AUTHOR INTERVIEW: FIVE MINUTES WITH ​VIC KERRY

​Vic Kerry is the author of the novels: Jubilee, The Children of Lot, and Revels Ending, as well as, the story collection Thorazine Dreams. He lives in Alabama.


Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?
           
I’m a bit over-educated. I have two undergraduate degrees and two graduate degrees. For the area I live in, that’s a lot. I’m married with four dogs and two cats. I hold an MFA in writing popular fiction from Seton Hill University where I studied under great horror writers like Michael Arnzen and Tim Waggoner. It also allowed me to study under some non-horror authors like Victoria Thompson, who I think of fondly. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
 
I teach psychology in night school. I’m also student teaching to become a certified high school English teacher. Both of those take up a large amount of my time.


Other than the horror genre, what else has been a major influence on your writing?
 
 I worked for a long time (15 years) in public mental health. The majority of that time was spent locked in a psychiatric unit working with people with severe mental illness. When you are exposed to psychosis and deep depression long enough, it affects you. That life experience has gone into many works of fiction in some shape or form. I really don’t know how it wouldn’t have.

The term horror, especially when applied to fiction always carries such heavy connotations.  What’s your feeling on the term “horror” and what do you think we can do to break past these assumptions?
 
I don’t shy away from the term horror, even though I live in a very conservative “Christian” area. Many people around here equate what I do with devil worshipping. I think that not worshipping Satan is a good start to breaking some assumptions. I also feel that attempting to write quality stories that show a certain level of craftsmanship helps to break the “schlock” assumption that people have.

A lot of good horror movements have arisen as a direct result of the socio/political climate, considering the current state of the world where do you see horror going in the next few years?

I’m not 100% sure that horror can keep up with real life in this case. The genre may have to take a Twilight Zone approach and make normal scary since we live in a world that has strayed so far from the norm. I also think that cult horror could be on the rise, since everyone seems to be joining some kind of cult-like movement.

What are the books and films that helped to define you as an author?
 
I really consider a lot of what I write to have a Southern gothic flavor to it. I think that Faulkner would be in influence on that, as well as, Eudora Welty. I think Faulkner’s Sanctuary and “A Rose for Emily” are defining works of fiction. Welty’s “A Worn Path” and “Why I lived at the PO” would be others. I also liked Jack Ketchum’s way of keeping things moving in a plot. In some ways, it’s breezy but disturbing at the same time.

What new and upcoming authors do you think we should take notice off?
 
I think fellow Southerner, Brian Kirk, is someone to notice. Kristin Dearborn is a friend, but I feel that she is someone people need to watch out for too.

How would you describe your writing style?
 
As I mentioned, I feel that a lot of my work has a Southern gothic flavor to it. It kind of has to have that quality because I live the Southern gothic lifestyle. It’s flags in the dust around here.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?
 
Not really. There are some critique points that have taken to heart, but I try to take reviews with a grain of salt. Some people are going to love you, and some are going to hate you. It all works out in the wash, and I don’t want to start believing hype one way or the other. However, I was called a “mother-fucking cum-guzzler” by a student one time. I suppose that was a negative review that stayed with me.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?
 
I hate editing. This is ironic because I consider it the most important part of writing. Ideas are great. The first drafting is great fun, but neither of those make a work polished and pretty. Editing does that, and every single time I do it, it’s like tearing off 100 Bandaids.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author?
 
Animal cruelty for the sake of animal cruelty disturbs me.

How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?
 
I find picking names difficult most times in books. I feel that they can be very important. In The Children of Lot, there is a very calculated reason why characters have the names they have. I won’t mention it because it might spoil the plot. In Revels Ending, I wanted the main character to have the name Ashe because the book was going to end on Ash Wednesday. In my latest Jubilee, I named the Bellflower sisters after flowers, until I realized in the deep editing (like when it was too late to change it) that I misspelled the main sister’s name. She was supposed to be Camellia but ended up Camilla. Oftentimes, I name characters after people I know just to put their name in a book. Minor characters are often named this way.

Writing, is not a static process, how have you developed as a writer over the years? 
 
I hope that I’ve gotten better. It’s hard for me to answer this question because I don’t necessarily notice the change because I’m living with it.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?         

A strong grasp of grammatical rules is a necessity. I also think having a good idea for what is out there in print already is another good tool. Knowing the tropes and clichés of your genre is another tool. Then there is good, old fashion will power. Writing is one of the hardest things a person can ever do.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received with regards to your writing?
 
I don’t know. There have been so many that I cannot pinpoint one.

Getting your worked noticed is one of the hardest things for a writer to achieve, how have you tried to approach this subject?

This is an area that I’m not very good at in my opinion. I am an extroverted person, but when it comes to drawing attention to my work, I clam up and pattern the wallpaper. I truly feel that being raised not to brag has interfered with my ability to self-promote.

To many writers, the characters they write become like children, who is your favourite child, and who is your least  favourite to write for and why?
 
I like writing villains. My favorite villain that I’ve ever written is Solomon Hassle from The Children of Lot. He is pure evil. Every minute writing him was a joy. My least favorite child to write is usually some secondary character, especially non-villainous secondary characters. They get tedious after a little while.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?
 
The Children of Lot is my debut novel. It was my thesis for my MFA. I also wrote it during some of the darkest times in my life. When I look at that book, I think about the storm I weathered and how I came out on the other side, scarred but alive. After this, I was diagnosed with a serious illness and almost died. I wrote two books during the recovery from the acute stages of this disease. One remains unpublished, but I shop it around. The other is Jubilee. I’m proud of those two too.

And are there any that you would like to forget about?
 
There are a few short-stories I wished I’d never published. I’m thankful that they are long out of print.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, which of your  books do you think best represents your work and why?

I think that The Children of Lot is a great example of my work. My wife thinks it’s Revels Ending.

Do you have a favorite line or passage from your work, and would you like to share it with us?  
 
I don’t remember it word for word, but it’s from The Children of Lot. It involves one of the villainous characters who is a rather large woman. She makes a joke and comes on to a male character. She pulls her shirt up, grabs her fat belly, and shakes it at him. It was disgusting and hilarious to write.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?
 
My latest book is Jubilee. It’s a thriller set in a small Alabama town. A man is looking for his prodigal daughter and stumbles upon three old maids with skeletons in their closet. To make things even more complicated, a roving serial killer shows up in town, looking for a good time.
 
I don’t usually talk about what I’m currently writing. I find it bad luck. However, I will say that like so much of my other work, it is set in Alabama. It takes place at Halloween and is one of the goriest things I’ve ever written.

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

“I’m going to search this old abandoned whatever it is. I’ll be back.”
 
Also people making stupid decisions for no apparent reason, and PG-13 horror movies.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

I read a fantastic YA novel called Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. I have recommended to people every chance I get. I couldn’t stop thinking about that book after I read it.
 
I recently reread Catcher in the Rye. I disliked the first time I read it years ago. I still do.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

What is the velocity of un-laden swallow?
 
You know the answer. 

In a small Southern town, a father desperate to find his prodigal daughter will meet a man driven by an insatiable lust to kill and three cash-strapped old maids with something to hide. Welcome to Jubilee, Alabama, where death comes to stay for a spell. 

“Brutal and honest, 'Jubilee' is depraved in the best possible ways. It’s every father’s nightmare.” -- Scott A. Johnson, author of 'Shy Grove: A Ghost Story'

“A thriller that simmers to a satisfying, explosive boil!” 
– Russell James, author of 'The Playing Card Killer' ​

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