The Wake

For those of us who attended the T.C. Boyle reading, author and University of Minnesota graduate instructor Brian Malloy may not come across with the same prestige—he hasn’t authored two dozen books, gone on as many European tours that he’s forgotten most of or won enough awards to sell books without a promo advisor. Malloy represents another side of successful writing. He does what he wants and still gets paid for it, which puts him in a percentile over those of us who dream of our first novel’s success without having written it. Malloy’s on his third book, and won’t stop until writing’s no longer fun for him.

The Wake: I think most readers think of writers as aspiring to be one of two personas: do you see yourself leaning toward the rock n’ roll super star—in your face, rebellious badass; or the English professor—locked up in the ivory tower with dangling modifiers and who/whom exercises?

Malloy: (laughs) I feel too old for the former and too young for the latter. I don’t know; there are so many stereotypes associated with writing—and many of them well deserved. We tend to take ourselves way too seriously. Writing’s just one of several things I do. And if you made me choose between writing and going to the Boundary Waters, I’d choose the Boundary Waters. Writing is not something I have to do. I enjoy it, and as long as I enjoy it, I’ll keep doing it—and when it stops being fun I’ll move on to something else. I don’t take it as seriously as other serious writers do.

The Wake: How has your process changed when writing different kinds of fiction?

Malloy: It was hard shift to go from what workshop encourages, which is insightful, literary work, to a young adult novel. I think young adult is as much work, but I don’t think it gets the respect as a genre as it deserves. It was difficult to go from workshop where people debate small details and look for meaning in everything, and have permission to write a novel from the perspective of a 17-year-old girl, which is challenging for me as a 45-year-old man (laugh). I just have some fun; I experiment. Young adult gives more permission to make mistakes; literary fiction…where is this being published again (laughs)?

The Wake: The Wake.

Malloy: It takes itself too seriously.

The Wake: When do you know a novel is done, and have you ever wanted to change anything after it’s been published?

Malloy: Yes. I never know when it’s done, and I always want to change it. The Year of Ice has been out four years now, and if I had the opportunity I’d make changes to it. But at some point, it becomes community property—just because I’m the writer doesn’t mean I’m entitled to make changes, that my opinion of the story is any more valid than the reader’s. That’s the hard part to accept: launching it and having people love it or hate it, and thinking to yourself, “Why are you reacting this way? That’s not what I meant—you’re supposed to be loving this book.”

The Wake: If you could have every American read one novel—any novel—what would it be and why?

Malloy: (shakes his head).

The Wake: I know, these are the kinds of questions that need weeks or even months to think about, but unfortunately you don’t get that much time.

Malloy: Well, what’s today’s date? April …

The Wake: Thirteenth.

Malloy: On April 13, as of this time, I would probably go with The Handmaid’s Tale, even though it was written in the mid-’80s. The trends in society that it addresses and speculates on are even more with us today. I think people have to stop paying attention to American Idol and start paying attention to our foreign policy. Wake up. And I think The Handmaid’s Tale is a good cautionary tale of what happens when people hide behind the Bible or the flag when told it’s for our own good. I think that would be the book considering the times we’re living in right now.

The Wake: One last question: Do you have a favorite quotation and, if so, what is it?

Malloy: Sally Brown, Peanuts: “I’m losing my mind and nobody cares” (laugh).