Author Insides - Matthew Hamilton

Matthew Hamilton is a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines. After graduating from Belmont Abbey College in 1999, Matthew was clothed as a Benedictine Monk. After living a life of prayer, solitude, and study for four years, Matthew decided to leave the monastery. Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, but raised in four other states, Matthew has a yearning for travel. When he is not teaching, Matthew reads, writes, and researches his next country to visit or his next story to write. After service, he plans on pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing.

Matthew's short story, "Death Watch," appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
It happened just after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I was a Benedictine monk at the time. After the initial shock, I entered my study and wrote a poem about it. But I didn’t try to publish it. However, I continued to write, mostly nonfiction. And then in 2002 I won an essay contest for junior monks. The essay was eventually published in The American Benedictine Review (see below for details).


Why do you write?
Because it’s how I express my feelings and opinions. Also, I like sharing a good story.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?
Yes, most definitely. Before I took up the pen, I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work and require a lot of patience.

What do you think makes a good story?
If the author can write something that the reader can relate to. I try to make my stories as real as possible, genuine. If a story has realistic characters, is full of emotion, if it forces the reader to think, then the author has done their job.

What's your favorite genre to read?
Historical Fiction.

Who is your favorite author or poet?
Favorite poet: Walt Whitman. For the fiction writer it’s a tossup between Ernest Hemingway and O. Henry.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
For stories, I’d have to say “The Killers” by Ernest Hemingway and “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry. There are others, of course, but I favor these two the most.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Hands down, “No Man is an Island” and New Seeds of Contemplation,” both books by the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
Through real stories. I often pull ideas out of newspapers and history books.

What does your family think of your writing?
They enjoy it very much. They are anxiously awaiting for me to write a novel of collection of poems or short stories.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I prefer writing in the mornings, but because of my work schedule I often cannot write at this time, so I set a time in the evening after dinner and write for maybe two or three hours. If I’m full of inspiration my writing time is extended until I collapse from exhaustion.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Coming up with an original idea is always tough. I also have trouble with coming up with satisfying endings.

What are your current projects?
I’m working on a book of poems about the time I was a US Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Armenia (2006-2008). I’m also working on a novel about the Armenian Genocide that occurred during World War I.

What are you planning for future projects?

Anne Rice wrote to fans that a Christian vampire story cannot be done. I think a Christian vampire novel is possible. I hope to write it one day.

Do you have any advice for other writers?
If you want to improve your writing, you must read and write daily.

Where else can we find your work?
My work can be found all over the web and at http://mahamiltonwrites.blogspot.com

Author Insides - Brandon Wallace

Brandon Wallace is 29 year-old life-long writer and poet. A 2005 graduate of Purdue University with a Master’s Degree in American Studies, his work has appeared in the anthologies, "In Our Own Words: A Generation Defining Itself, Vol. 8" and "Carried Over". He counts among his influences Alice Walker, Angela Davis, Howard Zinn, President Obama and Barbra Streisand. He maintains a blog, JuliusSpeaks, at http://www.juliusspeaks.blogspot.com/
Brandon's poetry appeared in the Summer 2010 issue  of TBS




Brandon, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I began telling stories when I was about a year old. I wrote my first story when I was about three. I eeked out a novel when I was twelve. The title of it was “Cries in the Rain.”

Why do you write?

I write because that’s what I do. I just write.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Not yet. I'm not rich and famous yet.

What do you think makes a good story?

A compelling story captures your attention and keeps you fully engaged.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I read everything, but if I had to say something was my favorite I guess it would be the novel.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

My favorite author is Alice Walker. My favorite book by her is Possessing the Secret of Joy. Among poets, I love Nikki Giovanni, Audre Lorde, Dorothy Parker, and Amiri Baraka.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Alice Walker’s Possessing the Secret of Joy, Pat Conroy’s The Prince of Tides and John Irving’s The World According to Garp.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The same three as above. That’s fiction. Among nonfiction, I would say W.E.B. DuBois, J.A. Rogers, Lady Antonia Fraser, and Corrie Ten Boom.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I think just breathing. When I write, I write. When I don’t I don’t.

