What drew you to write for younger audiences?
Well I did have a story turned into a children’s picture book once, and it’s true that sometimes people describe my collections as “children’s stories for grownups,” but in general I don’t think I do write for younger audiences? Not that I consciously write for “adults,” either… basically I just write my stories for myself (or I guess, technically, some hypothetical version of myself who wasn’t around when I wrote them). My attitude has always been, make the story exactly what it wants to be, and the readership will find itself. My collections are sold as “literary fiction,” but I definitely get a lot of fan mail from younger readers and people who are into science fiction, fantasy, and horror (like all good people). I’m always particularly happy to get fan mail from kids, because kids haven’t learned yet to lie about what they like… that’s something they beat into ‘em in high school and college.
What message(s) do you hope to send through your work?
I’m not much of a message person; in my view, all successful stories have at bottom the same “message,” which is something like “what comes around goes around,” or “choices have consequences,” or maybe “time is passing and change is eternal.” Stories are organized around themes, of course, but I can’t say I’m really interested in the themes themselves—there are good stories and bad stories, but their goodness or badness is never dictated by their theme. Mostly I am interested in the experience of reading, in the particular flow of image and sound and feeling, in the way tension is created and built and brought to climax. To me, a story is a kind of rollercoaster of the soul… I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be thinking while I’m on a rollercoaster. So I concentrate on the experience of the ride and let the rest take care of itself.
Please tell us about Tales of Falling and Flying as well as any other projects you’d like to share about.
Tales of Falling and Flying is a collection of 40 short, colorful, Twilight Zone-y tales. My first collection, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day, was also a collection of 40 short, colorful, Twilight Zone-y tales. When I’m done with the collection I’m working on now, it will also be the same. Short, colorful, Twilight Zone-y tales… that’s what I do. (Don’t ask me why there are 40 in each collection, though… the universe is full of mysteries.)
Any advice for young writers and creators?
Yeah, do whatever you want—and if someone tells you not to, turn your back and walk away and ignore them for the rest of your life.
Where can we find out more about your work?
I’m on the web at benloory.com.
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