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An Interview with a Mojo Storyteller (Mr. Joe
R. Lansdale talks about martial arts, collaboration, and going it alone) With his often humorous
take on the horror and sci-fi genres, Joe R. Lansdale has been a cult
favorite writer for many years. His forays into supernatural westerns and his
rough and tumble style of GHOTI: I've noticed a
strong moral element in your work. For example, outspoken racists and sexists
tend not to do well in Joe R. Lansdale stories. Do you consciously try to
instill your work with moral overtones? JRL: I mostly find it's unconscious,
and just happens. But sometimes, it's by design. GHOTI: Tell me about
your early life, if you don't mind–when did you first seriously decide to
become a writer? What led to this decision? JRL: I was nine years old. I loved books immediately. My
father couldn't read or write, and my mother had an eleventh grade education,
but she too loved books, and my father encouraged my love of them. He knew
how hard not being able to read and write had made his life. GHOTI: There are
numerous references to martial arts in your work-in the way characters handle
themselves when fighting, and you've talked about martial arts before. Can
you sum up some basic ideas of Shen Chuan? What
drew you to martial arts? Has it helped you as a writer? JRL: I began training when I was 12, with my father, boxing
and wrestling, self-defense, and later I trained in the Asian arts and
others. Shen Chuan was founded, under another name,
in the early 90's and has developed over the years into the current system.
Basically, do only what is necessary, and do it with economy of motion and
will full intent. Like writing. GHOTI: You've written
for comic books, you've written for television (namely the Batman and Superman animated series). How did you cross over into TV and
comic books? Was this something you actively pursued? What got you interested
in comics and animated shows? Anything new we can expect in these mediums? JRL: I always wanted to work in these mediums, and as fate
would have it, thank goodness, I never really had to work to get into them. I
was asked. And I did it. I was asked, of course, because of the prose, short
stories and novels. GHOTI: What did you
think of the film adaptation of Bubba Hotep? Any more films in the making? JRL: I love the adaptation of Bubba Hotep. There are other books and
stories of mine under option, and I've written a screenplay for Ridley and
Tony Scott's company, Scott Free.
It's based on my novel The Big Blow,
and I'm hopeful. James Robinson has done a very good script of The Bottoms, so I'm hopeful there as
well. I'm supposed to do the script for A
Fine Dark Line later this year. A short story of mine, Incident On and Off a Mountain Road,
was filmed for Showtime and will be
part of thirteen episodes under the title Masters
of Horror, due out in October. I'm not sure when the episode based on my
story plays. It's directed by my friend Don Coscarelli
who did Bubba Hotep.
Written by Stephen Romano, another Texan. GHOTI: I've noticed that
some of your novels, for example The
Bottoms, A Fine Dark Line, and Sunset & Sawdust have been set several decades in the past.
What draws you to these earlier times? Do you have a preference between
writing period pieces or modern stories? JRL: I like it all, but lately the historical stuff has really
been a pull. Maybe I'm sick of the present. But mostly it's just my usual
following the muse. Or rather whipping the muse in shape. I don't believe in
waiting on the muse. They may be on holiday. I can't afford to go on holiday.
I have kids in college. GHOTI: You have a massive body of work-over a dozen
novels, several hundred short stories, comic books,
the list goes on and on. I'm sure you must have faced some hardships getting
your work out there over the years. Any horror stories from the publishing
world you'd like to share? JRL: Mostly I just had the same problems any new writer has,
though some of the early stuff was thought "shocking", though it
doesn't seem that way now. This was short-lived, however, and I've had very
little trouble seeing my work in print, which surprises even me, considering
what some of it was about. GHOTI: Do you still encounter the same obstacles
that you did early on? Or has it gotten easier? JRL: It's much easier. I can sell whatever I write now, and usually to the first place I send it. But, I
primarily do stories I'm asked to do if the fee is right, and I want to do
the story. I write what I like and what I want to do. I like a challenge,
however. Thinking about doing some on spec stories in the future. GHOTI: You mentioned, I
believe in the short story collection Bumper
Crop, that in order to make a living as a writer when you were starting
out, you wrote stories and sent them out 'as fast as you could think of
them,' some of them going directly 'from the typewriter into an envelope.'
How successful were you at this? I mean, did this lead to a lot of
publications for you? How long did it take to pay off? JRL: It worked pretty well. I sold all of them,
though not first crack out of the box on all. They sold, however. Some of
those that didn't is because I withdrew them. But a
number of those have been collected in two volumes of old material by a small
press, Subterranean. They were books for my fans. The books did well. GHOTI: What's your definition of a successful writer? JRL: One who writes and enjoys it. But it's very nice if you
can make a living at it as well. And do good quality
work. I have much more respect for the professional writer than the writer
who does a book ever five or ten years. More power to them, but, I like the
pros. GHOTI: Who are you
reading? Who got/gets you writing? JRL: Truman Capote's Complete Stories. Doctorow's
new novella collection. And, Robert E. Howard's Conan stories. That's quite a
mixed bag. A lot of different writers get me writing. Capote is great. I like
Flannery O'Conner, early and middle Bradbury. Hemingway, more for the prose
than the stories. Fitzgerald--mostly The
Great Gatsby. Steinbeck. Lots of authors. GHOTI: Any more Leonard
and Hap novels on the way? JRL: That's the plan, in the near future. I'm giving them a
rest. All they've been through, they need it. GHOTI: I've noticed stories in Bumper Crop and elsewhere credited to your wife Karen Lansdale,
and your children, as well as Neil Barrett. What is it about the
collaborative process that appeals to you? Are these projects you search out,
or do they just happen? JRL: Collaboration doesn't appeal to me, but I've done it a
few times. Sometimes it's just right, but most of the time it isn't. I'm
collaborating with my friend Neal Barrett, Jr. on screenplays these days. But
I don't really care that much about them. My son and I may collaborate on
something soon, and there's another friend that may work with me. But, it's
not my favorite way of working. I work best alone. GHOTI: Any closing
thoughts? JRL: Enjoy life. It's the only one you get. -CL Bledsoe |