The first of our featured guests for Interrobang – The First Time, Ross McCleary, has taken a few minutes to complete The Interrobang Interrogation. Bangin!
Ross is from Edinburgh. His work has appeared far and wide, near and a little too close. He has a pamphlet published by Spacecraft Press, and a novella/book/text published by Maudlin House based out of Illinois. How cool is that? He is a writer for poets against humanity, an organiser for Inky Fingers, and an editor of podcast journal Lies, Dreaming.
And here’s how he answered our questions:
?!: The theme of the first Interrobang is The First Time. When did you first realise you wanted to write?
RMcC: I don’t think I ever didn’t want to write. I remember writing when I was very young, then again in my teens, and beyond. There are huge weird gaps where I didn’t but those are hard to remember insofar as I can’t explain why I didn’t write in those periods. Some time after university I began to write on a semi-regular basis. Then some time after that, at some point caught between writing and not writing, I chose writing and after that I’ve tended to write every day. So while I haven’t ever not wanted to write, there have been periods in which I’ve had to rediscover the need to write that I have always had.
?!: And what’s the first book you remember reading?
RMcC: The Worst Witch? Or maybe a Roald Dahl one? I reckon it’s likely that my first book was one of those Magic Key books – there was one where they get shrunk down and go inside a dolls house. That’s probably one of the first.
?!: What song would you like as your entry music? Or should we just choose something?
RMcC: Hmmm. I’ll get back to you on this, but I’d be intrigued to know what you thought would suit!
?!: In honour of the Artist of your book on Maudlin Press, and in light of your alleged Billy Crystalness, how about This Charming Man? Or What (S)he Said [see next question]? …Yep, we’re feeling the second one…?!
RMcC: Haha, yes!!!
?!: What are your most and least favourite words?
RMcC: Most – Expression. My favourite words come and go.
Least – The refrain in my book is “he says” and because I have performed it a lot I now hate the word “says” .
?!: Anything else you’d like to share with us?
RMcC: I’m probably going to be reading something about working in an office and I wrote this instead of working so if I am unemployed by the time the night comes around you’ll know why.
Thanks a lot to Ross for indulging Interrobang’s Interrogation. Come along to Interrobang – The First Time on 7 October and find out whether Ross is still employed!
I did all my best writing in an office. Sometimes, as many will confirm, just by typing the conversations around me, instead of typing what I was supposed to be typing. Turns out I was supposed to be typing the conversations anyway, because if I didn’t do it, nobody else would. And nobody else did.
Thanks, Peter. I’m reminded of the American writer who said he should claim for everything he did in his life as expenses in his tax return, because that’s where his material came from. Cheers, Ricky Interrobang.