Where do you work?
I’ve lived in the same apartment in San Francisco since the last big earthquake in 1989. I’ve redecorated a couple of times. During the last thirty plus years, I’ve changed the furniture, repainted rooms, installed hardwood floors, etc. The one thing that has remained constant is my writing chair and its location. I’ve written seven books on it. Even the throw-textile I cover it with hasn’t been changed in twenty years. It’s a recliner that’s supposed to be perfect for my back, but so obviously isn’t. I use three tiny pillows and two small, heavy duty inflatable balls that I move around to change the pressure on my back. The adjustable table that came with the chair stopped being adjustable around the year 2000. It no longer tilts or move up and down but is propped up by the right armrest. My writing chair and table are by far the ugliest things in the house, are no longer functional or comfortable, and I refuse to change them. The walls in my writing room are painted a light lavender, so that helps.
What is your writing routine?
My writing routine changes with each book. Not sure why. Twenty-five years ago, I would begin writing no earlier than 10pm. I’d wait until my brain was too tired to figure out new ways to distract itself. Sometimes I wrote for a few minutes and sometimes I didn’t get to bed till dawn. These days, I write in the morning. It was a gradual change.
Are you a morning or evening person?
I’m not a morning or an evening person. I’m grumpy all the time.
Do you have any rituals associated with your writing?
The only ritual is tea. I tend to drink it while writing, always oolong.
What happens if your routine isn't adhered to?
What happens if my routine isn’t adhered to? I don’t write. I’m not trying to be smart-alecky here. I just go through long periods of not writing and then I go through fiendish writing benders.
Do you have any writer “habits” – bad or otherwise?
The worst habits are my online surfing. I’ve been using computers since the early eighties and can get lost for days. I usually check for news on Arsenal every fifteen minutes.
I use a number of words regularly (including the word regularly.) Luckily, the search function in most programmes can catch them. The one word that I use unnecessarily is just. It’s never just right. Oh, and I have an unnatural fondness for adverbs.
If you could develop one amazing writer super-power what would it be?
My super-power is sleeping. I can sleep in my writing chair at any time. I pretend that this helps me write.
What happens when you stop writing? Away from the page, what do you do to relax?
I played football, or soccer as it’s called in the US, for fifty years. It was a passion and the only thing that relaxed me. Unfortunately, I had to stop playing once I reached fifty-seven as it became too embarrassing. I still run and swim, but it’s not the same thing. I started having a little more time when I stopped playing so I started taking piano lessons for the first time ever. Now, I love piano music. Bach, Beethoven, and Chopin are my gods. Fortunately for the world, I know that I’m a terrible pianist and since I started so late in life, will probably remain so till the day I die. I have never played for anyone other than my teacher and probably never will. I practice every single day for about ten to fifteen minutes, cursing myself for being terrible and praising myself for being amazing. It’s the best part of my day. My horrid playing relaxes and rejuvenates me.
Any words of advice to other writers, who might like to be in your shoes – shortlisted for the award – next year?
If they’re short-listed for the award, the last thing they need is advice from me. They should give me advice. Maybe they’d tell me that I’d get better if I practiced piano more than ten minutes a day and I’d ignore the advice.
Read Rabih Alameddine's shortlisted story, The July War, here