Author Archives:

AWP 2018

Late Last Night Books
13 MARCH 2018 AWP 2018

 

Amidst all of the chaos at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference in Tampa last week, I actually found some time to write up a somewhat humorous piece about the whole experience. Unfortunately, that document was left behind in the haste of re-packing my bags with almost no recovery time. I arrived home to the realization that we only had a few hours to spare before leaving for Mexico this week, so I don’t recall much of that clever insight. As disoriented as I was, I’m surprised I didn’t forget the laptop.

As all of the major events kicked off last Thursday, I was thrilled to speak with Michael Gills again as we met up for our afternoon fiction reading, “The Places America Forgot.” The audience was fantastic and I think everyone had a great time, even though we certainly missed hearing from our third reader, Jodi Angel, who couldn’t be there because of familial obligations.

Time is the Longest Distance

Late Last Night Books
13 JANUARY 2018 Time is the Longest Distance

Larry Fondation is the author of five books of fiction, all set primarily in the Los Angeles inner city.  Three of his books are illustrated by London-based artist Kate Ruth. He has written for publications as diverse as Flaunt Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, Fiction International and the Harvard Business Review.  He is a recipient of a Christopher Isherwood Fiction Fellowship.  Four of his books have been published in France. In French translation, his work was nominated for SNCF’s 2013 Prix du Polar.  His fifth U.S. book, Martyrs and Holymen, will appear in France in September 2018. His sixth book, Time Is the Longest Distance was released in December 2017. We recently discussed writing, L.A., and his new novel.

Literary Fall: An Interview with Liana Vrajitoru

Late Last Night Books
13 NOVEMBER 2017 Literary Fall: An Interview with Liana Vrajitoru

Liana Vrajitoru Andreasen is a scholar, professor, and writer from Romania who has been living and working in the United States for over twenty years. Her work has appeared in journals such as: Rampike, Alecart, Texas Review, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, The Romanian Journal for Artistic Creativity, Southwestern American Literature, The CEA Critic, American Book Review, Lumina, Fiction International, Calliope, The Raven Chronicles, The Willow Review, Mobius, a Journal of Social Change, Scintilla, and Weave Magazine. I recently enjoyed the opportunity to speak with her about her forthcoming critical book, The Fall of Literary Theory.

 Joseph Daniel Haske: Tell us about your new book, The Fall of Literary Theory. How long have you been working on it and what was the motivation/philosophy behind it?

A Conversation with Sue Harrison

Late Last Night Books
13 SEPTEMBER 2017 A Conversation with Sue Harrison

 

Recently, I caught up with Sue Harrison, author of numerous critically-acclaimed novels, including the best-selling Ivory Carver Trilogy (Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon, and Brother Wind), to talk about writing, nature, and finding literary inspiration in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Joseph Daniel Haske: We’ve never met in person, but as you know, I grew up about ten miles from where you live in the eastern Upper Peninsula, in the next town over. Home remains important to me in countless ways and it still significantly informs my writing, as I’m sure it does yours. What do you think are some of the major advantages and disadvantages of being a writer in northern Michigan?

Sue Harrison: You’re absolutely right, Joe, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula – my home since I was four years old – informs my writing in many ways.

A Conversation with Saikat Majumdar

Late Last Night Books
13 JULY 2017 A Conversation with Saikat Majumdar

I spoke with Saikat Majumdar last April about his recent novel, The Firebird, in an interview for the Los Angeles Review of Books and Scroll.in. With the 2017 release of the American version of the novel, I had the pleasure of catching up with the novelist and critic again for LLNB.

Joseph Daniel Haske: What have you been up to lately? It seems like you’ve been traveling quite a bit recently. What effect does this have on your writing, if any?

Saikat Majumdar: Yes, there has been quite a bit of travel and scene-shifting in my life lately. Currently I’m in Delhi where I direct the new Creative Writing Program of a liberal arts university here, Ashoka, and teach literature, critical theory, and fiction workshops.

Fiction Writers and Translation

Late Last Night Books
13 MAY 2017 Fiction Writers and Translation

American writers are often accused of literary insularity, so I’ve been doing my best lately to engage in more international, multi-lingual dialogue. Among other projects, I’ve been chipping away at a translation of a fantastic story collection by a very talented Chilean writer. Although I’ve done some translation work in the past, literary and otherwise, I haven’t taken on a project of this magnitude in quite a while, and it’s challenging to say the least. Literary translation can be time-consuming, stressful, and labor-intensive. If I translated more often, maybe I’d work more efficiently, but my current process often feels slow and laborious; I tend to obsess about all the minor details in much the same way as I fret about my own writing.

5/1/15 Guest Blogger Joseph D Haske, author of North Dixie Highway

Late Last Night Books
1 MAY 2015 5/1/15 Guest Blogger Joseph D Haske, author of North Dixie Highway

A significant turning point in my writing occurred when a fiction mentor reminded me that the simple concept of originality is a critical but often overlooked key to great writing. He said, of a story I’d just finished, “Yes, it’s good, very good. Well-written. But it sounds like Proust. Problem is, thousands of competent, contemporary writers sound like Proust.”