Ellis Shuman
Author Interview - Ellis Shuman
Author of Rakiya - Stories of Bulgaria
Bulgaria, probably a country you know little about. Allow me to introduce Bulgaria with a collection of short stories in which you'll hear the voices of native Bulgarians as well as see the country through the eyes of those visiting Bulgaria for the first time. You'll experience Bulgaria's unique rich history and traditions and explore the country's picturesque villages and stunning nature. You'll get a virtual taste of Bulgarian cuisine topped off with the country's traditional alcoholic drink – rakiya.
In the twelve stories of Rakiya, you'll meet a mother pickpocketing tourists in order to support her daughter. An elderly war veteran ashamed of his actions during the Holocaust. Two brothers hunting a killer bear. A Syrian refugee working in a Sofia bakery. A femme fatale disappearing at an international writers’ conference. And two neighbors competing to see who makes the best alcoholic drink.
Author Interview - Ellis Shuman
Author I draw inspiration from:
Many authors have inspired me over the years. During high school, I eagerly read every novel and short story written by Kurt Vonnegut. My favorites were "Cat's Cradle" and "The Sirens of Titan". My high school thesis was devoted to Vonnegut and I remember writing to his publicist and receiving an autographed copy of "Wampeters, Foma and Granfalloons" - his non-fiction collection of essays.
Next, I became a big fan of John Irving, especially enjoying his novels "The World According to Garp" and "The Hotel New Hampshire", but also his earlier work, "Setting Free the Bears" and "The Water-Method Man". As an aspiring author the thing I most admired about John Irving was his statement that he wrote the ending first, and then he created the plot for his novel, a story that would reach that concluding line. When I write, I too envision where the plot will take me in the end, and then my creative process brings me there eventually.
And one other author I must mention – Haruki Murakami. I'm not sure when I started reading his novels and short stories, but certainly "Norwegian Wood" was one of the first. I once made myself a list of seven reasons why I enjoyed reading Murakami. Among the reasons were that the settings in Murakami's stories are realistic, yet anything can happen. At one point, the bookshelf in my home included every Murakami book translated into English, but in subsequent years, my collection was built with digital copies as well.
Author Interview - Ellis Shuman | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I wish I had more time to read, but there are only so many hours in a day. I get up very early in order to catch the train to work and utilize my journey for reading. I do the same on the return journey, knowing that when I get into bed at the end of the day, I will be too tired to read.
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I've wanted to be an author all my life. When I was a boy, my father was an editor at the local newspaper and he encouraged me, during my summer vacations, to publish a neighborhood newspaper. The Sunset Circle News was born. Along with my sister as co-editor, I knocked on one neighbor's door after another, asking if they had any news to share and what were their summer plans. Each summer I published one mimeographed edition, selling copies for ten cents each. Sometimes my newspaper had advertisements – those I sold for twenty-five cents.
In high school, I wrote a number of short stories; none of them have survived. After getting married, I began in earnest to write the great American novel, except I lived in Israel, so I guess I was seeking to write the great Israeli novel, even though I wrote in English, my native language, and not in Hebrew, the official language of the country I lived in.
I remember approaching a literary agent in Jerusalem in person with my first novel, and she politely rejected it, saying it needed more work. After additional failed attempts to write novels, the manuscripts of which I stored in some virtual drawer on my computer, I focused on a collection of short stories themed on kibbutz life in Israel. "The Virtual Kibbutz" was my first, self-published book.
My job in online marketing was relocated from Tel Aviv to Sofia, Bulgaria, for two years (2009-2010) and my wife and I utilized our free time to explore the country. We visited the picturesque villages. We learned about Bulgaria’s colorful culture and history. We toured Plovdiv and Varna, and the famous Rila Monastery. We dined on nutritious Bulgarian cuisine and made many new friends. And all this without learning anything more than basic Bulgarian.
After resuming my job in Israel, I couldn’t stop thinking about Bulgaria. But I soon found that I was able to return to Bulgaria every single day – in my writing. It was my writing about Bulgaria, based on my experiences there, that really got my creative juices flowing.