What does your family think of your writing?

They think it’s a nice hobby.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I let the spirit move me.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Not yet.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I’m still honing my craft.

What are your current projects?

Revising two novels. I haven’t started a new story yet, though one is formulating.

What are you planning for future projects?

A gay novel.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Simply to keep writing.

Where else can we find your work?

http://www.juliusspeaks.blogspot.com/

Author Insides - Aunia Kahn

Aunia Kahn's art work has been compared to movie-like stills, which hide away long stories within their visuals. Often times she explores taboo and controversial subject matter to challenge the viewers, their understanding and preconceived notions, yet she connects through honest feeling and emotions. Using a hybrid art form, she combines many disciplines, melding photography, painting and collage. She is also a graphic and web designer and the creator of the Silver Era Tarot and Lowbrow Tarot Project. http://www.auniakahn.com/ and http://auniakahn.bigcartel.com/

Aunia's art work and poetry have both appeared in The Battered Suitcase. She was our feature/cover artist for the Autumn 2009 issue, and her poetry appeared in the Winter 2010 issue.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Writing has always been an escape to me, as art and music. I knew from a very young age that I wanted to write a book, and in my early teens I took hundreds of my writings and created a makeshift book, which has now been turned into an actual published book called “Obvious Remote Chaos”.

Why do you write?

Well, my muse makes me.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

Yes, it’s everything I could ever want it to be, even if I had never been published. I could not live without it.

What do you think makes a good story?

When it’s not the same old story told different ways, by different people. Give me something new, and fresh.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I love all books, I could not select a favorite genre.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I love Rumi as a poet, and as an author it changes since I read such diverse books most recently I feel in love with Wendy Moore.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

As a writer I am more influenced by music and art, and life. I love to read, but I don’t find books influence my writing accept motivating me to want to keep writing, but each book I read makes me want to do that.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The Shack, By: William P. Young
The Knife Man: The Extraordinary Life and Times of John Hunter, Father of Modern Surgery, By: Wendy Moore
The Celestine Prophecy, By: James Redfield

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

From the world around me, things I love, things I loathe and trying to figure out what makes me tick.

What does your family think of your writing?

They seem to be very supportive.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I seem to go in spurts. I will sit down and have days that I just can’t get enough of writing, and then I have to stop and do something else like focus on art. I am compulsive with all creations, when I do them I really get into them until burn out, and then move to the next medium.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I always screw up though, and through while typing.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Trying to keep more of a balanced schedule, and not being so neurotic.

What are your current projects?

Currently I am working on my second poetry book, a tabletop art book that will have writing about each one of my art pieces, and working on the book for the Lowbrow Tarot Project.

What are you planning for future projects?

I have so many that I have a notebook full of them; too many to list and lots of them are secrets.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep going. No matter if you think you are any good at what you do, keep doing it because it does not matter f anyone else likes it, if you enjoy the process, just do it!

Where else can we find your work?

http://www.auniakahn.com/ and http://www.silvereratarot.com/

Author Insides - Amy Schreibman Walter

Amy Schreibman Walter was born in 1976 in sultry South Florida, to parents from the edge of Brooklyn. She currently lives in London, England, where she enjoys teaching 8-year-olds how to write good poetry, among other things. Presently studying at the Faber Poetry Academy in London, Amy teaches by day and writes by night.

Amy's poem "December 25, Chinatown," appeared in the Winter 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

Amy, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing on napkins since before I could spell. I remember being at family dinners in restaurants at the age of 5, taking a napkin and a pen and creating an ‘office’ under the table, surrounded by the feet of grown-ups. I wish I’d kept more of my younger writing, as I wonder now what was really on those napkins.

Why do you write?

I write because I have to. It’s not always the most fun process, but when something does work, it’s satisfying.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I always had a sense that writing would never be a full time gig for me; that somehow I wouldn’t be able to survive from writing stories and poems. I never imagined how incredibly hard it is to write well.

What do you think makes a good story?

