Allen Mendenhall
Author Interview - Allen Mendenhall
Author of A Glooming Peace This Morning
Narrated in the first person by “Cephas,” who recounts childhood events in the 1970s in the fictional town of Andalusia, within the fictional Magnolia County, A Glooming Peace This Morning tells the story of the improbable, forbidden love between Tommy Cox, who has an intellectual disability, and Sarah Warren, the darling of polite society. A mysterious illness brings Tommy and Sarah together. Their illicit relationship causes a heated trial that stirs up the entire town. His prosecution turns on whether he could have, under the law, formed the requisite intent to be found guilty of the crime for which he's charged. Cephas and his friends—chiefly Lump, Brett, and Michael—get into trouble as they struggle to come to terms with their growing knowledge of Tommy and Sarah’s intimate relationship. Along the way they learn about justice, truth, lust, and love, and meet wildly believable characters.
Author Interview - Allen Mendenhall
Author I draw inspiration from:
Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird; Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice; Tennessee Williams; Truman Capote
Author Interview - Allen Mendenhall | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My back porch, overlooking a lake.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I've been on three falling elevators. Either I'm susceptible to falling elevators, so nobody should ride one with me, or the probability of my being on yet another is so miniscule that, with me, you're guaranteed a smooth elevator ride. To be safe, though, I'd choose Merlin or Harry Potter as my elevator companion. Surely they could save us from a fall.
Author Interview - Allen Mendenhall | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I never had an epiphany about authorship, which, I think, struck me as a possibility only in gradual stages of awareness. As far back as I can remember, I loved books. At some unidentifiable point, I must have believed I could create my own. So I did.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardback books have the character of permanence in a world full of loss. I rarely listen to audiobooks because they cause my imagination to wander, and before I know it, I'm immersed in my own fantasy.
The last book I read:
"Democracy and Leadership" by Irving Babbitt, if you can believe it. I share with Babbitt a deep skepticism of utopianism, and I favor humility over rationality as our most promising guide.
Author Interview - Allen Mendenhall | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I prefer computer to pen because I can't read my own handwriting.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I'm not the "besty" type, but I'd enjoy a few drinks with Jim Dixon every now and then. He's a mess, but so am I. We'd have much to discuss, and probably many laughs, over cocktails.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
much better golfer
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Men look better in classic suits, which are great equalizers, making fat men look thin and skinny men look burly. Properly tailored suits emphasize the shoulders and chest, covering bellies and blemishes and projecting confidence and cleanliness. As our culture becomes more casual, men risk becoming uglier. We should revive the late 19th and early 20th century style of menswear!
Place I’d most like to travel:
I love the old cities. The older, the better.
My signature drink:
Before dinner, gin and tonic. Red wine with dinner. Bourbon on the rocks when drinking casually with friends and associates.
Favorite artist:
Vincent van Gogh
Number one on my bucket list:
I'm forty, so at least halfway dead. I want nothing more than to watch my children grow to be healthy and happy adults who contribute to society.
Find more from the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allen.mendenhall/
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/allenmendenhall
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allenmendenhall/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/literarylawyer/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe5CveXzOHbtvCpSbRgVKcA
About Allen Mendenhall:
Allen Mendenhall is a lawyer, university administrator, and author of several books. "A Glooming Peace This Morning" is his first novel. Visit his website at AllenMendenhall.com.
