I am happy to have a local legend here in Chico, CA with me on the blog, Mike Bagwell, to talk about his contribution to Empirical's first fiction anthology, A Torn Page.
Porter at the Hell o' Day Inn is basically a true story, slightly fictionalized. I changed the characters' names and added a few minor details for effect, that's all. The incident happened around 1990 when Willie Nelson came to Chico for a concert at the fairgrounds, and I happened to be working at this lousy hotel job. This is one of my favorite stories and I'm very pleased to finally have it published.
Tell us about future releases.
I hope my next release will be my long short story, or novella, Treehouse. This story was published by the Chico-area magazine, Synthesis, in 1995, in serial form. It's a sort of bittersweet fantasy based on my fifteen years in Humboldt County. Very fun and readable.
What are you reading right now?
A Torn Page, of course, a nice new fiction anthology.
A Torn Page, of course, a nice new fiction anthology.
What music inspires you to write?
My two creative outlets are fiction writing and playing music (soprano, uke, and vocal). Usually I'm involved with one or the other but seldom both at the same time. It's like two separate channels in my mind. I don't think the music inspires my stories, exactly, but the prose does take on an appealing lyrical and rhythmic quality through my trained musical ear.
Favorite authors?
I love the writings of the great sage, J. Krishnamurti, and the essays of Arthur Schopenhauer, The Great Pessimist. Both wrote with incredible clarity, the finest prose. For fiction, perhaps I like Richard Brautigan the best. I like some of the stuff of the usual suspects: Buk, HST, Henry Miller. Maybe a few of Raymond Carver's works.
Favorite books?
Total Freedom, J. Krishnamurti; The Pessimist's Handbook, Arthur Schopenhauer.
Total Freedom, J. Krishnamurti; The Pessimist's Handbook, Arthur Schopenhauer.
Favorite TV show?
Seinfeld, except that I've memorized every line of every episode by now.
Seinfeld, except that I've memorized every line of every episode by now.
Favorite movie?
Apocalypse Now
Apocalypse Now
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
As a kid in a continuation high school I got into the Beat poets, mostly Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. I started writing free verses which impressed my English teacher; frightened the shit out o' my parents. Writing gave me a sense of freedom; power that I'd never known before. I knew I'd stick with it always. Years later, one of my philosophy professors at Humboldt State required us to keep a journal. I got hooked at once. Almost all of my short-short stories are more or less derived from the journal collection, which goes back to 1979 or so.
Tell us about your writing process.
How important are the names of your characters?
What more would you like to say to your readers.
Live the life you love, and love the life you live. (From a Mose Allison song.)
Check out some other authors from the Spring Short Fiction Anthology:
I don't have any method for writing stories, but the process usually goes something like this: I'll be going about my business (which ain't much); daydreaming about things. Not really thinking or remembering or analyzing, just daydreaming; once in a while, for whatever reason, one of these reveries sticks. Days or weeks or even months go by. I notice that it's not only sticking but has taken root and seems to be growing. By now I've filled a couple o' notebooks brainstorming all the aspects and implications of the daydream. The story starts taking form; without any effort on my part. It's simply there, growing; it commences writing itself down, using me as the means to its own expression. Once a first draft finishes itself, I usually let it sit for a while; get into something else. The draft will tell me when it wants my attention again. Then I rewrite the thing, a little or a lot, 'til it's done. If it doesn't turn out well, I park it again. I don't discard it. It has made it clear that it wants, demands to be born in one form or another.
How important are the names of your characters?
My fictional characters' names are somewhat important to the stories. I always choose names that are easy for the reader to pronounce and remember; which fit and sound like the particular character portrayed. Names are like the people they name: simple, complex, funny, sad, humble or conceited, good or evil, and so forth.
What more would you like to say to your readers.
Live the life you love, and love the life you live. (From a Mose Allison song.)
Check out some other authors from the Spring Short Fiction Anthology:
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