That varies wildly, but anything in life is writable.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Is it a cliché if I say poetry? Sometimes I need to break out of reading poetry though, it becomes a bit telescopic for me and I need to read something else.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I have a penchant for Plath. Also, I think Nick Cave’s lyrics are unbelievable. My poetess friend Laura Maher is pretty wonderful, too.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

The sources of my inspiration change all the time. I think I’m most influenced by being immersed in contemporary poetry, both that of published poets and that of my friends and peers in my poetry classes.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Can I say that places and people have influenced me more than books?

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I get ideas from memories. My poems are often like polaroids –a snapshot of a moment in time. I’ve been told that my poetry has a lot of concrete imagery and colors within it. I like to recreate a scene in my writing. The themes in my writing right now seem to be: my Florida childhood, New York City and my relationships.

What does your family think of your writing?

There’s a strong tradition of poetry in my family. My mom is a poet, and she’s a great editor. My grandfather, too: he suggests a change and it’s the perfect alteration, changing the shape of a poem in just the way it needed to be changed. I think my family is glad I’ve picked up the poetry baton. I guess it was just a matter of time.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I write mostly at night, because I have a full time job. I go through periods where I write all evening, where it’s what I need to do when I get home. Other times, it’s more of an effort after a full workday, and I write better on weekends. Friday night, late, seems to be an optimal time for my creativity, for some reason. Perhaps I write my best poems on Friday at midnight.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Perhaps it is quirky that I write less with a pen and more and more straight on the laptop these days, I don’t know. Maybe I need to bring the napkins back, though they do surface sometimes.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Getting the ideas is easy, but making the writing good is always challenging.

What are your current projects?

I’m writing towards a first pamphlet of poems at the moment. I want to put the pamphlet out into the world by September 2011.

What are you planning for future projects?

I’m studying at the Faber and Faber Poetry Institute in London right now, which is helping to keep me on track for writing many new poems. I want to publish a first book of poems within the next two years.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

It’s so hard to write well, but I think you just have to throw yourself into it and persist in the work of it, just keep going.

Where else can we find your work?

I’m working on a website to share the links from my online and in print poems – watch this space.

Author Insides - Tom Sterner

Tom {WordWulf} Sterner, lives in Redding, California and Arvada, Colorado. He has been published in magazines and on the internet, include Howling Dog Press/Omega, Skyline Literary Review, The Storyteller, and Flashquake. He is the winner of the Marija Cerjak Award for Avant-Garde/Experimental Writing and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2006 and 2008. He edited the English translation of Hameed Al-Qaed's 'Noise of Whisper', edited and wrote the foreword for the Arabic to English translation of the poets of Bahrain, 'Pearl, Dreams of Shell' published in 2007. Published work includes two novels, Madman Chronicles: The Warrior and Momma's Rain. He is online at http://wordwulf.weebly.com

A collection of Tom's haiku appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of TBS.
 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


When I was eight-years-old a teacher told me that unstoppable was not a word when I used it in a story. Unstoppable was and is a word. I refused to take it out, had my A knocked down to a C for my stubborn and insubordinate attitude. I learned that I was a writer and could use whatever words I chose, even if I decided to make them up. I made a choice and learned to rely on my feelings when it comes to writing. Authority figures have always been a pain in my ass.

Why do you write?

Writing is partly a method of catharsis for me, a natural and necessary part of what/who I am (like breathing).

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I have always been a writer. Working to survive and feed my family was much more difficult than I ever imagined while keeping my writing-self alive.

What do you think makes a good story?

The twists and turns of life sprinkled with a generous mixture of imagination.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I have always read most anything I can get my hands on. I like historical fiction (John Jakes) and philosophy, Nietzsche, Hesse, Abraham Lincoln. Classics are always a good bet too.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

James Douglas Morrison and Abraham Lincoln.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Selected Writings of Abraham Lincoln, The Lords and the New Creatures, The Philosophy of Nietzsche.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Big Red, Old Yeller, Call of the Wild, Poe, as a boy. Everything from George Carlin to Tolstoy as a man (and don’t forget Elvis).

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

When I was a child the voices began speaking in my head, telling me there was a path outside the violence, madness, and hunger of my life. I began to escape by listening to them and have never been able to persuade them to stop wailing.

What does your family think of your writing?

