Local Author Profile:
Shawn McBride When local author Shawn McBride read at the recent Philadelphia
Stories’ silent auction, he did what he does best in writing:
merge art and humor in an entertaining way. He called up poet Daniel
Abdal Hayy-Moore, who had just read from his vast portfolio of
work, and asked him to accompany him on autoharp as he read his “Ode
to Breasts.” His debut novel, Green
Grass Grace, also combines
humor and art – coupling lyrical prose with the comedy of
raging hormones. The novel rang true to fans and critics alike,
and it was selected by Barnes & Noble for its “Discover
Great New Writers” series. McBride spoke with Philadelphia
Stories about writing, not writing, and his love for Philadelphia.
How did you evolve from DeSales University graduate to mailman
to fiction writer?
Not sure I'd call my career an evolution. That implies an upward
arc. I have taken more the pinball route. I ended up working laborer
jobs with an English degree because I hated the corporate world,
where I worked editor jobs for medical magazines and academic reference
texts. Which is a fancy way of saying I fixed grammar in relation
to articles with titles like Acid-Peptic Disorders of the Upper
Gastrointenstinal Tract. Jobs like that almost turned me into a
case study for such articles. I loved the mailman job then. I got
to know the ins and outs of different Philly neighborhoods. If
it was sunny, I was out in the sunshine. If it was raining, I was
getting paid to jump in puddles. I ran from dogs. I got yelled
at by old ladies for accidentally tearing the corners of their
Harriet Carter catalogs. Women were outside everywhere, looking
perfect, working on their gardens or tans. It was in many ways
my dream job. It was so simple and stupid and honest and fun. It
paid more than editor jobs too. Way more. I would deliver mail
in Afghanistan before I went back to a corporate cubicle job.
What is your next project?
My next project is a Christmas book called North Pole To Philly.
I am far from done. So very far. Still a day job monkey. But I
am working on the thing.
Did you find a second novel easier to write than the first?
For the first book, I had the luxury of being even more clueless
about how to do it, so everything I wrote sounded perfect at first,
and I kept moving forward. Now when I write something and it blows,
I know it, and even though I keep moving forward, I am that much
more aware of how far I am from something great. The first book
took maybe two years to write, and I think anytime anyone asked
how it was going, I would tell them: great, great, I think it will
be done in two or three weeks. And I was serious. Now my reply
is: don’t ask. I had more energy last time around. I moonlighted
writing that one, and a key motivating factor was that, after I
finished, if published, I figured I would never have to write another
one like that from the money I made. Which was so stupid and naive
I almost wish I could travel back in time and pinch my own cheek.
Either that or kick my own ass. So it is both. Life is always a
trade like that.
Can you tell us a little bit about your writing process?
My writing process is: turn the computer on, make shit up. I keep
a copybook and take notes when I am not at the typer, if I get
an idea. My handwriting is so bad I usually can’t read what
I wrote anyway. So the whole copybook thing is just a waste. I
should throw that out. Music is key. I love music and listen to
everything. So if I am sitting around near a stereo and start to
feel something from the music, I hit the typer. When I write, I
listen to weird shit, like sitar soloing, at a low level. Or a
shortwave radio if I find something where someone is singing in
a different language. Stuff that makes me feel like a speck of
dust but also connected to things. I now fear that I am sounding
like a hippy. I sure hope not.
What do you like to read?
I want to be entertained when I read, so I am always quicker to
reach for a James Ellroy than a James Joyce.
How has the Philadelphia area influenced your writing?
Philadelphia has influenced everything about my writing. I lived
my whole life here, not counting four years at college. I love
everything about this place. I would hug the whole damn town if
my arms were big enough. I love all the different ethnic neighborhoods.
I love when ethnicities come together, like Olney, which I live
near and like walking through, where an Irish bar sits next to
a rib joint, which sits next to a Korean church, which sits next
to a Latino community outreach center. I eat all that up. I love
the murals everywhere, the tarred rowhome rooftops, sneaks hanging
on wires, skyscrapers downtown, the forty thousand funeral homes
on Broad Street in South Philly. This place is my home. I probably
got DNA shaped like Billy Penn standing on city hall if you looked
at it under a microscope.
Can you offer any advice to the many creative writers who are
trying to juggle work and family, yet want to write fiction or
poetry?
Advice is tough, especially in such broad terms. Just make sure
you go get some fresh air and sunshine once in a while. Don’t
miss the real world making up your fake ones.
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