Robert Vaughan’s plays have been produced in N.Y.C., L.A., S.F., and Milwaukee where he resides.
He leads two writing roundtables for Redbird- Redoak Studio. His prose and poetry is published in over 125 literary journals such as Elimae, BlazeVOX, and A-Minor. He is a fiction editor at JMWW magazine, and Thunderclap! Press. Also hosts Flash Fiction Fridays for WUWM’s Lake Effect. His blog can be found here.
---------
Robert Vaughan interview with Meg Tuite
Is there anything you want to share with our readers about the inspiration for this story?
Lawyer’s, Guns and Money is a triptych form based on the song title by Warron Zevon. The content has nothing to do with the song, but music often informs me, especially at the beginning of a piece. The idea here is that the three are somehow linked, although depending upon who reads it, they are or they aren't.
Cat’s Pajamas originated from a fleeting relationship I had years ago in San Francisco, including the checkerboard hair! Then it just took flight of whimsy as I wrote, and the more unusual it became, the more I knew I was onto something.
A Box is a fictional account of one of my cousins who ended up on the street, homeless, living in a box under a bridge. He perished in 2002, but I am haunted enough by his demise that he reappears again and again in my work.
Do you have a specific writing schedule that you adhere to and/or any tricks that help you, that might useful to our readers?
Support for your writing is vital and has been instrumental for my own work. Take classes, join roundtables, find writing groups like Fictionaut, The Nervous Breakdown, 6S, or other online sources. Getting feedback (distance) from your writing is a growth process and helps to discern your eye, develop voice and craft, expand style. Take risks, be willing to fail better each time!
What are you reading at this time?
I just finished The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch, which re-defines memoir; I am also reading Dawn Ruffel’s Further Adventures in the Restless Universe (fantastic short stories). I just read Frank Hinton’s first collection of flash pieces called I Don’t Respect Female Expression. And I constantly read online, sites like htmlgiant, Fictionaut or The Rumpus…every day! I also edit two online magazines, so I am reading submissions all the time, as well.
Name the top two or three most influential writers in your reading life and maybe a note on why.
Most influential writers are Lydia Davis, probably because I found her before I knew much about short fiction, and her prose has that balance of happy/sad which is so delicate, hard to achieve. I would also add Raymond Carver, for similar reasons, and Donald Barthelme for his originality, and fresh approach. I also read and write lots of poetry, so for that I love Rumi, Simon Perchik, and Neruda.
Lawyer’s, Guns and Money is a triptych form based on the song title by Warron Zevon. The content has nothing to do with the song, but music often informs me, especially at the beginning of a piece. The idea here is that the three are somehow linked, although depending upon who reads it, they are or they aren't.
Cat’s Pajamas originated from a fleeting relationship I had years ago in San Francisco, including the checkerboard hair! Then it just took flight of whimsy as I wrote, and the more unusual it became, the more I knew I was onto something.
A Box is a fictional account of one of my cousins who ended up on the street, homeless, living in a box under a bridge. He perished in 2002, but I am haunted enough by his demise that he reappears again and again in my work.
Do you have a specific writing schedule that you adhere to and/or any tricks that help you, that might useful to our readers?
Support for your writing is vital and has been instrumental for my own work. Take classes, join roundtables, find writing groups like Fictionaut, The Nervous Breakdown, 6S, or other online sources. Getting feedback (distance) from your writing is a growth process and helps to discern your eye, develop voice and craft, expand style. Take risks, be willing to fail better each time!
What are you reading at this time?
I just finished The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch, which re-defines memoir; I am also reading Dawn Ruffel’s Further Adventures in the Restless Universe (fantastic short stories). I just read Frank Hinton’s first collection of flash pieces called I Don’t Respect Female Expression. And I constantly read online, sites like htmlgiant, Fictionaut or The Rumpus…every day! I also edit two online magazines, so I am reading submissions all the time, as well.
Name the top two or three most influential writers in your reading life and maybe a note on why.
Most influential writers are Lydia Davis, probably because I found her before I knew much about short fiction, and her prose has that balance of happy/sad which is so delicate, hard to achieve. I would also add Raymond Carver, for similar reasons, and Donald Barthelme for his originality, and fresh approach. I also read and write lots of poetry, so for that I love Rumi, Simon Perchik, and Neruda.
Thanks so much for asking me about my writing process, Meg! It is an honor to be included in Connotation Press!
In order to preserve the artistic arrangement of the writing, this piece has been created with Print2Flash Flashpaper.
---------
In order to preserve the artistic arrangement of the writing, this piece has been created with Print2Flash Flashpaper.