Ask the Author: Thomas Fox Averill
Answered Questions (10)
Thomas Fox Averill
Although this sounds self-centered, I would love to travel to the world of my next novel, Found--documents from the life of Nell Johnson Doerr. I've often wondered what I'd find, what I'd see that I didn't think of, and I'd love to ask my characters, or observe, at least, whether I got things right. I'm fascinated by Lawrence, Kansas, from Territorial days of Bleeding Kansas, through its early settlement as the 34th Star. Such time travel would interest me in many ways. I've "Wordled" the novel, and that was interesting, because it's like visiting a map of the language chosen to create the world of the book--it's a kind of revisiting that helps me see things I wouldn't have noticed otherwise. I've "wordled" poetry and short stories, too, and find it visually fascinating.
Thomas Fox Averill
To name just a few:
Evicted (my son recommended it highly)
Dorothy Must Die (I just taught an Oz course, and have to keep up)
Romanian Notebook (Cyrus Console is a friend and a great writer)
The Hare with Amber Eyes (given as a birthday gift by my wife's brother and family)
Evicted (my son recommended it highly)
Dorothy Must Die (I just taught an Oz course, and have to keep up)
Romanian Notebook (Cyrus Console is a friend and a great writer)
The Hare with Amber Eyes (given as a birthday gift by my wife's brother and family)
Thomas Fox Averill
Actually, I've tried to piece together the story of my grandfathers, neither of whom I ever met. My mother's father died when she was fifteen, my father's father died when I was just one year old. I've researched the mysteries of who they were, and will at least get an essay out of this material.
Thomas Fox Averill
I'm always partial to Huck and Jim, not a romantic couple, but linked in ways important for us to understand, especially in this current climate of racial tension and violence!
Thomas Fox Averill
I've rarely had writer's block because I subscribe to the William Stafford school of writing, which means we write in order to think, just as we dream in order to understand what's inside our brains. Do we have dreamer's block? No. Stafford said that the best thing for writer's block is to "lower your standards." I agree. If you're writing to discover, rather than to excel, then anything is acceptable.
Thomas Fox Averill
Writing! I like the process itself best. I also enjoy presenting my work, and finding readers, and hearing from readers. But the act of writing is the most crucial and pleasurable for me.
Thomas Fox Averill
Write and write. Join writing groups. Take classes and/or go to workshops and conferences. Practice, make yourself vulnerable, share, get rejected. I have a piece coming out in the next issue of New Letters magazine titled "13 Weeks at Mount Hope: Writing Lessons from the Cemetery," and it contains advice for writers from my own experience.
Thomas Fox Averill
I'm about to launch a website that contains 85 very short stories/poems/meditations/rants/prose poems set in gardens. I call them Garden Plots, and anyone can get a preview of them on my website.
Thomas Fox Averill
I write to figure out what I think about my characters and their situations, and so inspiration is really just loving the work of writing. Since I do, I don't look for inspiration except in the act of writing process itself--that's where I have my insights and best moments of thinking.
Thomas Fox Averill
My family began reading Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol aloud when we took holiday trips from Topeka (where I live) to Dallas (the home of my wife's family). We continue to read from the book, and have cooked meals inspired by the book, ever since. I wanted a character, Carol Dickens, who lived with the spirit of a Dickens Christmas in her traditions, but who would be going through some transitions, as well. So, I gave her a son who would be leaving for college at semester, a dog who is dying, an ex-husband who is decamping when the son, Finn, leaves, and an ex-boss and friend who is moving toward her in his affections. Quite enough for one Christmas.
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