Andrew K. Clark interview by Clifford Brooks
1) Where did you grow up? How did your childhood sculpt the prose you create today? What's your story outside of your fiction? I grew up in rural Alexander, NC, outside of Asheville. I was raised in the Southern religious tradition of revivals and camp meetings, a world where every event is understood through the lens of spiritual warfare. Although my personal beliefs have evolved, I carry that tradition and sensibility into my work. Aside from my prose, I have written poetry most of my life. I am also a professor of finance, which proves both sides of your brain can fire at the same time. 2) Who are your favorite poets and prose writers? For prose, I grew up consuming everything by Tolkien and C.S. Lewis. Some contemporary writers I’m into: Jesmyn Ward, David Joy, Charles Dodd White, Ian McEwan, Wiley Cash, Colson Whitehead, Ron Rash, Silas House, Patrick Ness, Salman Rushdie, William Gay, Denis Johnson, Taylor Brown, Eowen Ivey, JC Sasser and Bren McLain. For poetry, I cut my teeth on William Blake, the postmodernists, and Langston Hughes, but I enjoy contemporary poets such as Eric Nelson (my former writing professor and mentor), Marcus Amaker, Tim Conroy, Kim Addonizio, Airea Matthews, Ray McManus, Joy Priest, Clifford Brooks and my poetry critique partners, Miho Kinnas and Elizabeth Robin. 3) What rituals do you go through before, during, or after your writing? I think the hardest thing for writers to achieve is to quiet the mind. I try not to talk or use social media before writing time. I use music to both set the mood and block out the world. I light candles when I write, and I have to clear my desk of clutter before I begin. 4) How does place, music, coffee, and cigarettes play into your mindscape as you completed your first novel? We are publishing a piece of it in this issue. Please set the stage for us. I typically write at home. Coffee is a must, but I gave up cigarettes for the gym. I never drink when I write, but a glass of red wine for editing works. A frequent choice of music is Miles Davis, most recently his electric experimental work from the 1970s. I also listen to a number of movie soundtracks such as those by Trent Reznor and from the movies Split, You Were Never Really Here, and Annihilation. Place is almost a character in my novel, The Day Thief, as well as in my poetry. I write about the mountains of Appalachia where I grew up, but other places such as Mississippi and the city of Savannah, where I lived for a number of years.
Issue 13 | Blue Mountain Review | 244