Michael C. Keith is the author of two dozen books on media, an acclaimed memoir––The Next Better Place, a young adult novel––Life is Falling Sideways, and two short story collections
––And Through the Trembling Air and Hoag's Object. He is a professor at Boston College and the recipient of several awards in his field. In addition, he was nominated for a Pushcart Prize and Pen/O.Henry Award for his stories.
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Michael C. Keith interview with Meg Tuite
I have to start with the title of your story, “IDead.” Brilliant, considering how many Apple products are coming out with the “I” attached! Tell me about your background in technology and how this played into your story?
It has become an iWorld with the explosion of all the personal communication devices. And it has resulted in the decline of face-to-face, interpersonal communication. “I” as singular–-one. “I” as in me––people in their own digital cocoons not seeing the world around them and ultimately not caring. It seemed to be a good theme for a story. It was an opportunity to entertain and to message beyond the chicken scrawl abbreviations of texting.
Were you a wunderkind in the technological world? The young grad student, Jesse Kline, in this story, is way ahead of his colleagues.
Not at all. I was practically a Luddite. I had to be cajoled into the brave new world of cyberspace and digital devices. I do not own a single “I” appliance. Except for my iMac. It’s as far as I have gone into the 0 and 1 domain. That said, I must admit to an attraction for the iPad, but it will probably be well into a double-digit version before I buy one.
Any specific inspiration for this story?
Just a general intrigue with how technology changes society and the individual. Again, it’s good grist for the writing mill. Despite a reluctance to engage in the “I” mania, I have always been a fan of science fiction. Of course, Isaac Asimov wouldn’t get on a plane.
What books are you reading at this time?
Ask the Dust by John Fante, Tinkers by Paul Harding, Pushcart Prize XXXV Stories, and Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens.
You’ve written two short story collections and a critically acclaimed memoir as well as a staggering number of non-fiction books that you’ve published. What are your thoughts on writing fiction as compared to non-fiction? How slim is that gap?
Good question. I’ve penned 20 non-fiction books, mostly of an academic/scholarly nature. I believe creativity plays a role in all types of writing. Of course, fiction is pure imagination and that is different from writing from research notes. For me, it has been a pretty fluid transition, but I have always dallied with story telling, if only in my mind. It was less than three years ago that I sat down and wrote my first short story (I had penned a memoir in 2003). Over 70 stories later (all published), I equate it with opening the floodgates. Obviously, the water of my imagination was pressing hard against the dam.
Who were some of the inspirational writers that got you started and kept you moving?
I remember reading Winnie the Pooh at a very early age and immediately experiencing the urge to “make” a story. In my adolescence I was a fan of Richard Brautigan and Ken Kesey. In later years, I became a voracious consumer of biography and writers like Philip Roth, Tom Perrotta and so many others.
Any other thoughts you’d like to share with our readers on this story?
One thing I highly appreciate about the cyberworld is the creation of webzines and online journals, like Connotation Press. They have given legions of wordsmiths hope of seeing our work realized.
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In order to preserve the artistic arrangement of the writing, this piece has been created with Print2Flash Flashpaper.