It gives me very great pleasure to welcome Anthony Neil Smith onto the website today. Anthony is the author of numerous crime novels, including the Billy Lafitte series, All the Young Warriors, Worm, and Slow Bear. He is the co-creator of the late great noir zine Plots with Guns, and has had many of his own short stories published in lit mags, anthologies, and crime zines. He teaches English and Creative Writing at Southwest Minnesota State University. He likes Mexican food, tequila, and Italian exploitation flicks.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Anthony.
Anthony: Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, got a PhD in Creative Writing from Southern Miss. Since then, I've been up north, Michigan for a few years, and then Minnesota, where I'm a professor of English. I think I was writing as early as second grade. I loved books. Discovered the Hardy Boys and Three Investigators, and they set me on the crime writing road. Of course, then I was heavy into comic books for a long time, then wanted to be a rock star, and then I came back to writing through hard-boiled and noir novels. The one-two punch was reading James Ellroy's WHITE JAZZ and seeing PULP FICTION not too far apart from each other. I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life. Write pulp noir...
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Anthony: I've always been more interested in the Why-dunit than the who. And also, the consequences of the awful things people do to each other. I'd say I write "gonzo noir" most of the time, inspired by Ellroy, Crumley, Chester Himes, and Jim Thompson. I like it to go off the rails. Can't say readers should expect realism from most of my stuff. The reason I like noir and crime fiction is because it's much more vivid and dangerous than the real world. There's a simultaneous glamorizing of awful things and fear of them. On one side, we want to root for the good guys, but on the other, there's a fascination with the criminals.
I also tend to keep going back to the theme of starting over. My characters want to run away, being again. Or they have already run away and are now facing the consequences. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's a secret desire, unconscious. I certainly would rather keep writing books and teaching, but I'm curious about people trying to escape.
Alex: Tell us a bit about yourself, Anthony.
Anthony: Born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, got a PhD in Creative Writing from Southern Miss. Since then, I've been up north, Michigan for a few years, and then Minnesota, where I'm a professor of English. I think I was writing as early as second grade. I loved books. Discovered the Hardy Boys and Three Investigators, and they set me on the crime writing road. Of course, then I was heavy into comic books for a long time, then wanted to be a rock star, and then I came back to writing through hard-boiled and noir novels. The one-two punch was reading James Ellroy's WHITE JAZZ and seeing PULP FICTION not too far apart from each other. I knew that was what I wanted to do with my life. Write pulp noir...
Alex: How would you describe your writing, and are there particular themes that you like to explore?
Anthony: I've always been more interested in the Why-dunit than the who. And also, the consequences of the awful things people do to each other. I'd say I write "gonzo noir" most of the time, inspired by Ellroy, Crumley, Chester Himes, and Jim Thompson. I like it to go off the rails. Can't say readers should expect realism from most of my stuff. The reason I like noir and crime fiction is because it's much more vivid and dangerous than the real world. There's a simultaneous glamorizing of awful things and fear of them. On one side, we want to root for the good guys, but on the other, there's a fascination with the criminals.
I also tend to keep going back to the theme of starting over. My characters want to run away, being again. Or they have already run away and are now facing the consequences. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's a secret desire, unconscious. I certainly would rather keep writing books and teaching, but I'm curious about people trying to escape.
Alex: Are you a writer that plans a detailed synopsis or do you set out with a vague idea and let the story unfold as you write?
Anthony: I wrote a detailed synopsis for one (ALL THE YOUNG WARRIORS), and it really worked out nicely. I mean, it didn't sell to the Big 5 in NYC, but we got it in front of a lot of readers. But for all the rest, I might jot down some notes, but not the full story. I figure it out as I go. And lately, it's taken several years for the story to "bake" in my head until I'm ready to write it. Once I start writing, it takes about a year, sometimes a little less, to write a first draft.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Anthony: My most recent is a novella called SLOW BEAR, from Fahrenheit 13. I wrote about a bad rez cop in a book called WORM and thought he was fascinating, so I wrote this novella book about him. He's lost his arm, lost his job, and ends up doing some stupid shit that leads to stupider shit. He ends up getting his favorite bartender, Lady, in a lot of trouble, and he loses his head trying to get her back. It's pretty much just offensive and profane and a lot of fun.
My next one is called THE BUTCHER'S PRAYER, a swampy "Pentecostal" noir set on the Mississippi Coast in the 90s. There was a murder back then that haunted me for a long time, and I've always wanted to write some fiction inspired by it. So this is what I've come up with. A fallen preacher turned police detective, a butcher in a bad situation, and a lunatic on the run.