My mother liked my singing but made me promise to never publish stories of our lives until she was gone. Like many poor folks, she was ashamed and proud, chose to bear her suffering in silence. She is gone now. My five wonderful adult children adore me and my writing. My wife supports me and is patient with me while weathering my demons.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

It is all I do unless I am warming soup or drugging myself into restless semblances of sleep.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I am a quirk, a ritual, I am.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Fighting and begging, querying and submitting (how I loathe that word), finally getting published, novels, songs, poetry and art, then pounding the internet in an attempt to market my work.

What are your current projects?

Two novels, Momma’s Fire, and The War Years, finishing a fifteen year project, Ten Thousand Whisper (10,000 haiku). I’m also working with my oldest son recording a couple of hundred songs written in my rock ‘n roll singer days and working on video clips with my youngest son. These boys are dragging me kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

What are you planning for future projects?

All the above and a forever project, Primeval Dreams, conceived with my good friend, Michael Annis, senior editor and founder of Howling Dog Press. We are the Owl Men whose vision is audio-video realizations of the dynamics of performance whose construction is the bone bolts and blood nuts of literary experience within manifest existence, interpreted through the Danse Primeval, the See of Dreams…

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you’re a writer or a singer, you know you cannot stop. Keep everything you write, keep it forever. When I was 19-years old I was angered by a group at a university because they wanted to change one work in a song I wrote. I became so frustrated I went home and burned everything I had written from the time I was eight years old. Don’t do that. Date all your work, most times it’s the only date you can get (and a pretty good one at that). Submit, submit, submit; send out three pieces for every rejection you receive. Change a word or two if you must, learn to accept criticism. You can always go home and shoot your television if you need to vent.

Where else can we find your work?

http://wordwulf.weebly.com/  

Contact Information:
Tom (WordWulf) Sterner
email: wordwulf@gmail.com
website: http://wordwulf.weebly.com/

Author Insides - Mitchell Waldman

Mitchell Waldman’s fiction and poetry has appeared in numerous publications, such as Wind Magazine, Moronic Ox Literary Journal, Five Fishes Journal, The HazMat Review, Innisfree, Poetpourri, The Advocate, Mobius, The Parnassus Literary Journal, Desperate Act, Poetry Motel, Poetic Hours, Bold Print, Woven Worlds, Long Story Short, Rochester Shorts, and in the anthologies, "Beyond Lament: Poets of the World Bearing Witness to the Holocaust", and "Messages from the Universe". He is also the author of the novel, "A Face in the Moon", and co-edited with his partner, Diana, the anthology "Wounds of War: Poets for Peace". http://mitchwaldman.homestead.com/

Mitchell's short story, "The Ring," appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of TBS

 
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


I've pretty much always known since I was a kid that I wanted to be a "writer." I idolized certain writers growing up and would spend hours locked up in my room reading anything I could get my hands on. Although my first writing triumph was winning a contest in the third grade for a science fiction story I wrote (and having to read the mimeographed story on stage in front of my entire grade school, my hands shaking the page as I read) it wasn't until I was in college and took a couple fiction writing classes that my actual "writing," rather than the dreaming of "being a writer" became a habit (good or bad).

Why do you write?

A lot of people say, “I write because I must.” I cringe every time I hear a writer say this. It’s almost cliche. But it is the expression of one’s soul that comes across on the page, the imprinting of one’s persona that makes writing (good writing, anyway) so powerful. Everyone does, in fact, have their own story to tell. And there is that “I must write” thing going on with me to some extent. It’s one activity where I feel fully satisfied and lost when I engage in it. To create something new, to create new worlds, and something to share with others, that others can relate to, learn from (hopefully) – that is the reason that I write.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I had a lot of fantasies as a child of what it was to be a writer. The glam writer, jetsetting around the world, giving readings and signings and showing up in the news and papers. The actual writing life is nothing like that (as I have not to date achieved rock star status). Writing, although it definitely has its adrenaline rushes, satisfactions, and challenges is, in reality, really a lot of hard work.

What do you think makes a good story?

