Interview with Lisa Lutz, Author of The Spellman Files - Page 2

If you could collaborate with one famous writer, who would you choose and why? 

I actually don’t have any interest in collaborating with anyone on anything. What I like about writing is that it’s a solitary enterprise. But, if you’re just asking as a hypothetical and I can fill it in with a dead author, then: Marlon Brando. (The word ‘author’ is a stretch, I know, but he did write his autobiography, which was pretty great). I pick Brando because I’ve always been a huge fan (aside: on the day he died, I received condolence calls) and think we could have been great friends. Most of the writers I have great respect for I doubt would enjoy my company all that much. But Brando, I think he would’ve liked me.

What are some of your influences? 

Here are some authors that I LOVE: Jim Thompson, Patricia Highsmith, George Pelecanos, Dashiell Hammett, Richard Price, David Foster Wallace, Vladimir Nabokov among many others. That said, I’m not sure how significant their influences are. I don’t feel like I can emulate my favorites, so I never think about anyone else’s style or aspire to anything in particular when I write. Mostly what I’m concentrating on is how I can bypass my own literary limitations and find the best way to tell the story. Influences are the last thing on my mind and I kind of doubt they’re in the periphery either.

I’ve already seen some reviews saying your book reminds readers of the Royal Tennenbaums? Do you think that’s a fair comparison? Do you mind it? 

There are some comparisons that annoy me. This one doesn’t, because it defines my book more in terms of a family saga than a mystery, which I think is far more accurate and lets the reader in on what to expect. Many of the other comparisons feel misleading to me. But, it would be nice if people could describe books without resorting to “It’s The Maltese Falcon meets The Bridges of Madison County” (as an example). A favorite past time of mine is coming up with ridiculous novel/film hybrids. When you’re reading that stuff about your own book, it gets old after a while.

Article Author: Scott Butki

Scott Butki was a newspaper reporter for more than 10 years before making a career change into education.

He is an in-house media critic, a recovering Tetris addict and a proud uncle.

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