An interview with
Kenneth M. Kapp
What is, in your opinion, the best thing (or your favourite thing) that you’ve ever written? Tell us about it.
I was interviewing the brew master of a local micro for an article and asked him what was his favorite beer. He answered, “The one in my hand now.” I guess in many ways my favorite would be the story or novel I’m working on at the moment.
Otherwise, my last two novels. Johnny’s Trail of Tears, a coming-of-age story that unfolds along the Cherokee’s Trail of Tears. Magical realism – with mystics helping Johnny and the reader through some very painful history. And the other is Mr. Samuelson Remembers, a novel about the impact of dementia on a family where memories of Bach cantatas help the sufferer get from one day to the next.
Who are your favourite writers, and what influences your writing?
From the past: Kafka and Gogol. And then William Faulkner and Annie Proulx. I was a research mathematician so always like questions. They go along with James Joyce’s epiphanies and curiosity to see what comes out on the page.
What are your hobbies?
Until the carboys got too challenging to move around I was a home brewer. Love whitewater canoeing in northern Wisconsin with my son. Enjoy reading and watching mysteries.
Describe yourself as if you are a character in one of your own stories / poems.
The old man slowly opened the door and stepped into the room. The twinkle in his eyes remained as he tried to understand what was set out on display. He smiled and rotated his shoulders first backwards and then forwards, imagining he was holding a staff like Toshiro Mifune in one of Kurasawa’s samurai films.
Tell us something crazy.
So many people don’t believe that there is a climate crisis.
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview? And what did you answer?
Never thought any question could be weird, but if it was strange enough I’d try using it in a story.
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’ve my man-cave upstairs with enough uncluttered space on an old student desk for my lap-top. In recent years I’ve used a 5.5 x 8.5 spiral notebook as a weekly scheduler. On the right side I keep track of TO DOs for the week. Try to cut off at least 8 items. At the bottom of the page, a couple of notes on the articles I should be writing for a local Indie paper or essays for a veteran’s journal. On the left side are a few notes about my current fiction projects – chapters in a novel or short stories. Sometimes there are little sketches or ideas. I may also jot notes starting in from the back. For short stories I tend to favor epiphanies or back-brain ideas that I mature and let age before starting. Often they don’t pan out. Much better luck when they turn out to be fun. When I was younger a second beer helped. One even ended up in Crocodile.
I was interviewing the brew master of a local micro for an article and asked him what was his favorite beer. He answered, “The one in my hand now.” I guess in many ways my favorite would be the story or novel I’m working on at the moment.
Otherwise, my last two novels. Johnny’s Trail of Tears, a coming-of-age story that unfolds along the Cherokee’s Trail of Tears. Magical realism – with mystics helping Johnny and the reader through some very painful history. And the other is Mr. Samuelson Remembers, a novel about the impact of dementia on a family where memories of Bach cantatas help the sufferer get from one day to the next.
Who are your favourite writers, and what influences your writing?
From the past: Kafka and Gogol. And then William Faulkner and Annie Proulx. I was a research mathematician so always like questions. They go along with James Joyce’s epiphanies and curiosity to see what comes out on the page.
What are your hobbies?
Until the carboys got too challenging to move around I was a home brewer. Love whitewater canoeing in northern Wisconsin with my son. Enjoy reading and watching mysteries.
Describe yourself as if you are a character in one of your own stories / poems.
The old man slowly opened the door and stepped into the room. The twinkle in his eyes remained as he tried to understand what was set out on display. He smiled and rotated his shoulders first backwards and then forwards, imagining he was holding a staff like Toshiro Mifune in one of Kurasawa’s samurai films.
Tell us something crazy.
So many people don’t believe that there is a climate crisis.
What’s the weirdest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview? And what did you answer?
Never thought any question could be weird, but if it was strange enough I’d try using it in a story.
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’ve my man-cave upstairs with enough uncluttered space on an old student desk for my lap-top. In recent years I’ve used a 5.5 x 8.5 spiral notebook as a weekly scheduler. On the right side I keep track of TO DOs for the week. Try to cut off at least 8 items. At the bottom of the page, a couple of notes on the articles I should be writing for a local Indie paper or essays for a veteran’s journal. On the left side are a few notes about my current fiction projects – chapters in a novel or short stories. Sometimes there are little sketches or ideas. I may also jot notes starting in from the back. For short stories I tend to favor epiphanies or back-brain ideas that I mature and let age before starting. Often they don’t pan out. Much better luck when they turn out to be fun. When I was younger a second beer helped. One even ended up in Crocodile.