Tell us about your most recent release, Voices of a City of Gold: Stories from Oroville, CA..

 

The lives of the marginalized, those clerks, con artists, convicts, chronically under-employed, cranksters, duck hunters and dope growers, teachers, teenagers and truck drivers, whores and salesmen, bikers and cops, immigrants, retirees, single parents and homeless. Voices from a City of Gold are some of the imagined existences one may sense from the bluffs of Table Mountain, or actually hear, standing on Myers and D Street in Oroville, Northern California.

 

Is there anything you want to make sure potential readers know?

 

I am convinced Oroville, with its conflicting changes and stressors, is no different from/than many places across the Western United States, facing (their) promise, history and decay. In writing this 90,000 word collection, I felt compelled to give voice to marginalized lives one may encounter in places like Oroville, lives one might applaud or pity, but never ignore.

 

How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?

 

Oh, I take both good and bad reviews with a grain of salt. In my view, neither ever really gets it right, and my view is, what matters is that it GOT reviewed, which sends a a signal to the reader that somebody found it valuable enough to invest energy and resources into.

 

What are the most important attributes to remaining sane as a writer?

 

A regular working schedule and sense of unflagging purpose, or unwavering sense of belief in what you do and its value to the world. Regularly writing, maintaining your sense of direction and not waiting around to be 'inspired' will left you from the ebb tide of writer's block. You must also NEVER count your readers or your sales, or compare your efforts with anyone else, especially those so-called 'best-selling authors'. Write because you have to, because you must keep fidelity with your inner vision, and forget thoughts of 'success', which is pure illusion.

 

How do you feel about being interviewed?

 

I love it, it gives me the chance to expand and explain my views and principles. Often the interviewer has little to go on other than a brief few words describing my book, and that's where I can come in and flesh in all that really should be explained and described to my readership. In fact, I generally take control of the interview and do my best to steer things towards the areas I feel must be covered.

 

Have you ever abandoned a creative idea that you believed because others thought you were a fool?

 

Never! I keep my own guidance and really have no interest in the opinions of those who do not share in my workload or understanding. I politely listen, of course, but I am my own navigator of Reality and Creativity.

 

What would you prefer? Stable but boring works or interesting works with lots of workload?

 

Interesting work that demands a great deal from me. I reject boring and safe, though I do work with a routine or, better, a daily disciplined approach that is never boring, however, as I have several projects brewing at any one point and I find it easy to shift emphasis when one 'vein' has been mined for too long.

 

What’s the difference between you and most of the other people?

 

My life experiences have brought me to a unique position that few of my peers can emulate or really appreciate. I have been mentored by one of the 20th Century's greatest thinkers, Demetrius Toteras, who introduced me to the Classics, and I have been faithfully married to a truly great genius, my wife, Pia. I have overcome 17 years of life paralyzed in a wheelchair, and have produced work which is both unique and lasting. I have dedicated myself to my vision even and especially when everyone around me thought I was foolish, everyone except my wife, who has stood by me through everything. I have an unwavering sense of purpose, which only Death can circumvent

 

Is there anyone who inspired you and made you who you are today?

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A stated, Demetrius Toteras and my wife, Pia, stand out as the 2 strongest influences in my life. Toteras' history is immense, a veteran of the Korean War at age 15, master flamenco guitarist, an expert in the Pre-Classical period and one of the 20th Century's principle experimental theater directors alongside Julian Beck. As for my wife, I have never met anyone with her intuitive grasp of what is right in nearly every instance, nor one as intelligent or funny; I love her sense of humor! Both of these giants have taught me the most important aspect of creativity: generosity.

 

Are you doing anything which makes you and people around you happy?

 

I set an example for the people in and around me that consistently says, 'Do not complain, but do everything you can to both enjoy your life and spread that joy whenever you can'. With what I have gone through physically, the horrors of paralysis along with its attendant diseases, and the struggles I have undergone in my career, ridicule and humiliation, coupled with the fact that I never complain and remain generous and open to change, I believe in who I am and what I do, and I know I 'glow' with a sense of confidence most envy, and few can emulate. I am happy always, despite my ordeals, and this sense of happiness is authentic, and infectious.