Mark Anderson,

Author of Ground Goodness

 

Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your background.

 I'm 40 and live in Harlem in New York City. I grew up in the midwest and in Texas prior to moving to New York on a whim in 1989. I have a BA in English from The University of Texas at Austin. I earn my living as a digital video engineer.

 

What inspired you to start writing?

 I don't really know. I guess I've just always done it. One of my friends used to piss and moan about how he wanted to be a writer and I just kept thinking: so write!

 

Who is one of your favorite authors?

 Henry Miller. He was a fearless writer and I loved how he wrote about decadence in the midst of poverty.

 

What are some of your favorite books?

 The Rosy Crucifixion by Henry Miller. Some of Robert Coover's surreal books: Ghost Town, Gerald's Party and Spanking the Maid. Blood Meridien by Cormac McCarthy.

 

Give us a one sentence description of your winning story.

 The owner of a small-town hamburger joint is faced with a truckload of rotten meat.

 

Besides writing, what are some of your hobbies or interests?

 Photography, travel, and movies -- both making and watching them.

 

Are you a gamer? Any favorite games?

 I play World of Warcraft often. I also love Diablo II.

 

What is your favorite type of music?

 Eclectic. I've found lately that I have quite a bit of Latino music in my playlists.

 

How long have you been writing?

 I've always written and made cartoons for as long as I can remember.

 

What kind of stories do you most enjoy writing?

 Fiction. Surreal with a touch of horror.

 

When you sit down to write a story, do you know where you are going or do you “see where the pen takes you”?

 I just start writing. About 10% of the time I get a winner.

 

What has been your biggest learning tool or experience as far as writing is concerned?

 Learning to type helped me to write almost as quickly as I can think. Any writer who can't type fast is handicapped. I also did the NaNoWriMo project, which emphasized the importance of writing a lot in a short period of time.

 

Is there anything else you would like to add? (something interesting about yourself or an interesting experience you’ve had)

 I was in Prague last week and was talking to a young woman from there and I told her that many Americans believe Ronald Reagan was responsible for the fall of communism in eastern Europe. She said "Who is Ronald Reagan?" The next day, I visited the Communist Museum there and watched videotape footage of the Velvet Revolution, in which the Czech people removed the communists from power in a bloodless ten-day revolution. It was one of the most moving things I've ever seen: anonymous, humble courage in the face of fear.