Anthony: I wrote a detailed synopsis for one (ALL THE YOUNG WARRIORS), and it really worked out nicely. I mean, it didn't sell to the Big 5 in NYC, but we got it in front of a lot of readers. But for all the rest, I might jot down some notes, but not the full story. I figure it out as I go. And lately, it's taken several years for the story to "bake" in my head until I'm ready to write it. Once I start writing, it takes about a year, sometimes a little less, to write a first draft.
Alex: Tell us about your latest novel.
Anthony: My most recent is a novella called SLOW BEAR, from Fahrenheit 13. I wrote about a bad rez cop in a book called WORM and thought he was fascinating, so I wrote this novella book about him. He's lost his arm, lost his job, and ends up doing some stupid shit that leads to stupider shit. He ends up getting his favorite bartender, Lady, in a lot of trouble, and he loses his head trying to get her back. It's pretty much just offensive and profane and a lot of fun.
My next one is called THE BUTCHER'S PRAYER, a swampy "Pentecostal" noir set on the Mississippi Coast in the 90s. There was a murder back then that haunted me for a long time, and I've always wanted to write some fiction inspired by it. So this is what I've come up with. A fallen preacher turned police detective, a butcher in a bad situation, and a lunatic on the run.
Alex: What was the first book you read?
Anthony: Well, the first serious book I read was a Hardy Boys book in second grade. THE GHOST AT SKELETON ROCK. I saw it in the school library. The Boys were in a plane that looked like it was about to crash. I had to know how that turned out. But those books led me to The Three Investigators series, which were a lot better. THE SECRET OF TERROR CASTLE was the first of those.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Anthony: Depends on the book, on the subject, on a number of things. I read a lot about a subject I'm not sure about, and I watch YouTube videos. I don't think I'd write about something if I didn't think I could imagine it well enough. Although now that I say that, I probably have anyway. Some people get immersed in research, some want to do as little as possible. I'm somewhere in the middle, I guess. And then, a lot of my own life experiences, or those of people I've known, get filtered through the fiction machine in my head. In the end, I want to tell interesting stories about characters - but I'm not a documentarian, not a sociologist or field researcher or whatever. I don't write about "issues." I write stories about characters and what they want.
Anthony: Well, the first serious book I read was a Hardy Boys book in second grade. THE GHOST AT SKELETON ROCK. I saw it in the school library. The Boys were in a plane that looked like it was about to crash. I had to know how that turned out. But those books led me to The Three Investigators series, which were a lot better. THE SECRET OF TERROR CASTLE was the first of those.
Alex: How much research do you do and what does it usually entail?
Anthony: Depends on the book, on the subject, on a number of things. I read a lot about a subject I'm not sure about, and I watch YouTube videos. I don't think I'd write about something if I didn't think I could imagine it well enough. Although now that I say that, I probably have anyway. Some people get immersed in research, some want to do as little as possible. I'm somewhere in the middle, I guess. And then, a lot of my own life experiences, or those of people I've known, get filtered through the fiction machine in my head. In the end, I want to tell interesting stories about characters - but I'm not a documentarian, not a sociologist or field researcher or whatever. I don't write about "issues." I write stories about characters and what they want.
Alex: Do you ever base your characters on people you have encountered in real life?
Anthony: Oh, hell yes. Maybe not exactly, but more like composites. That's the great thing about fiction, being able to use *everything* from life to make stories. And of course, I exaggerate, I change physical features, I change basic details, mix them with other things. I don't want my characters to be too close to any real people, though. I want them to stand on their own.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Anthony: I don't know, it's such an unfair question. I read SO many books and have so many great experiences with them, I don't like to just single out one of anything. I hate being left out of lists at the end of the year (especially "friends" lists), so I'm hesitant to make my own and do the same thing to other writers. Follow me on Twitter, and you'll see how much I promote good books, though.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Anthony: I tell people on Twitter, and hope to hell all 2300 followers will buy it. But they all don't. I also try to promote a lot on Instagram, too. I wish the publishers would do more to push them. But so far, I've worked with small presses who can't afford much. I don't get carried in physical bookstores a lot anymore, so I depend on Amazon and direct sales via my two current publishers (Fahrenheit 13 and Down & Out Books). I hope for good word of mouth. But If I have to spend more than I have coming in to move more copies, well, that's not feasible. So yeah, Twitter and Instagram.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing?
Anthony: I used to play a lot of guitar, not as much anymore. I used to ride my bike a lot, but it's been a while. I need to get back on the bike. I like to cook Mexican food, I love grilling and smoking meats, and I enjoy sipping top-shelf tequila every now and then. I read a LOT and I collect a ton of books. Not collectibles. I don't go for signed copies or expensive stuff anymore.
