The first time I met Rick Reed was at New Town Writers. He walked into the room wearing the tightest shorts, looking beautiful, and muscular and tanned—he had recently moved back to Chicago from Florida—and my first thought was "Get her! Who does she think she is?" But you can't tell a book by its cover, and I soon discovered that under the gym—induced veneer, there was a mind so "grimly fiendish," that I had no choice but to fall in love with him.
His new book is called A Face Without a Heart, and I refuse to read it unless I get a free copy.
Sukie: Probably most Outlines readers know you from your—some might say—"caustic" theater reviews for this paper, but having read your novels and short stories for years, I think of you as a fiction writer. When did you start writing fiction?
Reed: I started writing fiction at about the same time I learned to read and write, which was about six years old. I began with short stories and progressed to plays by fourth grade and wrote my first novel when I was about 14. Of course, it was many moons before a novel of mine made it on to bookshelves. Writing is something that is almost constitutional with me, so I don't even look at it as a job or a hobby ... it's just me.
Sukie: Didn't you get some kind of formal education in "creative writing?" For the would—be writers reading this, what do you think are the benefits of being "taught," as opposed to "just doing it, and learning by your mistakes?"—which is what I've done.
Reed: Yes, dear, I did get "some kind" of formal training in "creative writing." I have a Bachelors Degree in English with Creative Writing emphasis from Miami University in Ohio. I found that my education there was very helpful to me as a writer. I had a wonderful fiction teacher, Milton White, whose lessons about simplicity and making sure you have something to say stay with me 'til this day. Those might seem like obvious things, but it's surprising how many would—be writers forget them. However, I don't believe writing can be taught. The basic talent has to be there to begin with and it can then only be honed. So, if the ability is innate, a formal education may be a shortcut to achieving some kind of proficiency, provided you have a good teacher. But learning on one's own can be just as valuable, although it may take longer to get where you want to be.
Sukie: I first met you just after your second novel was published, which was Penance. I admit that I only read it because I knew you. I don't usually read horror, or thrillers, but I was hooked on the story from page one. It was like riding a rollercoaster of pure evil. I wasn't even sure I wanted the author as a friend. But what intrigued me most about Penance was that there were no heroes; the guy who "saves the day" is a disreputable, or perhaps I should say an unfortunate, person. The book is very dark and cynical. What was happening in your life at that time?
Reed: And you're STILL not sure you want the author as a friend. I don't know that Penance came out of anything that was going on in my life at the time, although there were some bad personal things going on ( a bad divorce and custody battle ) . Penance was more inspired by my interest in homeless kids and what they have to do to survive. The fact that the hero of the book isn't a traditional "good" guy, I think is more a reflection of reality. I guess I was saying it's not so much what's wrong about your life that makes you evil, but how you deal with it. Penance looks at both sides of that coin.
Sukie: I also notice a lot of humor—dark and morbid—in your work, probably more in the short stories than the novels. I can't remember the name of the book, but weren't you recently in an anthology with Iggy Pop and Pattie Smith? How did that come about?
Reed: Actually the book you're referring to was an anthology called The Crow: Shattered Lives and Broken Dreams. It was an anthology of stories based on the "Crow" mythos and edited by the Crow creator, James O'Barr. Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins were the rock stars who had poetry in it. Pattie Smith was supposed to, but I guess that fell through. It's hard to keep my sense of humor out of things because it's my way of coping with the world. People I've known who are really good at comedy are the ones who have been wounded the most. One of my favorite comedians is me ... I wake myself up laughing more nights than I care to count.
Sukie: Let's talk about the new book. It's based on Wilde's A Picture of Dorian Gray. I'm very protective of the English classics, and also a terrible literary snob, what have you done with it?
Reed: The main thing I've done with it is I've updated it to present day. I make no claims to have written a book that even approaches Wilde's wit and wisdom, but I think that people, at the beginning of a new millennium, are more fixated than ever with youth and beauty and I felt the story has even more relevance now than it did in Wilde's time. I also think that Wilde only hinted at Sir Henry and Basil's infatuation for Dorian ... I think it's not much of a stretch to imagine them as gay men. In my version, their homosexuality is overt and in Sir Henry's case WAY overt. I've also changed the book to make the "portrait" more horrific in that it reflects not only age, but the signs of hedonism and abuse Dorian puts himself through without ever showing any signs. My book is a much grittier, sexier take.
Sukie: I look forward to reading my free copy.
A Face Without a Heart by Rick R. Reed ( Design Image $15.95 ) .
