"To Hell with Dante" is a collection of cynical
afterlife stories, ranging from comedic genius to dark surrealism. To help kick off this fine anthology, I'll be
conducting interviews with many of the contributors. Today I'm interviewing Erik Storey, the
talented author who contributed the story "Tartarus Tavern." Thank you for being here, Erik.
ERIK STOREY: Anytime. Thanks for
having me.
MTI: Starting off,
could you tell our readers a little bit about yourself?
ES: Well, I've been told that I'm an
anachronistic curmudgeon, a Luddistic peasant, and a condescending prick. But
I'm here to set the record straight by saying that I'm really a nice guy, once
you get to know me. And that the stuff I write is in no way a reflection of who
I am as a person in the real world.
MTI: Now, getting
down to business; what first compelled you to weave fiction, and what's your
favorite type of story to write?
ES: I started writing as a kid when I ran out of
things to read. It only got worse as an adult. No matter how many books I
read—and I've read thousands—there's always something missing. So now I'm
attempting, everyday, to fill in those gaps.
My favorite type of story to
write, by far, is crime. Stories about criminals and the downcast and detritus
of society. If you can't beat them, or join them, might as well write about
them.
MTI: Tell me, if you
had to pick just one author who has influenced or inspired you, who would it
be?
ES: Lois L'Amour. The consummate storyteller. He
may not have been as literary as some of my other favorites, but he could tell
a hell of a yarn. He wrote western, crime, and adventure stories, even one that
was pretty much fantasy. Plus over a hundred books, and once you start one, you
can't help but finish before going to bed. It's that kind of storytelling power
that I hope to have when I grow up.
MTI: Your story,
Tartarus Tavern, appears in To Hell with Dante, tell us a little bit about
that. What's the general idea behind it?
ES: It's the story of a cynical detective that
dies while working a case, and finds himself waiting in line for the afterlife.
It seems that everyone else he knows is there, but they are all going somewhere
he's not.
MTI: Does your story
hold any special significance, perhaps seeking to provoke some thoughts about
the afterlife, or was it just a lot of fun fiction?
ES: Oh, it's mostly just fun, but there is an
underlying concept of choice and self-determination.
MTI: Okay, on a
totally unrelated note, if you could meet and talk with any one deceased
person, who would it be?
ES: Ernest Hemingway. As much as I like his
writing, the stories about his life fascinate me more and I'd like to see if he
lives up to the hype. A morning of fishing in a cold river, an afternoon hunting
elk in the forested hills, and an evening of drinking and fisticuffs.
MTI: Shifting back to
your writing, can you tell us a little about what you're working on right now?
ES: My second novel, about a wandering adventurer
that finds himself stuck in Idaho with an extorting law enforcer, a murderous biker gang,
and a cult of polygamist, anti-technology Mormons. Oh, and a bunch of other
people even crazier.
MTI: Other than your
piece appearing in To Hell with Dante, do you have any other stories being
published in the near future?
ES: I do, but I'll wait to talk about it until
it's a little closer to release. It's a crime story, and not for the faint of
heart, or those with weak stomachs.
MTI: On a lighter
note, have you watched any good tv lately?
ES: Well, I was. A great show called Longmire
that was recently canceled. FOR NO APPARENT REASON. It was honestly one of the
best crime dramas on TV. I am also addicted to Justified. Both of these shows
are modern westerns, well written, highly entertaining, and are slightly
similar to the kinds novels that I write.
MTI: Yeah, I'm kind
of pissed that they dropped Longmire, too.
I'm also sad to hear that this upcoming season of Justified will be the
last. No more after season 6. Curses!
So, what do you listen to for music?
ES: A little of everything. Nahko and Medicine
for the People, Mike Stinson, Old Crow Medicine Show, J. Roddy Watson and the
Business, Shovels and Rope, Vance Joy, Milky Chance, Matt Nathanson, and my old
favorites Tom Waits and Steve Earl.
MTI: What are three
of your favorite movies? You know, the
ones that never get old.
ES: Big Trouble in Little China , Legends of the Fall, Raiders of the Lost Ark. In no particular order.
MTI: Legends of the
Fall is one of my favorites, too, but a lot of people have never even heard of
it.
Of course, writers are some of the most voracious readers
these days. Tell me, have you run across
any great pieces of literature lately?
ES: I've been going back in time, and have been
rereading all of the Travis McGee novels. Also just reread The Last Good Kiss,
by James Crumley, and had forgot how perfect that book is. Some recent novels
that I adored were Iron House, by John Hart; Wayfaring Stranger and The Light
of the World, by James Lee Burke. All three were brilliant.
MTI: You have the
attention of potential readers. Do you
have any words of wisdom to share with them, or possibly a sales pitch to
encourage them to read more of your writing?
ES: How about just a big Thank You to all of the
readers out there. You are a dying breed and your valiant adventures into the
literary world of books and stories is well appreciated. Especially from us
writers. Please don't stop reading. Ever. Encourage your friends to turn off
the tube once in awhile and join in partaking of the word-drugs, the getting
high on the imaginary. And if you want something different than the street
corner stuff, try reading some more of my stories.
MTI: Of course,
readers love free samples, so let's give them a taste. Here are the first few paragraphs of your
story, as featured in To Hell with Dante:
My head is pounding. A
staccato timpani drum is beating against my temples from the inside. Feels just
like any morning after a whiskey night; like the morning after a wedding, a
wake, or a day ending in Y. When my vision clears, I expect to see the cracked
paint and the dust encrusted fan that adorn the ceiling of my little studio
apartment.
But that isn't what I see. This
isn't a normal morning. In fact, I don't see anything that would give me an
indication of the time of day.
I'm standing in line. Maybe a couple
hundred people in front of me. I turn my sodden head and see that there are
even more people standing behind me, shaking their heads and scratching their
asses, all of them as bewildered and confused as me. Then I'm alert enough to
start to notice the details. We are all buck-ass naked. Wangs and titties
wobble as we shuffle ahead in line.
All of us are in a hallway. The
walls are carpeted brown and black; it's all bristle and sharp points when you
touch it. The ceiling is pockmarked Styrofoam, the kind that you could stick a
pencil in with a good throw. The hallway stretches ahead and behind so far that
it seems to warp into an arch, with me at the high point and the bare skinned people on the horizons like squat
insects far below.
No one is talking. We're all trying
to understand, trying to figure out what we are waiting for.
ES: Thanks again for taking the time to talk with
me.
MTI: Thank you, Erik. It was my pleasure. Readers who would like to see more of Erik's
story and 20 other cynical afterlife tales can pick up To Hell with Dante.
No comments:
Post a Comment