Where and with whom do you live? I live in Greensboro, N.C., with a pair of precocious house cats, one of whom runs his own home (re-)decorating business (Designs by Droolie®). I’ve been in a committed relationship with my almost-wife, Kimberly, for the past eleven years, though we each live in our separate homes because… well… she’s a little weird.
If you could co-write a book with any author, living or dead, whom would you choose? I’ve collaborated on a couple of books with Elizabeth Massie, and on stories with David Niall Wilson, Durant Haire, and John Pelan. In general, these have been agreeable experiences. However, I tend to be less-than-comfortable divvying up authorial duties, and I have a very individualistic approach to writing (not to mention life in general). At one time, three decades or so ago, I approached Fred Chappell about a possible collaboration, but he expressed feelings similar to mine. So, really, I’d be hard-pressed to think of anyone with whom I’d care to collaborate that I haven’t already. If hard-pressed, I’d probably say T.E.D. Klein, as his work — particularly Dark Gods — has resonated strongly with me since the day I first read it. I’m sure I’d be much obliged to co-create some fictional universe with him.
Why do you write? It’s the proverbial calling. In my exuberant youth, I was most interested in producing visual art — primarily pen & ink, watercolor, and acrylic. In college, I earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree, which led me, at least indirectly, into my graphics-oriented day job. In my twenties, I was keen on producing something akin to graphic novels — writing and illustrating my own stories. Over time, that interest gravitated more and more to the writing side. Eventually, storytelling became my true creative passion.
Where do you write? Way back when, I scribbled first drafts in spiral notebooks at whatever location was handy at the time. But I always sat at my desk in my home office to type the final manuscript. This became something of a ritual. Once home computers sent the old typewriter packing, I continued to use the desktop machine in my office. It felt “right.” I never cared much for using a laptop, as the smaller keyboard annoyed my temperamental fingers. However, over the past few years, for whatever reason, they’ve taken more kindly to the laptop, and now I write wherever I feel most comfortable plopping down. A couple of years back, when Kimberly and I were visiting her parents in Michigan, I discovered her dad’s old easy chair and ottoman in their basement family room. It’s the most comfortable place in the world to write, so now our plan is to force her parents to move out so I can take over their family room.
What imaginary land would you choose as your home, and why? The world of Amber, from Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber. In that realm, our world is a reflection, or “shadow,” of Amber, the ultimate reality. The universe consists of infinite shadows, and individuals of Amber’s royal lineage have the ability to pass from shadow to shadow at will. As such, if I were displeased with one version of reality, I could essentially move a few shadows over to one that suited me better. I can think of a few shadows right now that would do the trick; for example, one free of pandemics and Donald Trump.
What animal, real or imaginary, would you choose as your constant companion? Godzilla, but we probably wouldn’t do a lot of snuggling.
What do you collect? These days, nothing — well, except maybe the occasional movie on Blu-ray or DVD. But for many years, I was an avid collector of Japanese monster movie memorabilia. I still have a pretty extensive collection of books, movie stills, lobby cards, press books, posters, and other items from the classic daikaiju films. Now and again, I break into the stuff, just to revisit the old glory days.
