Author Jonathan Evison Answers Questions

Jonathan Evison, author of the forthcoming novel West of Here, kindly took the time to answer a few of my questions about his work...

LR: To me this book feels like an attempt at writing your very own great American novel, with its epic proportions and scope, the exploration of the West, man vs. nature, and so forth. Am I right about this? Did you have other models, perhaps some American classics, in mind? Why is it I keep thinking about Gatsby when I read your book?


JE: Gatsby, huh? Interesting. I suppose some of my nineteenth century characters like Mather and Thornburgh are chasing the green light, so to speak, so I can see that. Whitman and Emerson were on my mind a lot while I was writing and researching West of Here, and I guess it doesn't get much more American than that. Foreign publishers are beginning to come around, but at first they all opined that the book was "too big" and" too American", which made me sorta' perversely proud, because yeah, I set out to write a big American novel.


LR: Who do you think is your ideal reader? Do you think this book skews more toward a particular gender?

JE: I'd drive myself crazy if I thought about any reader beyond myself-- which has been pretty convenient over the long haul, since having readers beyond myself is still a relatively new phenomenon. That said, I never forget the reader, er, um, that is, I never forget myself.


LR: How does it feel right now, a few weeks pre-pub? Are you excited? Nervous? Going on tour?


JE: Starting in mid-February, I do like 28 events in 20 cities in 31 days, or something insane like that. I'm afraid to look at my itinerary. It promises to be exhilarating and exhausting. BTW, anyone know any good bars in Salt Lake City?


LR: Have you started a next book yet? If so, can you tell us anything about it?

JE: My next novel, The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, is finished and will be published by Algonquin, probably in 2013. I would characterize it as a novel of the heart. I'm working on a new book, too, but it's too early to frame it.


LR: What are your writing habits? Do you have a strict routine or is it more random?


JE: I have an 18 month old boy, and he's a real pistol, thus my writing routine is sporadic at the moment, but I make time daily, and it it usually comes out of my sleep. I've developed some new and highly efficient habits. Like texting myself ideas ten times a day, or carrying my manuscript around with me, or a notebook--everything short of writing while I drive.


LR: How did your book find its way to Algonquin (a wonderful press and known for fine literary fiction)?


JE: Algonquin was one of a handful of houses who made offers. They were not the highest bidder, but I felt they were the best publisher, and they've proved me right time and again. It's inspiring to watch a team of publishers work so effectively together. I truly can't imagine a better publisher, both in terms of publishing practices and editorial voice.


LR: I love the story you told about how you burned your many rejection notes and got your book accepted by a publisher 3 weeks later. Sounds very Feng Shui. Any advice on dealing with rejection for other writers?


JE: If rejection notices are anything more than a minor annoyance, it's time to ask yourself why you're doing this. I licked envelopes and wrote query letters for over a decade, simply as a matter of due diligence. I write because I must. Everything after that is an act of conceit. Don't get me wrong, I'm conceited, but that's not why I do the work. I do the work to discover. That said, I highly encourage writers to throw their rejection letters away unless they offer some sort of substantive editorial insight. It can't possibly help the cause to have all that rejection nearby. I guess that is pretty Feng Shui. I should go clean my office.