An interview with
John Grey
What is, in your opinion, the best thing (or your favourite thing) that you’ve ever written? Tell us about it.
Tough question but I do have a soft spot for an unpublished novel that I wrote concerning a private eye, a missing heiress, various gangster families, and a whole lot of automatons.
Who are your favourite writers, and what influences your writing?
Too many to name but here’s a few examples: Thomas Hardy, T S Eliot, Raymond Chandler, F Scott Fitzgerald. These days, what influences my writing is what I’m surrounded by. My office, cramped as it may be, is a catacomb of what I call triggers, say a line in a book, or a painting or a magazine article, that doesn’t so much inspire as activate something within me.
What are your hobbies?
The arts, in general. Theatre, movies, music, reading etc. And the collecting of same. And also travel. And sport.
Describe yourself as if you are a character in one of your own stories / poems.
I’m a happily married quasi-hermit.
Tell us something crazy.
I’ve written any number of poems on the wonders of alcohol and I don’t even drink. Also, I’ve had over 16,000 poems published without taking one writing class or spending a day in college.
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview? And what did you answer?
One magazine asked what was the best thing I ever bought for a dollar. I said a newspaper. Of course, newspaper prices have increased since then.
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 have a study which is the only place I write. To other eyes, the room is a mess. But to me everything is where I want it to be. I’ve been lucky enough that, even when the words aren’t brilliant, they still flow for me.
Tough question but I do have a soft spot for an unpublished novel that I wrote concerning a private eye, a missing heiress, various gangster families, and a whole lot of automatons.
Who are your favourite writers, and what influences your writing?
Too many to name but here’s a few examples: Thomas Hardy, T S Eliot, Raymond Chandler, F Scott Fitzgerald. These days, what influences my writing is what I’m surrounded by. My office, cramped as it may be, is a catacomb of what I call triggers, say a line in a book, or a painting or a magazine article, that doesn’t so much inspire as activate something within me.
What are your hobbies?
The arts, in general. Theatre, movies, music, reading etc. And the collecting of same. And also travel. And sport.
Describe yourself as if you are a character in one of your own stories / poems.
I’m a happily married quasi-hermit.
Tell us something crazy.
I’ve written any number of poems on the wonders of alcohol and I don’t even drink. Also, I’ve had over 16,000 poems published without taking one writing class or spending a day in college.
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview? And what did you answer?
One magazine asked what was the best thing I ever bought for a dollar. I said a newspaper. Of course, newspaper prices have increased since then.
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 have a study which is the only place I write. To other eyes, the room is a mess. But to me everything is where I want it to be. I’ve been lucky enough that, even when the words aren’t brilliant, they still flow for me.