The greatest thing my wife and I like to do is travel, though. I've been to Scotland, Ireland, England, Italy, Iceland, Mexico, Canada, and quite a few places in the US. 2020 was hard for us because of the travel restrictions, but we're glad to get back on the road this year.
Alex: And what do you do to unwind?
Anthony: Listen to music (which I also do when writing), watch a lot of blu rays, lately a lot of Italian crime flicks from the 70s, Asian pulp films, old exploitation movies. Sit on my back deck and read.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Anthony: Well, the biggest influences I've had were "The James Gang" - James Ellroy, James Crumley, James Lee Burke. And Chester Himes, Jim Thompson, Walter Mosley, Elmore Leonard, George Pelecanos, and pretty much any author ever published on Black Lizard, too.
Special mentions: Don Winslow has had a huge impact on me the last few years. THE FORCE is masterful, and SAVAGES is beyond cool. Richard Price is pretty important to me, too. CLOCKERS, SAMARITAN, LUSH LIFE, so many brilliant books. Vicki Hendricks has been a great influence and friend. MIAMI PURITY is one of the best noir novels of all time. All her books are insane.
I could go on. I particularly admire hundreds of writers.
Alex: Thank you so much, Anthony for sharing all this with our readers. It's been facinating listening to you, and great to hear so many authors who haven't previously been mentioned in these pages. I shall have to check them out.
Anthony: It's my pleasure, Alex. Thank you for the invite.
Anthony: Oh, hell yes. Maybe not exactly, but more like composites. That's the great thing about fiction, being able to use *everything* from life to make stories. And of course, I exaggerate, I change physical features, I change basic details, mix them with other things. I don't want my characters to be too close to any real people, though. I want them to stand on their own.
Alex: Which was the last book you read that blew you away?
Anthony: I don't know, it's such an unfair question. I read SO many books and have so many great experiences with them, I don't like to just single out one of anything. I hate being left out of lists at the end of the year (especially "friends" lists), so I'm hesitant to make my own and do the same thing to other writers. Follow me on Twitter, and you'll see how much I promote good books, though.
Alex: How do you market your books?
Anthony: I tell people on Twitter, and hope to hell all 2300 followers will buy it. But they all don't. I also try to promote a lot on Instagram, too. I wish the publishers would do more to push them. But so far, I've worked with small presses who can't afford much. I don't get carried in physical bookstores a lot anymore, so I depend on Amazon and direct sales via my two current publishers (Fahrenheit 13 and Down & Out Books). I hope for good word of mouth. But If I have to spend more than I have coming in to move more copies, well, that's not feasible. So yeah, Twitter and Instagram.
Alex: What are your interests aside from writing?
Anthony: I used to play a lot of guitar, not as much anymore. I used to ride my bike a lot, but it's been a while. I need to get back on the bike. I like to cook Mexican food, I love grilling and smoking meats, and I enjoy sipping top-shelf tequila every now and then. I read a LOT and I collect a ton of books. Not collectibles. I don't go for signed copies or expensive stuff anymore.
The greatest thing my wife and I like to do is travel, though. I've been to Scotland, Ireland, England, Italy, Iceland, Mexico, Canada, and quite a few places in the US. 2020 was hard for us because of the travel restrictions, but we're glad to get back on the road this year.
Alex: And what do you do to unwind?
Anthony: Listen to music (which I also do when writing), watch a lot of blu rays, lately a lot of Italian crime flicks from the 70s, Asian pulp films, old exploitation movies. Sit on my back deck and read.
Alex: Which authors do you particularly admire and why?
Anthony: Well, the biggest influences I've had were "The James Gang" - James Ellroy, James Crumley, James Lee Burke. And Chester Himes, Jim Thompson, Walter Mosley, Elmore Leonard, George Pelecanos, and pretty much any author ever published on Black Lizard, too.
Special mentions: Don Winslow has had a huge impact on me the last few years. THE FORCE is masterful, and SAVAGES is beyond cool. Richard Price is pretty important to me, too. CLOCKERS, SAMARITAN, LUSH LIFE, so many brilliant books. Vicki Hendricks has been a great influence and friend. MIAMI PURITY is one of the best noir novels of all time. All her books are insane.
I could go on. I particularly admire hundreds of writers.
Alex: Thank you so much, Anthony for sharing all this with our readers. It's been facinating listening to you, and great to hear so many authors who haven't previously been mentioned in these pages. I shall have to check them out.
Anthony: It's my pleasure, Alex. Thank you for the invite.