I like stories about people, real people. What they go through on a day to day basis. The middle class regular Joes who are trying to make it in this world. Stories that readers can relate to. And, sometimes stories that talk about injustices in the world around us (without bashing you over the head with “message.”

What's your favorite genre to read?

I’m pretty much a literary/mainstream fiction reader.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

I’d be hard pressed to name a (one) “favorite” author. I love to discover writers that I haven’t read (although a lot of them I should have before). Some of my most recent favorites are Alan Lightman (“The Diagnosis”), Andrew Sean Greer (“The Path of the Minor Planet”), Perry Glasser (“Dangerous Places”), Benjamin Percy {“The Language of the Elk”). And there are my old standbys—Philip Roth, John Irving, Nick Hornby, Hemingway, Herbert Gold, Richard Ford, Richard Russo, Jill McCorkle, Michael Chabon, Ellen Gilchrist, Joyce Carol Oates, Tim O’Brien, Martin Amis, Lorrie Moore, Bret Ellis, Frederick Barthelme, Andre Dubus, Jim Harrison. …and so many more. There are so many great writers to read and so many more to discover…so many great books to read…and so little time!

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

That’s a tough one. I guess I was most influenced by books in the 80’s when I began to take writing seriously and was looking for a style, a voice of my own. . Early books by Larry McMurtry – “All My Friends Will be Strangers,” “The Last Picture Show,” Bret Ellis’ book, “Less Than Zero,” some early Roth books – “Goodbye, Columbus,” and “My Life as a Man.” “The World According to Garp,” by Irving is a great book. Books about young men, trying to make their ways in the world, growing up, becoming men.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Books that have influenced my beliefs the most have to do, to a great extent, with looking at the world in a different way. Books about war, for instance, like “Going After Cacciato,” by Tim O’Brien, “Slaughterhouse Five” and “Catch-22.” Then there was “Time’s Arrow,” by Martin Amis, about the Holocaust. And, of course, “The Diary of Anne Frank,” “Night,” by Elie Wiesel, “Painted Bird,” by Elie Wiesel, and, more recently, “The Plot Against America,” by Philip Roth. Coming from a Jewish background, these books deeply affected me because of what happened and what could have or might happen in the future. We are never totally safe from prejudice, hatred, and ignorance. And there are books questioning authority, the status quo, and the systems and broken institutions we live with on a daily basis that have deeply affected me, like “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” by Ken Kesey, and “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee..

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Inspiration for me comes from many places. An injustice in the world, in the papers, personal experiences in my daily life, and from questioning the surfaces of life in our world and relationships—what lies beneath them.

What does your family think of your writing?

My partner, Diana, is also a writer and accomplished poet (A Woman’s Song is her first poetry collection) and, is very supportive. We are each other’s biggest fans.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

These days I do not have a strict, disciplined schedule, although I would like to get back to that. I write when I am able and inspired (although if you wait for inspiration, you may be waiting a long time to get to work!).

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Nothing, really quirky. I do have a habit of jotting things on paper after coming out of the shower, for some reason. Some of my best ideas come during my morning shower. Good lines or ideas that I may want to use later.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Dealing with anything that requires a different time period or a lot of independent research about a subject I’m not that familiar with. I’m not too excited about that part of a writing project.

What are your current projects?

I’m currently working on putting together a collection of short stories, as well as serving as a co-editor with Diana on an anthology called Hip Poetry for worldwide hippies (http://worldwidehippies.com), which collects various writings from many well known poets and writers. In addition, I continue to work on short stories and a novel-in-progress, with Diana, and have been writing occasional essays for the worldwide hippies site.

What are you planning for future projects?

Some of the current and future projects seem to be ongoing, like the novel-in-progress. IN addition, Diana and I have started a new online literary journal called Blue Lake Review (http://bluelakereview.weebly.com). We’re very excited about some of the writers and work we’ve gotten so far. Our first issue should be out soon.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read what you want to read, what interests and inspires you, not what others think you should read. Don’t imitate or try to write like you think a writer should write. Find your own voice. This is a lot easier said than done and you may find that you’ve done quite a lot of imitation of writers you admire without even knowing it. But, once you realize that, you can deal with it and make your writing you own.

Where else can we find your work?

