Interview with Curtis Smith in JMWW

It's been a busy week! On Monday, I had the great pleasure of talking with fellow authorCurtis Smith aboutMonsters in Appalachiaover atJMWW.Curtis is the author of, most recently, a brilliant collection of meditations on Kurt Vonnegut's famousSlaughterhouse-Five.It's calledKurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five: Bookmarked,produced by Ig Publishing.Whether you're a Vonnegut fan or not -- and honestly, how could you not be?-- you'll want to read Curt's work. His subtle and profound perspective runs through his stories, his essays, his novels. In all sincerity, he's one of the writers I most admire. And he may be one of the hardest working writers I know, too. He has a large body of work, and if you're not already familiar with it, you really should be. Check him out.It's been a number of years since Curt and I have had the chance to really talk, so it was a real pleasure to touch base briefly for this virtual conversation. We talk about early influences on my writing life, developing an ear for writing, sex, religion, violence, and all sorts of strange and wonderful things. You canread the full conversationinJMWW,a weekly journal of writing.My sincerest thanks to Curtis and toJMWWeditorJen Michalski, who has her own gorgeous, intriguing new book out calledThe Summer She Was Under Water, brand new from Queens Ferry Press. It looks amazing, such a beautiful cover and evocative title. I can't wait to read it. Please check it out for yourself.