Interviews

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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Vampires Need to be Scary: An Interview with Andy Davidson

July 26th, 2017

Andy Davidson came out of nowhere earlier this year with his debut novel, In the Valley of the Sun, a Southern noir masterpiece about serial killers, vampires, and West Texas. It quickly shot to my favorite book of 2017 and I doubt anything else released this year is going to change that. Davidson was kind enough to take a break from an extensive book tour to answer some questions for us.

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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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Cowboys, Natives, and Fishmen—Oh My! An Interview with Rural Fantasy Author Tex Thompson

June 27th, 2017

Arianne “Tex” Thompson is, quite simply, one of the most enthusiastic, charming, clever, and badass writers I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. I’ve proposed to her on several occasions but have yet to get a firm yes.

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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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A Conversation with Nik Korpon on 'Blade Runner,' Audiobook Pronunciation, and His New Novel 'The Rebellion's Last Traitor'

June 6th, 2017

In Nik Korpon's new novel, The Rebellion's Last Traitor, the world is ravaged by environmental collapse. Memory is bought, sold, and experienced like a drug. One man is fighting to discover the truth about what happened to his wife and child. It's classic Korpon: Smart, challenging, beautifully-written, and heartbreaking. I've known Nik for a long time, and I've always really dug his writing, but this definitely feels like a leap forward.

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