Some of my work and references to my writings can be found a my website: http://mitchwaldman.homestead.com/

Author Insides - Francesca Borrelli

Francesca Borelli is a contemporary poet and artist. She was born in Milton Keynes to an Irish mother and Italian father and read English language and Media at the University of Brighton. Having also studied fine art, she has an extensive portfolio of paintings and one day hopes to own a gallery on the southern coast of England. Her poetry is modern in style and is mostly autobiographical, influenced by her diverse background and interests. She has been published in Monkey Kettle, a UK based literary magazine, and is aiming to have all her anthologies published in their entirety.

Francesca's poem, "Collecting Rob," appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase

Francesca, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


Several years ago I enrolled on a creative writing course. It was a great feeling to be part of a group, all with the same aspiration but such different styles. You realize how powerful written language is and if you have the ability to use it well, you should pursue it.

Why do you write?

We experience so much from day to day, scenarios, people and places that could so easily be forgotten. For me, if I pass someone on the street that interests or intrigues me, I can write a poem about them. They’ll never know it exists, but when I read it back I can picture that person and how I felt at the time-photographs don’t always achieve that.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

I knew it would be difficult. I can go two or three weeks without producing anything, but then write five poems in one afternoon. If you expect to write something every day, it won’t always be the best quality.

What do you think makes a good story?

The structure always determines a stories success, leading the reader at the right pace is a true talent. Showing the reader rather than telling them is also a key factor, some writers over describe but it’s good to let the reader do a lot of the work, that’s what reading is for.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I enjoy poetry obviously and also thrillers. Mary Higgins Clark captures my attention. I also love light-hearted books- Marian Keyes gets me through my holidays.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

My favourite poet is Wendy Cope. Satirical writing is extremely hard to pull off but she does it effortlessly. Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘After you’d gone’ is an amazing book; I love her description and the layers she creates.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

‘Making Cocoa for Kingsley Amis’ by Wendy Cope opened my mind up to poetry. She proves it doesn’t have to follow the stereotypes of nature and love. Poetry can be about anything, it’s a very versatile form.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

‘Tully’ by Paulina Simons is an unbelievable book. It is so intense and emotionally draining but I could read it over and over again; an amazing plot.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I tend to write a lot on train journeys- moving at such a fast pace must kick my brain into gear! The streets of Brighton always spark ideas; everywhere you turn there are different colours, textures and smells (plus the sea air is always beneficial).

What does your family think of your writing?

They must find it unusual when they read my work as I’m not a very open person and writing is a very personal process. They aren’t my most frequent readers, maybe because a lot of my poems feature them!

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I’m not a full time writer, so in between work I write as much as possible. I write about things that happen in my life so if all I did was write I’d have no content!

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

In my last house I had a huge bay window that my desk sat in. That’s where I would do all my editing. Now that I’ve moved I’m yet to find a more suitable place. Other than that I don’t have many quirks, apart from a good pen, my usual note pad and lots of tea.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Trying not to repeat myself. It’s important to keep things fresh for both yourself and your readers.

What are your current projects?

I’ve almost finished my second book entitled ‘Beyond September’. It’s slightly darker than my first but still includes a lot of autobiographical poetry. I’ve been working on it for over a year now but it’s nearly there.

What are you planning for future projects?

I would love to write a short collection about a relationship. Whether fictional or non-fictional-I haven’t decided yet.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read what you write. It’s amazing how reading other peoples work can determine your own style because you identify the aspects you like and dislike which ultimately shapes what you do when writing yourself. Also remember that editors are just people. If they don’t like a piece, it’s just one opinion out of billions-believe in what you write.

Where else can we find your work?

I’ve been published in ‘Monkey Kettle’, a UK based literary magazine and am waiting to hear back from several other publications.

Author Insides - LM Asta

L.M. Asta has published fiction in Philadelphia Stories, Inkwell, Schuylkill, and Lemniscate, and her essays have appeared in Hippocrates and the Journal of the American Medical Association. Current projects include a novel set in a 1950s motel and a collection of stories about physicians who come to the attention of their state medical board and are variously reprimanded, put on probation, have their licenses suspended, and sometimes revoked. You can find her online at http://www.lmasta.com/

Lisa's short story, "The Bulb," appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of TBS.

