Hello Everyone!
Welcome to another edition of the Meet the Author series. I have Alex Pickett on this edition of Meet the Author, and I am pleased that he is the first male author featured on Meet the Author on my blog. He is the author of Restaurant Inspector and Camera Lake, a collection of short stories, and I am extremely delighted to have him on this Q and A.
Alex is also a teacher; he has taught at the University of Florida a variety genres of technical and creative writing. He currently teaches creative writing at University of the Arts London and City Lit. I am one of Alex s students. I was part of his Short Story writing class at City Lit. He is extremely patient, kind and a very intuitive teacher. It was a pleasure to be part of his class, and he ensures you do not lose the joy of writing and telling stories.
It’s an absolute pleasure to have Alex on this month’s Meet the Author.
Without further ado let’s get to know Alex.
Usha: Welcome Alex. Tell us a little bit about yourself and 2 fun facts about.
Alex: Hi I am Alex, I am a writer, teacher and a doctoral researcher at the University of Westminster.
Two fun facts about me are.
- I once hitchhiked from Alaska to my grandmother’s house in Iowa. (Appx 3200 miles or 5200 km)
- My partner and I have adopted two senior dogs over the years. Dan and Milo. Both have passed over the rainbow bridge. Our dog now, Maxine, is younger. We couldn’t take the pain. Wait…maybe this isn’t such a fun fact. It involves a lot of death. Well, dogs are fun while they are alive.
Usha: What genre do you prefer reading, and do you have a favourite genre?
Alex: I wish I read more widely. I stick pretty close to literary fiction.
Usha: What do you prefer: paperback, hardback, audiobooks or e-books?
Alex: Paperback all the way. Fits in my back pocket to take on the tube. Easier to read in bed. I don’t mess with audiobooks or e-books at all. Though I probably should.
Usha: What was the first book you read that you remember/left an impression on you?
Alex: Native Son by Richard Wright. I probably read it way too young.
Usha: What is the most surprising thing you learnt while writing this book?
Alex: On the writing side, with my novel, I learned that I should have a complete plan before I begin writing a book. On the research side, I learned that there are people who truly believe that the Earth is flat. I assumed it was an elaborate joke.
Usha. If you could choose one literary figure from the past or present to meet for a coffee, who would it be?
Alex: I wouldn’t want to hang out with anyone too smart. I’d be too worried about holding up my end of the conversation. That rules out Gary Indiana, James Baldwin, Magda Szabo, and many others. How about Jaroslav Hašek. Not that he’s unintelligent, of course. But he seems funny, odd, political, and, though far from perfect, probably a good dude to have a coffee with. Or perhaps a pint. (It was said that he could drink as many as 30 beers in a day.)
Usha: What advice would you give to budding writers?
Alex: Keep at it. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you to stop. Enjoy the routine. Are these clichés? Let me think of more. Go out into the world and learn something. Or maybe go online more and write about that? I’m not sure what the world is right now or how to write about it. How about this: figure out something that matters and write about that. Even if it’s just making people laugh. Write something important rather than just writing for yourself or to get published.
Usha: Have you considered writing under a pseudonym? Why not or why
Alex: I would love to write anonymously. My dream is to publish a book and never have to talk about it. Presses probably prefer the author go out and try to help sales, though. Thinking about it, I gave the protagonist of my novel the pseudonym I came up with for myself way back in high school: Arthur Reilly. Not sure why I chose that.
Usha: What comes first to you as a writer , the Plot or the characters and why ?
Alex: Characters. I think it allows them to come alive if the story stems from them.
Usha: Writing or Teaching ? Which do you prefer and why?
Alex: Writing, I suppose. Less stress. But I love having taught. The moment after I finish teaching a class is wonderful. It’s the memory of fun without the prep and anticipation.
Usha: Are there any upcoming projects that you would like to share with us
I’m doing a PhD right now. My project involves writing a novel about memory loss. I hope it’s coming along well. I’m working with interesting people on it. I enjoy the PhD process because someone is obliged to read my constant rewrites.
Thank you so much Alex for agreeing to be part of this Q and A. I hope I was not one of the students who gave you stress. I enjoyed your class and gained a lot of perspective. I will always remember and be grateful for your feedback sessions and your teaching techniques. It’s been an honour and a pleasure to have you on this series.
Find out more about Alex
That’s all from me folks on this edition of Meet the Author. Until next time, Happy reading.
Le Coin Des Bobby 