's interviewee has a new book of short stories out called The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories and you might have read his previous books, Candyfreak and My Life in Heavy Metal. After spending seven years as a newspaper reporter, he turned to fiction, which he's been doing for nearly the last decade. He also teaches creative writing at Boston College to what I hope are some very grateful students.

The Steve Almond Interview: Just Under Twenty Questions

Tell us about your newest book. Is it a departure from your previous work?
Yeah, I considered writing "My Life in Heavy Metal" again, verbatim, but I couldn't get any publishers interested. They were all, like, "Write something NEW." And I was all like, "Fine!"

"The Evil BB Chow" covers the following topics: Michael Jackson's dick, alien abduction, Abraham Lincoln's interracial homo-erotic fetish, ocular copulation, horse sex, and love-based grief. It's a freakfest. The best thing to do is just check out the excerpts.

Do you find story collections your preferred method of bookwriting?
No, I just don't really know how to write other forms very well. So I'm sort of stuck with stories. Which is cool. They rule.

Is your fiction writing method the same for your reporting methods? I.e. the same schedule, attitude?
Well, my reporting methods aren't really standard practice. I tend to make up facts if the existing facts are just too boring. Whereas with fiction, I tend to use people and events from my real life, as a way of making my friends and family embarrassed and fearful of me. It's working out great.

On Halloween, what types of candy from your trick or treat bag did you give or trade away?
Anything organic. Raisins, popcorn balls, anything homemade. Note to you dudes who gave me this shit: IT'S HALLOWEEN. I WANT A FUCKING SNICKERS.

What do you do to get ready for a book tour?
Shave my legs.

Do you think you're a good reader? Does it take practice or is it a natural kind of thing to be engaging and easy?
You mean in front of other people, right? I do fine. I'm an obvious and shameless drama queen, which helps. Most of it comes down to reading your audience and not subjecting them to any bullshit.

What are some of your favorite books and movies that describe food or its preparation?
Tampopo, that Japanese movie about noodles, pretty much kicks my ass every time I see it. That one scene when the guy puts the live crawfish on that naked woman's stomach is a totally hot.

There is a chocolate factory near downtown Chicago, and often, at odd times of day, it smells just like melted chocolate. Does this sound delightful or torturous to you?
Delightful.

In an interview with Bookslut, you talk about your mom discussing the sex in your writing. Is the a good, comfortable reader for your work or are there some stories or scenes that she, or other family, finds a little too personal?
Naw, my mom's a shrink. There's nothing I'm writing that she hasn't heard about in spades. She doesn't get shocked. She gets bored.

Is it difficult or does it come fairly naturally to write from a female perspective?
I know a lot of women. Many of my best friends are women. I talk to them all the time. I love them. So writing about them, and from their perspective, feels totally natural to me. As does wearing their clothing.

If guys wear women's underwear when writing as women, what should we ladies do when writing from a guy's perspective? Wear boxers? Think about how nice it is to be in charge of everything?
Yeah, try being really inconsiderate and defensive and insecure and macho and lazy and selfish - all at once. Trust me: it works.

When you teach writing, are you tough on your students? Do you ever have any flip out on you for critiquing their work?
No, I love my students. I act all mean at the beginning of the term, just to get the turds to drop the class. But then I'm much nicer. As long as they try hard, I'm super into them.

What are you working on now?
An essay on why Rush Limbaugh is Joseph McCarthy.

If you were not Steve Almond, but Steve Some-Other-Nut, what would it be?
Steve Testicle

Am I the first person to ask that question?
No.

In an interview with Identity Theory, you discuss the importance of branding new authors. Is this usually the author's job, i.e. "I'm chick-lit with an edge!" or is that the agents' or publishers' job?
Well, I know the concept of "branding" authors is troubling for some. But I really think that if we're going to keep the various different herds of authors separate, branding is the only way. It only burns for a few seconds.

Do you read your books once they've been published? Or is more like 'I never really want to look at that again/I know what's in there'? (Not counting reading excerpts of your stuff at signings or readings)
Well, it's not like I hate them. But I don't read them much.

How does it feel to be the 119th person interviewed for Zulkey.com?
Let's just put it this way: I'm going to need a lot of Ambien to get sleep tonight.

More interviews here.