I was asked this week a series of questions from Watkins Books for their ‘Meet the Author’ interview page for their magazine and website. Here are the questions, and my brief answers:
Which books and author inspired you to start writing?
To be truly honest – none. I started to write before I began seriously to read. I wrote short stories when I was a little boy, yet I didn’t start to read until my mid-late teens. I started reading poetry before I read fiction. I especially loved the poems of D.H. Lawrence and Leonard Cohen. I started to write my own books of poetry when I was fifteen. In terms of reading, I’ve always read more non-fiction than fiction.
I started writing seriously because I always felt it – not because I was inspired by others. For me, writing was a way to find meaning in/from the world. It’s always been a necessity, like brushing your teeth!
What are your goals and intentions as a writer?
To find understanding and meaning, and to grow from this. And to share my explorations with others – to write in a way that others can understand and relate to.
What empowers you in your daily work and life?
The personal journey – knowing that I am working each day toward being more fully human, within a grand cosmos of meaning and purpose.
What is your next project?
To write and publish books for children – to share the worlds of magic, mystery, and meaning with young, creative, and joyful minds.
Is there anything you would say to your readers?
It’s never too late – you have all the resources you need within you. Good luck with your 0wn personal journey – whatever path you choose.