KURT SCHUETT

Upon graduating from high school, Kurt Schuett won the Gwendolyn Brooks Award for Poetry in 1993; this honour, coupled with professional publication in The American Goat literary anthology in 1993 with “The First Time” and Harmony literary magazine, where he won the esteemed Guy Cooper Poetry award for “Tree House Blues,” all fueled the realization that Kurt could and should write, dabbling in everything from poetry and short works of fiction to professional essays and lengthier works of fiction during and after his college years. He completed his undergraduate in English at Culver-Stockton College before tackling a Masters of Education at Graceland University. Currently, he is entering his eighteenth year as an educator, formerly as a German instructor and presently as a high school English teacher, working in the suburbs of Chicago. He lives in the northern suburb of Libertyville, Illinois.

Kurt recently published a Southern Gothic ghost story titled “Calamity James” in the Belle Reve Literary Journal, a work that was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. In addition, two of his poems, “A Response to Charles Bukowski: Yes I’m Drinking Today” and “The Bohemian Waitress” were featured in the 69th edition of the Burningword Literary Journal. Kurt’s short story “The Last Supper Redux” will be the top-slot in an upcoming anthology launching this fall, highlighting local Chicago horror writers. Kurt was also the featured author of the month for Burial Day Books as his short work of fiction “Dibs” held the top spot.

Insurgency is Kurt Schuett’s debut novel, a speculative work of fiction that encompasses elements of urban suspense, thriller, and horror. This novel was released by Bad Day Books, an imprint of Assent Publishing, on August 2, 2014, in print and all e-book platforms.

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Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

My name is Kurt Schuett, and I’m a writer and high school English teacher living in the suburbs of Chicago.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I’m a huge gamer, so I spend some time slashing and dashing via my Playstation4.  I work out because I have to, and I enjoy crushing cocktails practically every night.

What’s your favourite food?

Wow, this is a tough one, especially since I’m from Chicago.  I’d probably have to say pizza and fries, but I’m more into Chicago thin crust than its deep dish.

Who would be on the soundtrack to your life story?

Phil Collins’ “Sussudio.”

Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

Horror.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

William Faulkner, Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Margaret Atwood, Hunter S. Thompson, and John Steinbeck.

What is your all-time favourite horror novel, and film?

The Shining and The Shining.

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

That genre fiction is junk when it comes to the power of storytelling.  Some of the most beautiful writing—meaning structurally sound and seamless to read—I’ve ever enjoyed comes from dark fiction writers.

Which fictional character would be you perfect neighbour, and who would be your nightmare neighbour?

My perfect fictional neighbour would have to be Holden Caulfield because he reminds me of my brother.

My nightmare neighbour would have to be Pennywise from It.

What do you think of the current state of the genre? 

Authors are doing tremendous unconventional things within the genre at present, and I think this thinking-outside-the-box mentality is creating some truly frightening work.  Consequently, I believe the role of technology is also impacting horror writers because it opens up a whole new realm of possibilities.

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

Braineater Jones by Stephen Kozeniewski was a really fun unconventional zombie book, and the local-colour dialect and mannerisms per the 1930s were spot-on.  Justin Cronin’s The Passage was a little too long for me; it was a really solid read, but I’m certain he lost some readers along the way due to its excessive length.

How would you describe your writing style?

Deliciously pulpy.

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

Ironically, the English Department Chair at the school where I teach read my book, without my knowing, and posted a 5-star review on Goodreads and Amazon.  Since then, he has informed me that I have a penchant for violence.

What aspects of writing do you find the most difficult?

Surrendering my work to imprint editors.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

Nope.  Anything is fair game.

If you could kill off any character from any other book, who would you chose and how would they die?

I’d kill Harry Potter by poisoning him over a cup of tea.

What do you think makes a good story?

Great setting, believable complications and crises, and an unhappy ending.  Life is often a struggle that doesn’t end happily for people, so authors who embrace the gritty aforesaid realization appeal to 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?

Many of my characters’ names have symbolic meaning to them; as an author I get excited when somebody says, “Hey, I looked up the name of that villain because it seemed interesting, and now I totally get why you named him that.”

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

I’m constantly evolving as a writer.  Learning to write 3rd person POV was a huge step for me because it’s much more difficult than 1st.  In addition, running multiple plot lines throughout a work is so vital.  Something else I’ve learned, both through trial and error and from the tutelage I’ve received per experts in the writing field, is to take some chances.  Asking questions and pushing the envelope to get into the best writing and reading circles is an absolute for any writer’s progress.

