Interviews

Turtle Power: Interview with Nick Gregorio, Debut Author of 'Good Grief'

December 11th, 2017

Thirty years ago this month, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made the jump from comic books to television. The animated series debuted December 28, 1987. In the three decades since its debut, the Turtles have managed something that most in pop-culture can only dream of: longevity.

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The Savage: An Interview with Frank Bill

November 13th, 2017

I first published Frank Bill in the BEAT to a PULP webzine back in 2009, and have had the pleasure to do so a few more times in the years that followed. From the start, I was taken with the intensity of Frank’s characters; individuals living on the fringe of society, who, often through no fault of their own, are reduced to primitive survival. He doesn’t pass judgment on these creations; instead he props them up, warts and all, showcasing the driving powers behind desperation. His latest, The Savage, continues this raw vision.

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A Conversation With Leza Cantoral on Trash Pandas, Writing Partner Partners, and the Bizarro Genre

September 22nd, 2017

Leza Cantoral is one hell of a multi-hyphenate: writer-poet-publisher-editor-podcaster-social media maven-trash panda.

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Assholes Live on Every Block: An Interview with Scott McClanahan

August 8th, 2017

I first learned of Scott McClanahan when HTMLgiant posted a video of him reading his short story “Kidney Stones,” and many people who have been drawn to Scott’s work have been introduced to him first as a performer, a great live reader. He delivers stories as a preacher on whiskey might, a sort of jagged scripture from some far-out pulpit. But all the joy and grief and love and energy that he brings to his live reads are just as tangible when reading his texts.

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'The Woman From Prague': How To Crowdsource An Interview On Social Media When You're Tired Of Writing Promotional Posts

July 11th, 2017

When the editors here sent out the call for July pitches, I asked if I could write a column to coincide with the release of my latest novel (The Woman from Prague, available today!!!). I always write something for LitReactor when I've got a new book out because I've been writing for this site since its inception, and it played a very big roll in my journey, and generally the editors will let me write whatever the hell I want.

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A Conversation with JS Breukelaar about Teaching, Weird Fiction, and Her New Novel 'Aletheia'

July 7th, 2017

I probably shouldn't say this because I run the class program at LitReactor and I shouldn't play favorites, but JS Breukelaar's workshop Writing the Weird (enrolling now!!) is among my favorites—the material is incredibly deep and thoughtful, and Jenny is a great instructor.

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Sinners and Sharks: An Interview with Married Lit Couple Tiffany Reisz and Andrew Shaffer

July 6th, 2017

Let's make this quick so we can get down to business: Tiffany Reisz, from her bio:

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A Conversation with MP Johnson About Language, Masculinity, and Her New Zine 'Trans Mess'

June 14th, 2017

A few years back, at AWP in Minneapolis, I heard MP Johnson read "Berzerkoids are Here" from the collection Berzerkoids. It was funny and disturbing and loud, helped along by the Greek chorus of Bizarro writers shouting lines from the story. It was my favorite kind of live reading: One you remember. 

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A Conversation with Kristen Lepionka About Private Investigators, Bisexuality, and Her Debut Novel 'The Last Place You Look'

June 13th, 2017

The Last Place You Look by Kristen Lepionka came to me by chance. Someone at the publisher reached out and asked me to blurb it. I'm always kind of shocked to get asked this, 'cause who am I? But hey, free books! So I said yes, not really knowing what to expect. And it knocked me on my ass.

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Fake Punk News: An Interview with Hard Times Founder/Editor Matt Saincome

June 9th, 2017

If you've ever seen a news post about a punk rock bomb squad not knowing how to cut the fourth chord on a bomb, Blink-182 being inducted into the password hall of fame, or any satirical piece about Henry Rollins, then you're familiar with the popular satirical website The Hard Times. I am a huge fan of the site, so it was a lot of fun to talk to founder and head editor Matt Saincome about the craft of satire, publishing, and the dedication it takes to run a professional site that is punk as fuck.  

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