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Showing posts from August, 2011

Interview _ Erik Schmidt

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Erik Schmidt lives in Georgia and is a sports editor and a freelance writer. 10 of his short stories appear in the anthology, Cover Stories: A Euphictional Anthology (CreateSpace, 2010). In this interview, Erik Schmidt talks about his writing: When did you start writing? I had to write fictional stories throughout elementary school, but I started taking it seriously — or at least as seriously as any 11-year-old boy can take anything beyond backyard football and baseball cards — in sixth grade. Our teacher, Mrs. Jacoby, consistently had us write 100-word essays and then read them aloud in class. I remember thinking some of the topics were boring or uninspiring, so I started creating my own themes for my own amusement. They weren’t anything special, but it was important for me to realize that innovation, creative thinking, and stepping outside the expected parameters are huge elements in the writing process. There was no epiphany or mind-blowing realization in regards to

[Interview] Tony Attwood

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Tony Attwood  has an honours degree in psychology from the University of Hull, an M.A. in clinical psychology from the University of Surrey, and a Ph.D. from University College London. He runs a diagnostic and treatment clinic for children and adults with Asperger’s Syndrome, in Brisbane, Australia and is the author of books which include The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008), Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1997) and Asperger's and Girls (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 1997). In this interview, Dr Tony Attwood talks about his work: When and why did you first become interested in Asperger's syndrome? I first became interested in Asperger's syndrome in the early 1990's when we finally had some diagnostic criteria for Asperger's syndrome which I was able to use in my clinical practice. I had been interested in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) since 1971.

[Interview_2] Tendai Huchu

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Tendai Huchu 's first novel,  The Hairdresser of Harare  (Weaver Press, 2010) is set during the height of the social, economic and political problems Zimbabwe experienced recently. In August 2011, The Hairdresser of Harare  was longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize . One reviewer said the novel offered " insight into a society in flux , with believable characters grappling with identity and gender issues, with power, privilege, and politics"  while another reviewer described it as "a  compelling story which will tag your emotions every which way; from love, to tragedy, to jealousy, to terror ... all told with a certain humour that makes it bitter sweet." The novel has also been translated into German where it is available as Der Friseur von Harare (Peter Hammer Verlag Gmbh, 2011). In an earlier interview , Tendai Huchu spoke about the factors that motivated him to start writing. He now talks about his second novel, An Untimely Love (Whiskey Creek Pre

[Interview_3] Alice Lenkiewicz

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Alice Lenkiewicz is an artist, a writer and a poetry and art magazine editor. She is also the author of a collection of poems, Men Hate Blondes (origional plus, 2009) and a novella, Maxine (Bluechrome Publishing, 2005). In earlier interviews, she spoke about the series of events that led to her setting up Neon Highway , the magazine she edits with Jane Marsh and about some of the ways in which she approaches her work as a writer . In this interview, Alice Lenkiewicz talks about the factors that inform her writing: In the writing you are doing, which authors influenced you most? This is not an easy question. I have read a number of authors who inspire me in various ways. However, I think there are certain authors who write in such a way that the impression they leave on you never quite diminishes. For instance, Nadja by Andre Breton was always interesting to me for its semi-autobiography, its non-linear structure and references to Paris surrealists and their preoccupatio

[Interview] Paula Leyden

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Paula Leyden was born in Kenya and grew up in Zambia. She spent most of her adult life in South Africa. Currently, she lives in Ireland. She made her debut as an author with the publication of The Butterfly Heart (Walker Books, 2011). In this interview, Paula Leyden talks about her writing: When did you start writing? I started writing fiction late in life – when I moved to Ireland eight years ago. Before that my writing experience had been mainly in the field of human rights, more agitational and reporting kind of writing. Once I had decided that I would like to try my hand at fiction I registered for a course called Write That Novel . It was run by Siobhán Parkinson , now our Children’s Laureate. I found it extremely useful as it was a very practical course focussing on things like plotting, character development, dialogue, pace etc. While on that course I did an exercise that then turned into my first novel (written before The Butterfly Heart and not yet published)

[Interview_2] Christian A. Dumais

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Christian A. Dumais is the author of  Empty Rooms Lonely Countries (CreateSpace, 2009). His work has been featured in magazines that include Shock Totem and GUD Magazine as well as in the anthology, Cover Stories (CreateSpace, 2010). In this interview, Christian Dumais talks about his contribution to Cover Stories : How would you describe Cover Stories ? In Cover Stories , 10 young writers from around the globe cut deep into the tracks of their favorite albums to produce something that's more than just a mix tape of divergent fictions; they are the scouts for a new literary invasion ... It’s an anthology of short stories all inspired by some of your favorite songs: 100 stories. 10 Writers. 1 New Genre. We call the work euphiction, which is the marriage of musical inspiration with the written word: a story that's a three minute single. The writers include Simon Neil , Derrek Carriveau, T. P. Whited , Erik Schmidt, Suzi M. , A.C. Noia , Derek Handley, Matt Gamble

[Interview] Chris Nicholson

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Chris Nicholson is a lecturer in the Centre for Psychoanalytic Studies at the University of Essex and has worked in a range of children's services for over 10 years. In addition to that, he is a trustee of the Charterhouse Group of Therapeutic Communities ; a fellow of the International Institute of Child and Adolescent Mental Health and a regular speaker at bi-annual conferences on the poet and author Robert Graves . Chris Nicholson is also co-author of Children and Adolescents in Trauma: Creative Therapeutic Approaches (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2010). In this interview, he talks about his work: How did you first become involved in children's services? In the mid-90s I was finishing a joint honours degree in English literature and Philosophy at the University of Kent, in Canterbury. I had rather immersed myself in the reading and read way beyond what was required for these courses. In consequence I had an experience which the poet Robert Graves illustrates i

[Interview_2] Masimba Musodza

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In an earlier interview , Zimbabwean writer Masimba Musodza talked about the factors that led him to start writing. His books include The Man who turned into a Rastafarian (Diggory Press, 2007), Uriah’s Vengeance (Lion Press Ltd, 2009) and the Shona science fiction novel, MunaHacha Maive Nei? (Kindle Edition, 2011). His work has also been featured in African Roar (Storytime, 2010), an anthology of contemporary African fiction. Masimba Musodza talks about his latest novel: Do you write everyday? Yep! Normally I have these ideas swirling in my head. Then, by around midnight, they have taken shape and I just start working. Or, if I have a client for a script, I just try and meet the deadline! Usually, I have the story or the chapter all written in my head when I sit down at my PC. I will often have about three windows minimised and I just work on the one that wants to be worked on. I know it is the popular perception of Rastafarians, but I would like to state categor