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

Writers need to be open to constructive criticism; there will always be haters out there, so one must toughen up the old backbone in order to become resistant to non-constructive feedback.  And lastly, writers must be patient.  Never rush the writing and editing processes.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

It’s all been done before; great writers just do it better.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

Social media has been extremely helpful and engaging in philanthropic events where you can showcase your work while giving back to the community is a must.  Never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth.  Every single acquaintance you meet and friendship you foster will go further than anything else.

Who is your favourite character from your book and why?

Maurice is my favourite because he is such clichéd pulp; I can totally see Denzel Washington or Laurence Fishburne play his role in a movie version of Insurgency.

How about the least favourite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

George because he’s a flip-flopper; for me, loyalty trumps all.

Fame, fortune, or respect?

Enough fame to maybe get a free parking spot from time-to-time in the city, enough fortune to pay for some more reading material, and enough respect to be invited into group conversations over some of the issues I poke inside my writing.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

Really, it’s two pieces.  My current novel Insurgency and a short Southern gothic ghost story entitled “Calamity James” that’s been nominated for The Pushcart Prize.

And are there any that you would like to forget about?

I have a whole trunk of them.

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

Insurgency is my debut novel, so this is my best representation up to this point in my writing career.  I have been contracted to write two more books in the Red Hand Brotherhood Series.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Insurgency is about Alan, a Gen-Xer with obsessive-compulsive disorder, who is randomly targeted at a local dive bar outside Chicago with a synthetic drug called Red Phase. This particular narcotic, with an effect similar to the common street drug “bath salts,” prompts its users into manic and ultra-aggressive behaviour, spanning a half-life of 1-2 weeks.  Hence, this novel embraces the unconventional zombie.

After leaving his part-time job as a standardized test scorer, Alan meets a friend at a local dive bar for a beer. This is where a group of college students randomly “roofie” Alan’s drink with Red Phase, causing Alan to perform an atrocious series of murders he doesn’t even realize he committed until the discovery of alarming physical evidence in his home the next morning.

Upon Alan’s aforementioned realization, he contacts a former undergraduate classmate and friend, George, who is a defense attorney in Chicago. After a quick phone conversation, George commutes to Alan’s house and convinces him it best to turn himself in, but under the umbrella of his counsel and protection.

While Alan is sitting in lockup, sleeplessly wrestling with his OCD, The Hand, an underground black bloc group of military-skilled insurgents, liberates him from confinement. After Alan is transported to their underground compound nestled in the recessed boroughs of “Old Chicago,” he meets the leader of the domestic terror cell and discovers it’s responsible for the creation of Red Phase. Consequently, this brotherhood plans to mass-distribute the synthetic drug during the height of the G20 Summit in Chicago, hoping to throw the city into a chaos of apocalyptic proportions.

Before my publisher launches Insurgency’s sequel, I’m going to release a completely different horror-thriller novel, with its title being announced in December.  All I’m going to say is that it combines a serial killer, a couple of Chicago detectives, and unconventional gypsy vampires.

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

What scared you the most when you were a child?  Answer: Clowns…enough said.

Find out more about Kurt by following the links below 

Website       

Facebook 
            
Twitter

Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

Alan, a Gen-Xer with obsessive-compulsive disorder, is randomly targeted at a local dive bar outside Chicago with a synthetic drug called Red Phase. This particular narcotic, with an effect similar to the common street drug “bath salts,” prompts its users into manic and ultra-aggressive behavior, spanning a half-life of 1-2 weeks. 

After leaving his part-time job as a standardized test scorer, Alan meets a friend at a local dive bar for a beer. This is where a group of college students randomly “roofie” Alan’s drink with Red Phase, causing Alan to perform an atrocious series of murders he doesn’t even realize he committed until the discovery of alarming physical evidence in his home the next morning. 

Upon Alan’s aforementioned realization, he contacts a former undergraduate classmate and friend, George, who is a defense attorney in Chicago. After a quick phone conversation, George commutes to Alan’s house and convinces him it best to turn himself in, but under the umbrella of his counsel and protection. 

While Alan is sitting in lockup, sleeplessly wrestling with his OCD, The Hand, an underground black bloc group of military-skilled insurgents, liberates him from confinement. After Alan is transported to their underground compound nestled in the recessed boroughs of “Old Chicago,” he meets the leader of the domestic terror cell and discovers it’s responsible for the creation of Red Phase. Consequently, this brotherhood plans to mass-distribute the synthetic drug during the height of the G20 Summit in Chicago, hoping to throw the city into a chaos of apocalyptic proportions.

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