Nina Interviews Steve Almond, Part 1

Today we launch a new feature on Advice Weekly. Our first interview is with Steve Almond at a bar in Somerville. Steve's books include The Evil B.B. Chow, Candyfreak, and My Life in Heavy Metal. He's also published maybe a hundred short stories in magazines and literary journals, and he teaches writing seminars at Boston College and Grub Street. Read excerpts from Steve's books at stevenalmond.com.

Nina was dressed like a bike messenger during this interview.

Steve: I know a fair amount but I don’t know anything about S/M.

Nina: I read some of your stuff. I think you have a good idea.
Steve: Well, alright. Maybe so. I don’t know from personal experience.

Nina: I think everyone has an underlying S/M relationship. They are just not aware of it.
Steve: Yes, I’m sort of aware.

Nina: Yes, you are, you are. So, what do you want me to ask you about? The sex, the writing, or the miscellaneous…
Steve: Whatever you want. You’re not drinking. Whatever, I’m chronically honest about it.

Nina: That’s what Matt Lamberti said about you. He said that you were very direct, very…
Steve: Life is short, you know.

Nina: It’s true. How do you spend your day?
Steve: I try to write in the morning. I just think that I’d feel guilty if I didn't write, so I get that done early in the day. I don’t have a job so I don’t have to go anywhere. I stay in my apartment and write what I’m seriously working on. Whatever long project. The thing I’m trying to do.

Nina: Writing a novel?
Steve: Writing a novel or whatever. That’s first then depending on how much I concentrate then I’ll sort of break for lunch, nap, reading. Always usually together, not always at the same time. Then in the later afternoon or early evening, I’ll work on articles, stuff that is less serious, more monetary, setting up readings so I get my work out, you know what I mean. Promotion kind of thing.

Nina: Your book tour is jam-packed until June.
Steve: It’s jam-packed but that’s what I do. That’s what I love to do. That is one of the few ways for writers to get their stuff out there. There is no other medium. The Candy tour was really nuts. It’s a nonfiction book, pop culture subject... everyone loves candy so it’s like my sit-com. And now I’m back into short stories which are cool and I love them. If I don’t make myself go out of the house, I don’t, which is bad.

Nina: I think that’s good. I don’t go out of the house much.
Steve: I’m a very social person ultimately so when I write, I have to lock myself in a cage.

Nina: What would we find if we were in your apartment?
Steve: You’ll find a lot, A LOT of candy.

Nina: Even in your bedroom?
Steve: Everywhere. In the bedroom, in the kitchen, everywhere, kind of a design element. A lot of crazy stuff on the walls, the walls are covered with student evaluations, letters, photos. Cool furniture that is all brightly painted.

Nina: Like that rocking chair? There is a photo in the 3am interview.
Steve: Yeah, all my stuff looks like that because I really like it.

Nina: I like the bay window.
Steve: Oh yeah. There is a bay window in the bedroom and in the sunroom where I write. It’s very gorgeous. It’s on the first level of a house and it has rich cherry wood. Really beautiful. It’s a great apartment. That’s why I moved to Boston, because I saw that apartment. For a while, it was pretty cheap then they raised the rent on me but whatever. Big kitchen. Lousy bathroom though. That’s the only thing.

Nina: For one person, it doesn’t really matter.
Steve: (pause) I know, but I like a big bathtub.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Steve Almond interview, and we might even give you some sex advice next week, too.

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