Lisas, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?


I was writing stories in my third grade composition book. By sixth, my teacher wanted to see what else I was writing.

Why do you write?

Because I can’t not write.

Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?

There’s the writing and then there’s the editing. It always takes more time to work something up than I think it’s going to.

What do you think makes a good story?

Character, plot and language must gel. Stories that twist the common or uncommon experiences of writer and reader.

What's your favorite genre to read?

I’ll try anything from the high concept literary fiction that my brother-in-law the English professor recommends to what I unearth to poetry.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Richard Russo’s early novels, Paul Scott, Vikram Seth; short story writers Donald Ray Pollack, Ron Carlson, Chris Adrian; poets G. C. Waldrep, Donald Hall.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

Mohawk, Richard Russo’s 1994 novel, populates a town with characters forced to cope with things that aren’t there anymore.

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

Juxtapositions. The book Black Plants: 75 Striking Choices for the Garden prompted me to wonder who might want a garden dark of leaf and blossom. What would it look like? Smell like?

What does your family think of your writing?

In high school my grandfather wrote me, “Your mother mentioned something about you wanting to be a writer, fine and dandy, but only as a hobby; don’t try to make a living out of it.” He was a great reader and a realist. When I was a kid he bought me hardback classics and also supported my lesser reading habits.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

The painter Hugo Anderson insists that you give your creative work your best hours, not the little scraps of time at the end of the day when you’re exhausted. I’m at something everyday.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

Blue-black fountain pen ink and my submissions talisman.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Finding more time to write.

What are your current projects?

My first novel, Motel 301, follows the Wilms’s family motel and the Gerlicke farm in the decades following the passage of the 1956 Interstate Highway Act.

What are you planning for future projects?

I have a group of stories about the 007’s—physicians who come to the attention of their state medical board.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read. Write. Repeat.

Where else can we find your work?

I’ve also published fiction in Philadelphia Stories, Inkwell, Schuylkill, and Lemniscate, and my essays have appeared in Hippocrates and the Journal of the American Medical Association. There are links at http://www.lmasta.com/

Battered Suitcase Alumn - Toy Horses

The lyrics of Toy Horses appeared originally in the July 2008 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Toy Horses are Adam Franklin-Williams and Moist Bamboo. Indie, acoustic, pop, and rock, Toy Horses melodic, lyrical style is infectious. You can find out more about them online here: http://toyhorses.myshopify.com/ 

Their debut album is now available. Check out the video for their debut single:

Author Insides - Scott Lininger

Scott Lininger is a dad, entrepreneur, and mystery enthusiast who lives in Boulder, Colorado. His short fiction has appeared in Flash Fiction Online, Everyday Weirdness, Powderburn, and Short-Story.me. He is currently working on his first novel. http://www.scottlininger.com/

Scott's humorous short story, "Undressing Bullie," appeared in last summer's TBS

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was invited to a creative writer's group by a friend of mine a few years ago, and that kicked it all off. Though I had dabbled with fiction in college, it was something I never thought I'd become passionate about. Boy was I wrong. Happily, it has been my main creative outlet ever since.

Why do you write?

To tell stories. To enhance my understanding of the craft. To hang out with interesting characters. To accomplish something that is really hard and that I've never done before.

Is being a writer/poet anything like you imagined it would be?

It's a lot easier, actually. When I first started I imagined that every word would be a painful slog that leaves you wanting. As I've become more comfortable and less concerned that I'm going to just get bored, it's grown more natural and less stressful.

What do you think makes a good story?

Characters that you love, or love to hate.

What's your favorite genre to read?

Mystery and crime fiction.

Who is your favorite author or poet?

Right now my favorites are Susan Hill and Laurie King.

What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?

Anything in the vein of Joss Whedon or Thomas Perry, meaning interesting characters with totally unique voices... dialog that both entertains and communicates character. Those stories blow me away and make me want to write. They also make me laugh, and that's become a barometer of mine. When somebody laughs out loud at one of your stories (in a good way ;), you know instantly that you got the reaction you wanted, no filters or over-evaluation.

