Geoff asked Jacob M. Appel:

I have my guesses on this, but I would love to know who inspires your writing?

Jacob M. Appel If you mean which writers influence my writing (which incidentally is a trade secret) I'd have to start with Dr. Seuss and Proust. My goal is to write a book that is precisely half-Seussian, half-Proustian. I'm also greatly indebted to John Fowles, Kingsley Amis, Graham Greene and Willa Cather, all of whom are great models for pacing and structure. And then there's a whole cadre of brilliant magical realists like Robert Olen Butler, Kevin Brockmeier, Chris Adrian, Elizabeth Graver -- and the truly unclassifiable Dan Chaon. That's a start, at least.

As for inspiration -- it's all about that girl who turned me down for a date at sixteen. If she reads one of my stories and looks back with even an ounce of regret, I've won the day....

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