Adam Moorad appeared in the Autumn 2010 issue of The Battered Suitcase. Adam lives in Brooklyn and is the author of The Nurse and the Patient (Pangur Ban Party, 2002), Prayerbook (WTF PWM, 2010), Oikos (nonpress, 2010) and Book of Revelations (Artistically Declined Press, 2011). Visit him here: http://adamadamadamadamadam.blogspot.com/
Adam, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Probably when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. I would write poems and stories, illustrate them, and then staple them together. The first poem I wrote was about a toad that lived in a pile of wood. The first story I wrote was about a farmer who found a diamond ring somewhere. Most of it was plagiarized from other children’s books.
Why do you write?
Multiple reasons – some good and not good. I think my writing is rooted in the need to feel affirmed. I’ll write a story and send it out until someone decides to publish it. Whenever this happened I feel a sense of affirmation in a way my job and relationships can’t make me feel. There is the sense of success or achievement or progress in it all – however small.
Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?
No because I don’t really view the writing life with any preconceived notions of what it is – probably because I don’t really think of myself as a “writer.” Writers are these mythical beings to me – people with Barns & Noble displays cases for perfect bound books with interesting cover art and Oprah Book Club stickers. It’s fantasy, so why even bother?
What do you think makes a good story?
Strange, stylish writing. An odd plot. The truth.
What's your favorite genre to read?
I’m drawn to experiments, articulated failures, and strange victories. These take many different forms within many different genres. I’ll read any of them.
Who is your favorite author or poet?
Ana, Brandi, Beeny, Jason, Rachel Glaser, Sam Pink, xtx. Jack. I read an Anelise Chen story yesterday and really liked it. David Lynch. Dave Berman. Zach Galifianakis is a true poet. Any one published in 3 A.M., elimae, The Lifted Brow, or Thieves Jargon warrants favoritism.
What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Tao Lin’s short story collection, Bed, really resonated with me – more so than his other stuff. Because of this, it’s a book I return to frequently. The first time I read it I think it articulated a lot of things that I wanted and needed to know about honesty as a sad and brutal thing. It did so effectively and confirmed a lot of things I already felt. Overall, I think it made me think more sharply in terms of writing.
What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Hubert Selby, Jr. – Last Exit to Brooklyn really shattered my view of life in relation to writing. There are only a few books written by junkies that come across loud and clear as this. This is one of them. Shit. Its weight has never left me.
Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
From mountains, deserts, dry leaves, red meat, dead roadside deer meat, roads, water towers, water bottles, water.
What does your family think of your writing?
I don’t know. I think they mostly read bibles and biographies. One Christmas, my sister gave me a self-help book. I don’t read or write any of those things.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I work 9 am to 5 pm. I write every evening until my girlfriend throws a fit. If I manage to avoid alcohol, I can write for a one or two more hours after she falls asleep.
Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Tobacco was once a requirement, but not anymore. I was crippled by hypochondria. I’ve moved on.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
As in life – getting over myself.
What are your current projects?
A novella. 20k words. I think it’s one or two drafts from completion. I’ve taken a lot of chances with it. Several excerpts have already been published in places online, like The Battered Suitcase. I already know no one will publish the consolidated work.
What are you planning for future projects?
I plan to self-publish a book of poetry sometime. If I can do this successfully, I’d like to do the same for some other likeminded writers. With that said – I have no idea how to do any of this.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Read.
Where else can we find your work?
Google me. Email me. Visit me here: adamadamadamadamadam.blogspot.com
Adam, when did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Probably when I was in 3rd or 4th grade. I would write poems and stories, illustrate them, and then staple them together. The first poem I wrote was about a toad that lived in a pile of wood. The first story I wrote was about a farmer who found a diamond ring somewhere. Most of it was plagiarized from other children’s books.
Why do you write?
Multiple reasons – some good and not good. I think my writing is rooted in the need to feel affirmed. I’ll write a story and send it out until someone decides to publish it. Whenever this happened I feel a sense of affirmation in a way my job and relationships can’t make me feel. There is the sense of success or achievement or progress in it all – however small.
Is being a writer anything like you imagined it would be?
No because I don’t really view the writing life with any preconceived notions of what it is – probably because I don’t really think of myself as a “writer.” Writers are these mythical beings to me – people with Barns & Noble displays cases for perfect bound books with interesting cover art and Oprah Book Club stickers. It’s fantasy, so why even bother?
What do you think makes a good story?
Strange, stylish writing. An odd plot. The truth.
What's your favorite genre to read?
I’m drawn to experiments, articulated failures, and strange victories. These take many different forms within many different genres. I’ll read any of them.
Who is your favorite author or poet?
Ana, Brandi, Beeny, Jason, Rachel Glaser, Sam Pink, xtx. Jack. I read an Anelise Chen story yesterday and really liked it. David Lynch. Dave Berman. Zach Galifianakis is a true poet. Any one published in 3 A.M., elimae, The Lifted Brow, or Thieves Jargon warrants favoritism.
What books or stories have most influenced you the most as a writer?
Tao Lin’s short story collection, Bed, really resonated with me – more so than his other stuff. Because of this, it’s a book I return to frequently. The first time I read it I think it articulated a lot of things that I wanted and needed to know about honesty as a sad and brutal thing. It did so effectively and confirmed a lot of things I already felt. Overall, I think it made me think more sharply in terms of writing.
What books or stories have most influenced you as a person?
Hubert Selby, Jr. – Last Exit to Brooklyn really shattered my view of life in relation to writing. There are only a few books written by junkies that come across loud and clear as this. This is one of them. Shit. Its weight has never left me.
Where/how do you find the most inspiration?
From mountains, deserts, dry leaves, red meat, dead roadside deer meat, roads, water towers, water bottles, water.
What does your family think of your writing?
I don’t know. I think they mostly read bibles and biographies. One Christmas, my sister gave me a self-help book. I don’t read or write any of those things.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
I work 9 am to 5 pm. I write every evening until my girlfriend throws a fit. If I manage to avoid alcohol, I can write for a one or two more hours after she falls asleep.
Do you have any writing quirks or rituals?
Tobacco was once a requirement, but not anymore. I was crippled by hypochondria. I’ve moved on.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
As in life – getting over myself.
What are your current projects?
A novella. 20k words. I think it’s one or two drafts from completion. I’ve taken a lot of chances with it. Several excerpts have already been published in places online, like The Battered Suitcase. I already know no one will publish the consolidated work.
What are you planning for future projects?
I plan to self-publish a book of poetry sometime. If I can do this successfully, I’d like to do the same for some other likeminded writers. With that said – I have no idea how to do any of this.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Read.
Where else can we find your work?
Google me. Email me. Visit me here: adamadamadamadamadam.blogspot.com
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