What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?

The little internal stories that I carry in my head about my parents and the place I grew up (small town, Colorado.)

Where/how do you find the most inspiration?

I absolutely love wandering around the library or bookstore and just imagining what lies beneath those covers. Makes me want to go home RIGHT NOW and write.

What does your family think of your writing?

My wife is very supportive and patient with my sometimes-obsessive writing schedule. My larger family is used to me and my wanderings. I've had a lot of creative interests over the years... I imagine they're placing bets on how long I'll stay interested in writing.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I generally write from 9pm to midnight, after my daughter has gone to sleep.

Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?

I sometimes visit pandora.com and plug in an artist that puts me in a given mood. Devotchka and Dead Can Dance are great for atmosphere.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

On my novel-length projects, it has been tough sticking to a holistic arc yet not letting that overwhelm the individual scenes. Letting the characters do whatever they want while ensuring they do interesting things is hard for me. Still figuring that out.

What are your current projects?

I'm in the editing stages of first mystery novel, Guesswork, which features the World's Greatest Carnival Guesser and reluctant murder solver, Joe Odin. I'm also neck-deep in a middle-grade science fiction novel called Xenopaths.

What are you planning for future projects?

I'd like to do sequels to both of my current novels, but we'll see. After Xenopaths I might go back and devote more time to short fiction.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write! As much as you possibly can. When you get a rejection from a publisher, send that story out to somebody else, and do it the same day--no exceptions.

Where can we find your work?

You can see my portfolio at http://www.scottlininger.com/,  including links to my published stories.

New Release - The Battered Suitcase Spring 2011

The Battered Suitcase, Volume 3, Issue 4, Spring 2011:

A quarterly journal of intelligent and imaginative prose, poetry and art.  If you love literary fiction, humorous fiction, flash, short stories, outsider prose and poetry and fresh work from emerging artists, check out The Battered Suitcase, free to read online since June 2008.  Available in PDF download and in print, and soon to be released for Kindle, Nook and other eReaders.

The Spring quarter issue features fiction by: Cooper Sy, Mihaela Tudor, Nathan Pensky, David Seavor, Susan Tepper, Bruce Bromley, Douglas Sullivan, Tammy Salyer, Adam Russ, Aubrey Bemis, Nathanial Kressen, Kate Lu, Corinne Wasilewski, Sara Basrai, Steven Gulvezan, Charles Heinemann, Matthew Dulany, Dan Lundin, Laura Bogart, Robert Doyle, Sandra Hunter, Nathan Tavares, Emily Capettini, and Sahar Delijani.

Narrative Non Fiction by Kevin Ritter, Nath Jones, Tom Panarese, Alana DiGiacomo, and Libby Cudmore.

Poetry from Joanna Weston, Kate Armstrong, Jacob Kaiser, M.P. Powers, Shannon Cavanaugh, Rebecca Schumejda, Kristine Ong Muslim, Robert Scotellaro, Jennifer Styperk, Miranda Merklein, Karen Garrison, Shelly Reed, Betsy Brown, George Bishop, Madelaine Caritas Longman, Jospeh Kerschbaum, Andrea Judy, Ana J., Ian Smith, and David Snyder.

Artwork by Jaap van der Wel, Steffen Flauger, Roger Regner, and C.R. Ventura.

Visit our website at http://www.vagabondagepress.com/ to download, purchase print copies or read online for free.

60-Second Syntax: Entitled vs. Titled

60-Second Syntax is a quick look at some common mistakes in writing. Please note: Different editors may follow different styles and rules.

Entitled and titled are two words that are often used interchangeably these days when it comes to naming a piece of work. However, it is grammatically incorrect to say “The book is entitled Huh.”

By definition:

Titled means named.
Example: The book is titled “Huh.”

Entitled means the right or claim to something, to bestow a title on.
Examples: Americans are entitled to a fair trial.
The Queen entitled him Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Although entitled does mean to give a title to something, it does not mean the title itself.

Here’s a little sentence to help keep the preferred uses clear in the future:

As the author, Sam felt he was entitled to title his book Huh.