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| photo: Katie Farrell Boyle | |
William Boyle is from Brooklyn, N.Y. His books include Gravesend, which was nominated for the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière in France and shortlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger in the U.K.; The Lonely Witness, nominated for the Hammett Prize and the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière; and A Friend Is a Gift You Give Yourself. His new novel, City of Margins, was just published by Pegasus Crime. He lives in Oxford, Miss.
On your nightstand now:
Willa Cather's Lucy Gayheart, José Donoso's Hell Has No Limits, Juan Rulfo's Pedro Páramo, and Fuminori Nakamura's Cult X. I'm also reading an advance copy of Lee Durkee's excellent The Last Taxi Driver for the second time--it comes out this month from Tin House, and it's incredible.
Favorite book when you were a child:
There were many books I loved as a small child--Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, Roald Dahl--but Lois Duncan's Killing Mr. Griffin was one that really switched my brain. I read it in fifth grade. It opened up a new world for me. I also remember, very early on, finding beat-up copies of some of Ed McBain's 87th Precinct novels and being totally swept away.
Your top five authors:
Really tough to narrow it down, so I'll cheat a little. I can't imagine my life without the work of Carson McCullers, Richard Yates, Jean Rhys, Raymond Carver and Chester Himes. Megan Abbott, Sara Gran and Willy Vlautin are my favorite living writers.
Book you've faked reading:
I remember feeling the need to say I'd read things I hadn't when I was in college. I guess it came from the fear that I wasn't smart enough, that I wasn't reading the right books. That said, I can't remember a specific instance, though I'm sure there were a handful of 18th-century English novels I claimed to have read that I bailed on early. I hope I have since made up for those transgressions.
Book you're an evangelist for:
Ann Petry's The Street. Not only the book I'd pick as the Great American Novel but also--though it doesn't seem to be viewed this way too often--our greatest noir novel. It's just out in a new edition with a beautiful intro by Tayari Jones.
Book you've bought for the cover:
Oh, so many. Most recently, Laura Sims's Looker, which I wound up absolutely loving.
Book you hid from your parents:
I honestly don't remember ever having to hide any book from my mother or my grandparents. They weren't big readers, and I think they were just happy I was reading. They let me read whatever I want, which is how I wound up burning through Jim Thompson and James Ellroy books by the time I was 12 or 13.
Book that changed your life:
There are a handful of candidates, but William Kennedy's Ironweed--which I read when I was 18--probably had the biggest overall impact. I read it on a long bus ride in one sitting, and nothing was ever the same.
Favorite line from a book:
"Sometimes what I wouldn't give to have us sitting in a bar again at 9:00 a.m. telling lies to one another, far from God." --Denis Johnson, Jesus' Son
Five books you'll never part with:
I often think about what books I'd grab if I had to leave in a hurry. Five that jump immediately to mind, that I feel like could nourish and sustain me forever are: Frank Stanford's The Battlefield Where the Moon Says I Love You; Raymond Carver's Collected Stories; Jean Rhys: The Complete Novels; Astonishments: Selected Poems of Anna Kamieńska; and Charles Portis's True Grit.
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
Willy Vlautin's Northline. Allison Johnson is my favorite character in all of fiction. I worry about her a lot, and I often think about my first encounter with that book--reading while walking, reading everywhere, consumed by Allison's lostness. I also wish I could read Larry Brown's work and Lucia Berlin's stories again for the first time--there's nothing like the magic of finding the right book at the exact right time.
Pair your new novel with a film and record:
City of Margins is directly influenced by the films of Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph. If I had to pick one of their films to pair with the book, it'd be Altman's Short Cuts (based on the stories of Raymond Carver). As for an album, Ghost Writer by Garland Jeffreys (which makes an appearance in the book) is the obvious choice, though Lou Reed's New York is also an ideal match.