An interview with
Jeffrey Zable
What is, in your opinion, the best thing (or your favourite thing) that you’ve ever written? Tell us about it.
It would very hard for me to single out one piece of writing that I thought represented my best work, so I’ll just say that I think some of my fables and prose poems represent my best writing. Most of them reflect irony, which is pretty much how I see the world. . . as a place that is often antithetical to the way I think it should be. My fables and prose poems have allowed me the most ‘freedom’ in terms of writing as play and
discovery. . .
Who are your favourite writers, and what influences your writing?
I have been influenced by several writers, but three at the top of my list
are Charles Bukowski, Russell Edson, and Mark Strand. I reread
selected work by these writers from time to time for enjoyment and inspiration. My own writing can be influenced by several different factors: other peoples’ writing, experiences I’ve had in day-to-day encounters,
and remembrances. Then, of course, I’m often influenced by what I’m feeling inside at any given moment. . .
What are your hobbies?
My “hobbies” are what I really think of as my vocations. I’ve been
writing poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction for most of my adult life,
and I’ve been playing and studying Afro-Cuban folkloric music for
most of my adult life as well. I’ve been playing conga drums and percussion for dance classes around the San Francisco Bay area
for many years. My writing and music say much about who, and what, I am. I taught in the public school system for over thirty years, and though I enjoyed aspects of teaching, a good deal of why I taught was so that I could write and make music in my own time. . .
Describe yourself as if you are a character in one of your own stories / poems.
I’m the one banging my head against the wall trying to make some
sense of it all. I keep doing it even though I somehow know that it hasn’t worked on previous occasions.
Tell us something crazy.
I probably haven’t offed myself because I seem to always maintain some semblance of hope—that my life will improve, and that life in general will improve. I can’t say that I’m an optimist, but I must possess a reasonable amount of optimism to keep me hanging around. . .
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview? And what did you answer?
I was once asked why I write poetry when so few people read poetry
in general. I answered, “Few people ever see me for who I really am. Does that mean I should stop being who I am!?”
What is your writing set-up? (E.g your garden shed, a cafe etc) and are there any things you must have to get the words to flow, e.g a lucky hat or a favourite shirt?
I mostly write at home using the computer, but for many years I wrote in a notebook. I wrote while sitting against a tree in Golden Gate Park,
while sitting in a café, or I could even write something in a notebook
while in my car. Of course, I’d pulled over first. . . I still write in a notebook on occasions; maybe 5% of my writing I start with pen and paper, and then finish off on the computer.
It would very hard for me to single out one piece of writing that I thought represented my best work, so I’ll just say that I think some of my fables and prose poems represent my best writing. Most of them reflect irony, which is pretty much how I see the world. . . as a place that is often antithetical to the way I think it should be. My fables and prose poems have allowed me the most ‘freedom’ in terms of writing as play and
discovery. . .
Who are your favourite writers, and what influences your writing?
I have been influenced by several writers, but three at the top of my list
are Charles Bukowski, Russell Edson, and Mark Strand. I reread
selected work by these writers from time to time for enjoyment and inspiration. My own writing can be influenced by several different factors: other peoples’ writing, experiences I’ve had in day-to-day encounters,
and remembrances. Then, of course, I’m often influenced by what I’m feeling inside at any given moment. . .
What are your hobbies?
My “hobbies” are what I really think of as my vocations. I’ve been
writing poetry, short fiction, and non-fiction for most of my adult life,
and I’ve been playing and studying Afro-Cuban folkloric music for
most of my adult life as well. I’ve been playing conga drums and percussion for dance classes around the San Francisco Bay area
for many years. My writing and music say much about who, and what, I am. I taught in the public school system for over thirty years, and though I enjoyed aspects of teaching, a good deal of why I taught was so that I could write and make music in my own time. . .
Describe yourself as if you are a character in one of your own stories / poems.
I’m the one banging my head against the wall trying to make some
sense of it all. I keep doing it even though I somehow know that it hasn’t worked on previous occasions.
Tell us something crazy.
I probably haven’t offed myself because I seem to always maintain some semblance of hope—that my life will improve, and that life in general will improve. I can’t say that I’m an optimist, but I must possess a reasonable amount of optimism to keep me hanging around. . .
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview? And what did you answer?
I was once asked why I write poetry when so few people read poetry
in general. I answered, “Few people ever see me for who I really am. Does that mean I should stop being who I am!?”
What is your writing set-up? (E.g your garden shed, a cafe etc) and are there any things you must have to get the words to flow, e.g a lucky hat or a favourite shirt?
I mostly write at home using the computer, but for many years I wrote in a notebook. I wrote while sitting against a tree in Golden Gate Park,
while sitting in a café, or I could even write something in a notebook
while in my car. Of course, I’d pulled over first. . . I still write in a notebook on occasions; maybe 5% of my writing I start with pen and paper, and then finish off on the computer.