1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
I went to film school at NYU. I worked with a screenwriting partner for many years but we were never able to make money at it. We still have representation and a script under option, so hope springs eternal. Recently, both of us have turned to fiction. I started by writing short funny pieces for McSweeney’s and other magazines and then decided to try my hand at a novel.
2) What inspired you to write your book?
I was looking for an entertaining way to write about the social contract: How is it that we all manage to co-exist (for the most part) without letting our self-interest and instinct for pleasure completely govern us?
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
It’s possible to live both pleasurably and morally. Not easy, but possible.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
Once I decided to use Dionysus as the representation of pleasure and self-interest, I knew that I would have something of a fantasy book on my hand. But I also knew that the book wouldn’t be a straight fantasy, and that the Greek god stuff would constitute just a sprinkling of magic in an otherwise mundane suburban comedy.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I would ask Dionysus why he has so much trouble controlling his impulse for chaos, and whether it’s because the Universe is actually chaotic and he’s trying to show us that truth by example.
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
Probably Facebook. I got a lot of support from old friends when I debuted the book.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Write something every day. If nothing else, just sit down and do some automatic writing. Type anything that comes off your fingers, without thinking, without stopping, for ten minutes. It’s like stretching before exercising. Everything you write after that will be better for it.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
I just finished the text for a children’s book called “Sadie and Truman,” and am working on a new novel as well as some more short comedy pieces.
About the Author
Stephen Statler is a comedy writer whose work has appeared in McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Points in Case, and other magazines. The Breathing Show, a feature film he wrote and directed, was distributed by Film Threat. A screenplay, Big Time, co-authored with Mouncey Ferguson, is currently under option by Gulfstream Pictures. Statler lives in the Bay Area with his wife and two children.
