che elias was born in 1980
in west virginia
he is the author of
the pagan ellipsis
the terror of loch ness
and rockets construe vala
among other books
David Hoenigman: What projects are you currently working on?
Che Elias: I am publishing a book that i wrote years ago that i thought was lost some one found a hardcopy and I am hoping to bring it out … it’s The original draft of the abacus …… I think it’s one of my best books
DH: When and why did you begin writing?
CE: when i was 20
DH: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
CE: About 3 books into it
DH: What inspired you to write your first book?
CE: All of the chaos i was facing at the time
DH: Such as?
CE: I was dealing with a lot of abuse and it was psychologically trying for me –that combined with mental illness was not a pretty picture
DH: Who or what has influenced your writing?
CE: Thomas Pynchon
Jandek
and also Charles Bukowski
my past in West Virginia
DH: Many writers mention Jandek as an influence. What is it about him?
CE: He just has a certain way of putting something
He’s
Able to be cryptic
Yet direct at the same time
He’s a really great writer
Dylan Quality in his Poetry
He’s
Just inspired a lot of people with his vision he
Really has a way of getting inside of you
DH: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
CE: Yes very much so many of my books are autobiographical
DH: Is everything you write autobiographical?
CE: Yes
All of my books
Are
The terror of loch ness
And West Virginia
Especially
Also the abacus
The early books
Too but more metaphorically
The new ones are literally
DH: Do you have a specific writing style?
CE: it’s kind of abstract fiction / poetry
DH: What genre are you most comfortable writing?
CE: I Like writing poems
DH: Is there a message in your work that you want readers to grasp?
CE: There kind of about the psychology of abuse and the Portrayal of a victim and abuser
DH: What book are you reading now?
CE: Inherit Vice Thomas Pynchon’s new book
and many bukowski books
DH: Bukowski being such an icon – do you find it hard to get around the caricature to get to his essence?
CE: I really had a negative Impression of him as a person
Til
I read ham on rye
I really related to all he’d gone through I felt like he was beautiful person
I mean that
He became one of my favorite writers
We know he was at least one of the hardest working
DH: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
CE: I really like Jessica Trimbath’s writing and Dana Killmeyer’s
DH: What is the most misunderstood aspect of your work?
CE: The portrayal of sexuality
DH: How is it misunderstood?
CE: I think people read something like that
And think it’s just freaky
And get into for that reason
I don’t know if they necessarily see the deeper meaning
Film directors like Alejandro Jodorowsky have similar problems
People just say oh their stuff is so bizarre and fucked up
Without really getting what it’s about
It’s just hard when you write such a personal book
About something you’ve been through and people
Just see the freaky aspect
DH: can you tell us about Six Gallery Press?
CE: Yes
It’s
Ran bye micheal hafftka
And has been around since
Early in the decade
It’s
Really been a help in getting my books
Out
Due to their strange nature and layout
It
Does a great service to authors bye giving them total control of the other all vision of the book
