a visit with Jonathan Evison

(photo poached from the
very classy Tattered Cover blog)

We were lucky enough to sit down last week with Jonathan Evison, author of our February 2011 Book of the Month West of Here. Here's a short summary of our conversation.

Green Apple (GA): What are you reading right now?
Jonathan Evison (JE): I'm just finishing Let the Great World Spin. I also just read and loved The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewitt (due out in May from Ecco Press). It reminded me of Charles Portis. Also loved Zazen by Vanessa Vesilka, another Portland, OR, writer I admire.

GA: What are you working on now?
JE: Well, my next novel to be published is called The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving--it's a coming-of-middle-age-in-crisis story. But I'm working on the next one now, though this book tour has thrown me off my writing habits. I usually awaken at 5am to write for a few hours before anyone else is up, even though I'm nocturnal. With that routine gone during the tour, I have only beer to ground me.

GA: Really, you can usually drink a bunch of beer at night and still write in the morning?
JE: Yeah. I'm kind of like a knuckle-baller. The knuckle-ball pitcher uses the awkward release of a weak arm to throw the hitter's timing off. That's why they pitch tired. And I'm just really focused after partying.

GA: Thanks for coming by; I wish I took better notes. Our blog readers aren't going to realize how fun and smart you are. Want a beer for your drive to Danville?
JE: No, thanks. It's only 11am. And I have two cans of Guiness in the car. How long a drive is it?

If you need a reminder of why we loved West of Here, it's here.