I published my novel "Valley of Thracians" (January 2013). The book is a suspenseful tale of a Peace Corps volunteer who goes missing in Bulgaria, and of his grandfather who launches a search for him against all odds. My second novel "The Burgas Affair" (published in Bulgarian in 2016 by Ciela, and in English in 2017) is a fictional account of the aftermath of the 2012 terrorist bombing in Burgas, in which five Israelis were killed in the blast, along with their Bulgarian bus driver.
Pen & paper or computer:
I do most of my writing in coffeeshops. I wrote an entire novel by hand, sitting in a Starbucks outlet in Tel Aviv. That writing was done at the end of my work day, but later I gravitated to early morning writing. (And for those who are asking, Starbucks no longer operates in Israel).
When I arrive in Tel Aviv after my early morning train ride, I don't go straight to work. Instead, I sit down for a cup of cappuccino and fire up my laptop (no more writing by hand for me). I allot myself a good 45 minutes a day for writing. I wish I could linger longer with my writing and my coffee, but work is work, and I have to report to the office.
Two things about my writing process. First of all, I come up with many of my ideas at odd hours, including in my sleep. Or, when I'm walking or running on the treadmill in the gym. Or even while watching television. I often jot down ideas in my phone, sending myself text messages.
The other thing about my writing process is that I enjoy editing more than writing. Writing is what gets one's ideas onto paper (or rather onto the computer screen). But editing makes those ideas, those words and scenes, dialogues and plots, come alive. Each time I edit a story, I can visually see it getting better and better. In fact, I will probably have edited this paragraph numerous times before submitting it.
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I have done many different things in my career, and enjoyed each of them at that stage of my life. I drove a tractor and harvested crops of tomatoes, peppers, and onions in the fields of a kibbutz in Israel's southern desert. I milked cows and helped give birth to baby calves. I worked in the hotel industry, serving for one year as the Food and Beverage Controller at the Jerusalem Hilton. I was a tour guide for a short time, leading high school youth on treks to the top of Mt. Sinai. I was the webmaster of a Jerusalem-based financial company, followed by four years serving as Editor in Chief of an Israeli news website. Today, I work in online marketing, but the real joy of my work day is starting it with a cup of cappuccino and my laptop.
Place I’d most like to travel:
During the two years we lived in Sofia, my wife and I traveled all over the Balkans. We had pleasant vacations in Romania, Macedonia, and Serbia. We visited Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, and Bosnia. And although we traveled all over Bulgaria, I would love to go back. There is so much more in the country that I haven't seen!
My signature drink:
For many, many years, including at the start of my married life, I didn't eat chocolate, drink coffee or beer, and I didn't have any bad habits at all. Today I gladly eat chocolate, drink 3 cups of coffee a day, and maybe one or two beers a week, in addition to a glass or two of red wine. Yet, I believe I still have no bad habits.
Anything else you'd like to add:
I find it exciting, in my writing, to share my life in Israel and also my appreciation and gratitude for having been given two years to experience life in Bulgaria. The stories of "Rakiya – Stories of Bulgaria" are told from the perspective of native Bulgarians, but also of those visiting Bulgaria for the first time. My hope is that the book will appeal to both audiences. Bulgarians get excited when authors write about their country, and there are readers who enjoy fiction set in 'exotic' locations. I hope my stories portray the stunning nature, history, cultures and traditions of Bulgaria so that readers will consider visiting the country in the future.
Find more from the author:
https://ellisshuman.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @ellisshuman
https://www.facebook.com/ellisshumanauthor
About Ellis Shuman:
Author Interview - Ellis Shuman
Ellis Shuman is an American-born Israeli author, travel writer, and book reviewer. His writing has appeared in The Jerusalem Post, The Times of Israel, and The Huffington Post. His short fiction has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has appeared in Isele Magazine, Vagabond, The Write Launch, Esoterica, Jewish Literary Journal, San Antonio Review, and other literary publications. He is the author of "The Virtual Kibbutz", "Valley of Thracians", "The Burgas Affair", and "Rakiya".
