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SmokeLong Quarterly

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Smoking with Gary Glauber

(Read the Story) September 15, 2003

Gary Glauber

Art by Marty D. Ison

What inspired this piece?

I’ve always been a champion of the disenfranchised, particularly educated misfits who find themselves unable to fathom how intelligence and earning power often remain entirely unrelated. This mini-life story is one such tale, short, powerful and layered with humor, metaphor and meaning (or is it?).

What are some of your favorite words?

I’m not sure I have a list of favorite words. I do tend to overuse the word “just.” I’ve also found most published authors use the words “plangent” and/or “lambent.”

An uncanny number of writers I’ve met say they knew they would be writers right around fourth grade. What is it about fourth grade, do you think?

Fourth grade was nifty, but I’d already begun writing before that. I had Ms. Gorman that year. She was young and exciting compared to many of the teachers that had been teaching since the dawn of time. I often wonder what became of her.

Ms. Gorman, if you are out there, little Gary Glauber says “hello!” Now Gary, tell the truth: Is the character in the story you wrote really you in disguise?
Every character I ever write is me in disguise, even those who aren’t.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell our readers?

Please support the independent literary scene, both online and off. These zines and journals often contain the raw gems you will come to know as diamonds in the future. If a story moves you, don’t be afraid to email an author to tell him/her. Writing can be a lonely business, and it’s always a good time to hear from actual readers.

About the Author

Gary Glauber is a writer and music journalist for PopMatters.com and Fufkin.com. Recent stories have appeared in Cenotaph, Megaera and Ululation, and upcoming stories will appear in Word Riot and Insolent Rudder. He currently is at work on his first novel.

About the Artist

A native of Ohio, Marty D. Ison lives with his wife transplanted in the sands of the Gulf of Mexico. He studied fine arts at Saint Petersburg College. In addition to the visual arts, he writes poetry, short stories, and novels. See more of Ison’s work here.

This interview appeared in Issue One of SmokeLong Quarterly.
SmokeLong Quarterly Issue One
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