Gary Eldon Peter
Author Interview - Gary Eldon Peter
Author of The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen
Set on a small and struggling family dairy operation in southern Minnesota, The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen follows fifteen-year-old Carl as he confronts his crush on Andy Olnan, a handsome and confident but secretive “city boy” recently transplanted to farm life from Minneapolis, who may or may not share the same feelings. At the same time, Carl and his father clash over the future of their farm, a legacy of Carl’s late mother: how do they honor her dream for the family while also ensuring financial security? Carl discovers his own resilience in the face of grief, adult-sized decisions, and unrequited love, and along the way learns to cope with both the challenges and rewards of being different.
Author Interview - Gary Eldon Peter
Author I draw inspiration from: Raymond Carver, Alice Munro, Jhumpa Lahiri, too many others to count.
Author Interview - Gary Eldon Peter | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: Sitting in a cabin with a view of Lake Superior.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Any character from an Edith Wharton novel who would have a lot of gossip to share.
Author Interview - Gary Eldon Peter | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: It's hard to pick a moment...I think I just always knew I would be someday.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: paperback.
The last book I read: The Femme Fatale Hypothesis, David R. Roth, a wonderfully crafted novel from my publisher Regal House. Highly recommended!
Author Interview - Gary Eldon Peter | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: I go back and forth...sometimes I really like that feeling of pen on paper when I'm writing, other times drafting on the computer seems better. I go with whatever I'm feeling at the moment.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: I think I would have hit it off with Dill from To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Author Interview - Gary Eldon Peter | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I went to law school so maybe a lawyer (again), but hopefully something else creative...maybe something in show business, behind the scenes.
Favorite decade in fashion history: 1970s
Place I’d most like to travel: I never get tired of Italy, especially Florence.
My signature drink: Coffee!
Favorite artist: Picasso
Find more from the author:
garyeldonpeter.com (my web site)
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/gary.peter.79/)
Twitter (https://twitter.com/garygep)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/geldpeter/)
Author Bio: Gary Eldon Peter is the author of two works of fiction: Oranges, a linked short story collection published by New Rivers Press, and the novel The Complicated Calculus (and Cows) of Carl Paulsen, published by Fitzroy Books/Regal House and winner of the Acheven Book Prize for Young Adult Fiction. Oranges received the Gold Medal for LGBT+ fiction in the Independent Publisher Book Awards, the Midwest Book Award, and was a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award and the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. His work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies and has been performed on the public radio program Selected Shorts. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota. You can learn more about Gary and his work at garyeldonpeter.com
