Songs from the Phenomenal Nothing
Steven Luna
It's just me and him. Him and me. A man I can't comprehend, designated by the universe as my father but someone I prefer to call Tom, and a kid he can't relate to but calls son anyway because he's determined to try. I really wish he'd just call me Tyler. He probably wishes I'd call him Dad. But I'm not comfortable with that at this point. Our differences and our lack of mutual understanding are the only things we seem to agree on. And even those get heated sometimes. Seriously, it's a miracle that we haven't hurt each other yet. I'm not sure how much longer we can hold out. *** Seventeen year-old guitar prodigy Tyler Mills has become lost in the aftermath of his mother's death. Disconnected more and more from his father, he takes refuge from it all in two things: his music and his girlfriend. But everything changes with the chance discovery of his mother's journal-and the long-held family secret within that could alter his life forever.(less) Paperback,
172 pages
Published August 31st 2013 by Booktrope Editions
Where are you from?
I’m originally from Brooklyn, but I’ve lived in Arizona
since I was two. Somehow, in spite of my desert setting and my limited
exposure to the city, pieces of the Brooklyn spirit remains…probably
because it lived on in my father for thirty-five years after we left.
When and why did you begin writing? I started writing beyond school
assignments when I was about twelve. Poems and short works, just to get
a feel for using words. That turned into song lyrics and comic book scripts,
which turned into short stories, which eventually gave me the courage to try
plotting novels.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Oddly enough, they’re all children’s books: Where the Wild Things Are, Where the
Sidewalk Ends, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Grimms Fairy Tales,
Holes. As a storyteller, I think my creative life has been equally influenced
by film and television, especially animated works. In that discipline, there’s
a total dependency on strong storytelling portrayed using no human actors
on screen. When it’s done right, it’s spectacular. I think I’ve tapped into that
a lot in developing my writing methods.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
The two people I can say have had true impact on my writing style would
be Jane Wagner, a playwright who wrote the brilliant Search for Signs of
Intelligent Life in the Unverse, and the hilarious Joel Stein, columnist for
Time and the LA Times. Both of their styles have moved me in the direction
of the writing form that I use now. I’m not sure where the dramatic elements
come from…they’re probably an amalgamation of everything I’ve read that
isn’t humor.
What book are you reading now?
The Naked Way by Chris Henry,
a beautifully written fictional story about the grunge scene in the early
nineties, and Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs. I’m also reading
some research materials for a new novel I’m working on about a girl who
grows up in a cult.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Many of
the best new authors out there today are independent authors either self-
pubbing or working with small-house publishers. Many of my favorites are
also friends of mine. Jesse James Freeman writes brilliant urban fiction
with grand mythological themes; Marni Mann is a master of dark fiction and
compelling, heartbreaking characters. And T.M. Frazier, who’s gritty novel
The Dark Light of Day is tearing up the charts, does a phenomenal job of
stripping her characters down to their foibles and flaws while making your
heart break as you fall in love with them. All exciting new talents; everyone
should check them out.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about
their work?
One of my favorites is a British author by the name of Frances
Hardinge. She has the most amazing talent for description I’ve ever read,
and her characters live and breathe in a way that I’ve rarely seen. I’m
also a huge fan of Neil Gaiman’s dry wit and David Sedaris’ hilarious self-
description.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Making sure that
Tyler’s voice rang true. He’s a very honest kid, and I wanted him to feel like
a genuine seventeen year-old, full of attitude and confusion and growing
self-awareness. The greatest complements I’ve received about the book
mention how realistic his voice is.
Have you been an avid reader your entire life?
Yes, indeed. I learned to
read when I was four years old, and read everything I could get my hands
on. I haven’t stopped since (except to write books…I rarely read while I’m
writing.)
What character in your books do you relate to most?
All of them. If I can’t relate to a character, it doesn’t occur to me to write about them. In
Songs, I relate more to Tyler than I do to his father, though being the father
of a sixteen year-old, I can fully relate to the father aspects, too. In the Joe
Vampire books, I relate most to Joe. His voice is an amped-up version
of my general conversational tone. I feel as if, in writing my books, I’m
focusing on an aspect of my personality as it relates to the world around
me and as it might be recognized by anyone who reads it. Then I blow
that aspect up into a new person until it becomes a fleshed-out figure with
other characteristics that are nothing like mine. The contrast fascinates
me, and is what drives me to write fiction rather than memoirs or personal
anecdotes.
What is your favorite sport to watch and or play?
Not a big sports fan, but I love watching my son play football. He’s a fanatic. His enthusiasm for
the sport is pretty contagious.
Favorite Movie?
Stranger than Fiction is my favorite from recent years. Quirky, funny, moving and well-written with strong characters…all the stuff I
love.
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate, the darker the better.
Puppy's or Kittens?
Kittens in pictures; puppies in real life.
Beach or Mountains?
Beachmountains (I like them both equally).
If you could be a color, what color would you be?
Green…it’s total
energy, which I could use a bit of most days.
Favorite Dessert? Banana cheesecake…my wife makes one like nobody
else.
If you could be a book character, what character would you be?
I’d be Max from Where the Wild Things Are. That kid is all id, tearing it up on the
island and making it back by dinner time. He’s living the dream.
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