Raymond Fleischmann
Author Interview - Raymond Fleischmann
Author I draw inspiration from: I think I draw inspiration — in one way or another — from just about every author I read. But here are some that stand out: Truman Capote for the musicality of his sentences; Alice Munro for her mastery of time and summary; J.M. Coetzee for the efficiency of every word he writes; Annie Proulx for her evocations of place; Elizabeth Strout for the humanity of her characters; Ian McEwan for everything; Ottessa Moshfegh for her grotesque honesty; Richard Yates for his mastery of third-person perspective.
Author Interview - Raymond Fleischmann
Author
Favorite place to read a book: The wingback chair in my family room. My mother bought it for me as a present just before graduate school, and it remains my most comfortable place to read, in addition to my cat’s favorite place to sleep.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Olive Kitteridge. She’s perhaps the most thoroughly drawn-out character I’ve ever encountered, and it’d be amazing to meet her (though I feel like I already have).
Author Interview - Raymond Fleischmann
Author
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: My junior year of college. For the longest time, I had thought that I wanted to write comics, and to that end I signed up for a creative writing workshop to hone my narrative skills. What I found was that I far preferred writing prose fiction to writing scripts, and I’ve never looked back.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Hardback, for sure, though I do enjoy audiobooks.
The last book I read: Plainsong by Kent Haruf, which is quiet and careful and wonderful. I had read it once before, and the second time was just as rewarding as the first.
Author Interview - Raymond Fleischmann
Author
Pen & paper or computer: Computer. When I’m in the zone, typing is the only way to keep up with my thoughts.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Gimli from The Lord of Rings. Who wouldn’t want to be best friends with Gimli?
Author Interview - Raymond Fleischmann
Author
If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a: A musician. I think there’s a lot of similarities between music and writing, and for years I played the guitar and took it very seriously.
Favorite decade in fashion history: The 1960s, though this doesn’t reflect my own fashion choices in the least.
Place I’d most like to travel: A tiny village in Scotland or Ireland.
My signature drink: A glass of cabernet sauvignon.
Favorite artist: Edward Hopper. There’s a narrative quality to his paintings that’s very inspiring. I have several framed prints of his paintings in my house.
Number one on my bucket list: To take an early retirement, move to the aforementioned tiny village in Scotland or Ireland, and write and read into the ever-after.
Author Interview - Raymond Fleischmann
Author
