Giano Cromley
Author Interview - Giano Cromley
Author of The Prince of Infinite Space
It is 1990 and, while the country stands on the brink of war with Iraq, Kirby Russo is finally at peace with the world. At seventeen years old, he's figured out some important lessons: how to stay out of trouble with the authorities; how to write muck-raking articles that expose the hypocrisy of said authorities; and, most importantly, how to avoid obsessing about his long lost girlfriend Izzy. But when a rich classmate snags the editorship of the school newspaper out from under him, Kirby knows his brief career as a conformist is over. An opportunity to reestablish his hell-raising bona fides arises when his long-lost father shows up with a shady past and a half-baked scheme. Together, they embark on a cross-country road trip to connect with a family he never knew, and maybe even track down Izzy. Kirby soon realizes, however, that life's biggest lessons – the ones that really matter – never happen according to plan.
Author Interview - Giano Cromley
Author I draw inspiration from: The authors I admire most tend to be good short story writers. After all, a great collection of short stories feels like a dozen small miracles, which for me is more impressive than a great novel which maybe pulls off one big miracle. For the past year, I've been involved in a fellowship where I had the good fortune to work closely with Karen Bender, whose short stories are some of the best I've ever read, and never fail to leave me in awe. I've drawn enormous inspiration from both her writing and her wisdom.
Author Interview - Giano Cromley | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: My favorite place to read a book is the comfy chair in our library reading nook. It's a beautiful alcove surrounded by windows that bring in so much natural light. I could read there all day if I didn't have other responsibilities. Although it should be noted that I often have to share this space with one or more dogs, since they're big fans of lazing in shafts of sunlight.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Stuck in an elevator with one literary companion, I'd choose Milo Milodragovitch, the hard-living detective from several James Crumley novels. For those who are unfamiliar with Crumley's books, Milo is an alcoholic, drug-addicted sleuth who sees the world through his own twisted code and does everything he can to live by it, despite the fact that it hurts more often than helps him. The stories he could tell while we waited for that elevator to get fixed would make those hours in cramped quarters fly by.
Author Interview - Giano Cromley | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: If there was a single moment when I knew this, I was so young I can't put my finger on it. Storytelling was something I've always felt compelled to do. It's almost involuntary. That's how I was able to keep going, especially early on, without a whiff of having anything published. The difference between a writer and someone who wants to be a writer is whether or not they keep putting words on the page.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: I prefer to read paperbacks, mostly for convenience and portability. But I have to admit I get a thrill every time I crack open a new hardback and feel the spine threads loosen.
The last book I read: The last book I read was American Indian Myths and Legends, edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz. I love reading myths and old stories, and this collection drew me in like few I've come across before. My book is dog-eared and stuffed with marginalia, and I find myself coming back to it over and over.
Author Interview - Giano Cromley | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: I'm a pen and paper writer. I have a variety of fountain pens which I select based on my particular mood. Once I find myself deep into a new project, I treat myself to a new fountain pen. So each pen I have is associated with a particular project I've worked on. I enjoy the ritual of cleaning the nibs, filling the reservoirs. The tactile scratch of the pen over good paper is a vital part of the ritual of writing.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: I'm a sucker for underdogs and for people trying to find or make a place for themselves in the world. In Fernanda Eberstadt's novel, Rat, her protagonist, Celia Bonnet, is just such a person. Known as Rat by her friends and family, she makes the audacious decision to run away and seek out her long lost father in order to protect her adoptive brother from an abusive home life. I found myself enthralled by her journey and the guts it took for her to undertake it. And I'd love to know how things turned out for her.
Author Interview - Giano Cromley | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: If I weren't a writer, I'd be doing something with my hands. I'm rarely happier than when I'm making something that's both beautiful and useful. Over the past several years, I've picked up woodworking as a hobby. These days, my time in the wood shop has become as important and fulfilling as my time at the writing desk.
Favorite decade in fashion history: 1970s. While I lived through most of that decade, I wasn't aware enough to appreciate the fashion. Now, though, it's a look that I naturally gravitate towards.
Place I’d most like to travel: There are so many places I'd love to visit. But my wife and I have been wanting to travel to Colombia for a long time. Much of her family lives there and we've been saying we'd visit for too long now.
My signature drink: Rye Manhattan on the rocks, with a splash more vermouth than most recipes call for.
Favorite artist: I'm a huge fan of John Nieto, who unfortunately passed away a couple years ago. Most of his work centers on Western and Native American themes. We have a couple of his prints in our house and they give me incredible joy whenever I walk past them.
Number one on my bucket list: So many things on the bucket list. I'd love to travel through Spain and the Pyrenees. I also want to take an extended road trip through the US towing a camper. But one crazy, long-term, dream item on the bucket list would be to find a piece of land way off the beaten path and build an off-grid cabin on it. I wouldn't want it to be a permanent living quarters, but it would serve as a retreat and refuge when the travails of outside world got to be too much.
Anything else you'd like to add: Thanks for hosting this interview. I really appreciate it.
Find more from the author:
twitter: @gianoc
instagram: @gianocromley
Author Bio: Giano Cromley is the author of the novel, The Last Good Halloween, and the story collection, What We Build Upon the Ruins, both of which were finalists for the High Plains Book Award. He is the recipient of an Artists Fellowship from the Illinois Arts Council, and is currently a BookEnds Fellow with Stony Brook University. He is an English professor at Kennedy-King College in Chicago, where he is chair of the Communications Department, and sits on the committee for the Center of Equity for Creative Arts.
