From
1. You have obviously traveled a fair amount. Are there any places you long to find yourself, but have not yet had the opportunity to experience?
London, without a doubt. I’m an obsessive Anglophile, and a city boy to boot — I need to be there.
2. I have found that you are adept at self-depreciation on a number of fronts. Turning that proclivity to the other side of the balance, what are the aspects of yourself which can honestly and unabashedly say you like?
My intellect and my wit. That’s about it….everything else is subject to confidence-shaking doubt on a regular basis.
3. You have mentioned previously that you have been “out of the broom closet” for a number of years. What is that drew you originally to a pagan path and why did you opt to be open about your beliefs?
It was a number of things, as is usually the case. Early on, it manifested as a driving interest in myths, and a tendency to focus on Mary during the Catholic Masses of my childhood. I didn’t realize that there was an actual spiritual path for these interests until High School, when I was introduced (as many are) to the Craft by friends. This coincided with the New Age boom of the 80s, so books and such were easy to come by, and I often found myself getting the “chime” going off in my head when I read something that rang true to me. I started wearing a pentacle openly in my Junior year, and I recognize now it was probably just a facet of my express-myself-and-opinions-be-damned nature, rather than a conscious decision to be “out”….but I’ve been “out” ever since (Despite my mother’s opinion that this is still a “phase” of some kind).
4. Of all of the avenues of creative expression in which you work, which do you think is the best conduit for you to speak from your deepest inner self?
Writing, without question. I dabble in everything else.
5. As we found out, there is a great deal of Gemini placed in your chart. What would you say is the most positive aspect of living within a mercurial worldview, and what is the most challenging?
The most positive aspect is the abundance of enthusiasm that I’m able to tap into when involved in some project or other…..the absolute worst aspect though is the constant shifting of interests, so that it’s very difficult to stay enthused about a project long enough to finish the bloody thing. I often really have to work at it.
From
1) Why do you think your spirituality went on a kind of hiatus, and why has it begun creeping back into your life? And correct me if I’m misinterpreting your spirituality for you. ;)
It came from a failing marriage and eventual divorce that sort of killed my “higher nature” for quite some time. It’s been slowly coming back, primarily as a function of time, but really kicked into high gear due to being constantly exposed to the palpable spirituality of the circle of friends that surround me. Very healing, actually.
2) You can only get one novel published, and once it’s done it is garunteed to be a bestseller. You can live on it forever, but can’t publish anything else EVER. What do you write?
Actually, I refuse the opportunity. My biggest fear, to tell the truth, is only ever getting to publish one novel. For me, the audience is everything. I know that a lot of writers write because they have to — they have these things to say that they need to get out. For me, I also write because I have to….but it’s because I have stories that I want to tell. Stories require an audience. Without an audience, there’s no point. So, only getting one shot at an audience, and then never again? Hell. Pure hell.
3) What does writing feel like to you, physically?
Most of the time, it feels a bit like having a symphony in your head, and struggling with barely being able to play an instrument — or wanting to say something to someone, but only having the slightest knowledge of their native language. It’s very painful when it’s like that — slow-moving, agonized, drawn-out. Then, I hit periods where things just burst forth, and I ride along with everything flowing, which, as corny and obvious as it may sound, is an extremely sensual experience. Obviously, I prefer the latter.
4) What made you get your degree in Asian studies? Are you still glad of the choice?
What made me enter that field of study is simply that I had asian films (Hong Kong cinema, Samurai films, Anime) that I wanted to be able to watch without subtitles. Yes, that’s the honest truth.
Actually, given the fact that I never ended up doing anything professionally with it, and never had anything in my college experience ever called into any job I’ve ever held, I would have just avoided college entirely, and gotten started on writing and publishing sooner…..and would have avoided the debt and stress that resulted.
5) What’s the book that has most changed your life? How?
D’aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths — given to me by my Grandmother when I was 4 or 5. Set me not only on my eventual spiritual path, but also gave me an interest in the fantastic, which she then fostered even further by providing me with The Hobbit, Star Trek and comic books as my childhood progressed. That’s the first, though. That’s the one that got the ball rolling.
2) omg really? do you think you could actually *do* that? I agree, it would be hell – it was meant as a sucky question… I just don’t think I’d have the willpower to refuse it. And it might be like love – better to have it once, than to never experience it.
I have really good willpower some of the time… others… no freakin way!
D’aulaire’s Book of Green Myths
I have a vague tickling that we’ve discussed this before, but this is one of the books that changed my life as well.
I became obsessed with Greek mythology at a very young age and was lucky enough to have a fabulously eclectic mother who collected many such mythological resources. D’aulaire’s was one of many for me and served as inspiration when I wrote my first and only novel (in high school) about Persephone.
As far as the willpower goes, it makes it a lot easier that the “one-shot and gone” scenario is such an abiding fear of mine.
I do think we have talked about that, now that you mention it. My grandmother also eventually got me their book on Norse myth, which I actually liked much more, but it was the Greek Myths book that started it all.
I think there are a great number of us for whom the Greek Myths “started it all”.
D.
First, many thanks for playing, these things provide a great amount of insight.
1. You will indeed love London like no other place you have been. I rather wonder if you too will have the odd overiding sense of familarity and “home” I felt when in Great Britain, most particularly London…may you have the opportunity to travel there soon.
3. At what point does a phase actually become a lifelong pursuit? At what point does any parent really recognize such things? Perhaps one day for you it will change to the statement of “Oh he was always like that”…but I don’t know if that’s exactly better, ya know?
5. Truly a double edged sword.
Should you have the whim, it would be quite interesting for you to return the favor. I rather wonder what you would think to ask me.
D.
I’d have to include myself in this set.
The life changing book for me was Edith Hamilton’s “Mythology”.
I’d have to agree. Which is both beautiful and sad in a way, as most of the conversations I have had with people about it over the years go something like this: “You loved that book, too? I thought I was the only one!”
So many of us seem to have grown up lonely in our beliefs – it’s like “I’m so glad I found you, where were you when I was six?” :)
I wouldn’t even begin to know what to ask, since between our conversations and the answers you’ve posted for others, I can’t think of anything that you haven’t already clued me into.
That is absolutely a fair enough response, considering I don’t really think you’re the sort to ask bizarre philosophical conundrum sorts of questions (although I would think that if you did they’d be interesting).
Suffice it to say, to you, my life is an open book. Should you ever have a question of any sort at any level, feel free to ask.
Fair enough?
D.