Ask the Author: Nigel Gray
Answered Questions (9)
Nigel Gray
Well, I’ve got a rather unusual reading list for the time being. I’ve got overstocked shelves of books that I have, for the most part, read only once. A few I remember well. A few I remember vaguely. But most I can’t remember at all. It seems a shame to have all this literature sitting there, probably not to be read until after I’ve died, and possibly not even then. I’ve decided to read again at random, and if I’m not ensnared after twenty or thirty pages, out they’ll go. I’ll pass them on to others who may enjoy them more. And if I am captivated as I read with new eyes, or if I am entranced all over again, what a delight that will be. Besides, I need to do some pruning to make room for the presents I’ll no doubt find in my metaphorical stocking next Xmas.
Nigel Gray
Well, I guess the mystery of who I am – or rather who my forebears were. I never knew my father. He never knew who his parents were. His birth was not even registered. Officially he didn't exist. I thought I'd got an idea about his father, which I wrote about in my autobiographical book 'His Story – A Novel Memoir – The Life and Times of Dick O'Toole'. But I did a DNA test and it turns out that the rumours were wrong. Everyone is dead now who might have known, so it is a mystery that has been put to bed. I told my kids that they now have the freedom to invent their own heritage. There's no one who can say they're wrong. My mother didn't know her father either. She did meet her mother, as an adult, but that trail stops there.
Nigel Gray
Billy Pilgrim and Montana Wildhack in 'Slaughterhouse-5'. The affection is deep. The sex is fun. And through them, Kurt Vonnegut has so much wisdom to share.
Nigel Gray
Thank you, Monique. It's heartwarming to hear from people who have valued your stories. It's a great shame that books go out of print so quickly.
Nigel Gray
My most recent book, a book for adults, 'His Story – a Novel Memoir – The Life and Times of Dick O'Toole', is largely autobiographical – so the ideas are in the memory (such as it is).
Nigel Gray
If you have to make your living from your writing, you can't afford the luxury of waiting for inspiration. You just have to go to work.
Nigel Gray
If you know in advance how hard the road is that you are setting out on, you are more likely to reach your destination.
Nigel Gray
I'm my own boss. I work when I want and how I want. This is not the best way to make money, but it suits my anarchistic personality. And the best aspect of this freedom is that I was always there for my kids. I could go to school events and that sort of thing. And my door was always open for them – night or day.
Nigel Gray
It's not a problem I've had to deal with. Life and work are so time-demanding that the problem is finding enough time to write what I want to write.
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