A lot of publishers wanted me to have Stephen King before they'd take us on. I invited him, but unfortunately he got hit by a van a few days later. ibooks liked the book both for the content as well as the WRITE AID charity aspect. I hope it gives them good karma.
How did you go about "designing" the condition? How long did it take?
I was in a quandry over that for weeks. How did I give the other writers enough information regarding the epidemic, but not too much? I thought about sending my original story, but decided that would stifle them. I thought about a collection of wire-tapped conversations, but decided against it. I was working as an advertising copywriter at the time, writing medical brochures... and I woke up one morning and said, Duh... make a Government issued Public Safety Notice. I wrote it in under fifteen minutes. I told the authors, Use this. Maybe it's all true, maybe it's half-true. It's the government, right? Who knows what they know or don't know, or what they'd tell if they did.
Why did you decide to make the condition something you can catch but not pass on to others?
It just felt right. Deprivers can deprive normals, or each other. Normals get deprived (blinded, deafened, etc) but don't become Deprivers. I wanted a clear separation. But if the virus mutates, who knows?
Describe the process of managing a project like this. How much direction did you give to the writers?
It was a whole lot of emailing writers that I thought would offer good voices. I tried to be as diverse as possible, to make it truly feel like a global epidemic. Some writers had their stories immediately. There were a few I coaxed in certain directions. I'd say, well... these senses have been explored more often, but nobody has gone this way yet... or, we've got a lot of stories from before the epidemic is released to the world... how about showing us the damage from further on down the timeline?
Were you involved in the editing process?
No. Our fine editor, Patrick Merla, understood the concept thoroughly and I left it in his capable hands. The only thing I did was to suggest the order in which the epidemic unfolds.
The press kit says the writers were guaranteed "full artistic control over their work without censorship," yet they must have been edited to some degree. What were the guidelines for the editor in drawing that line?
Once in awhile Patrick asked an author to help align a few details. You'll note that all the Deps who live in New York City have housing over on Avenue D... it was a nice, ahem, touch. Both Leah Ryan and Tananarive Due have Deprivers who've escaped from a place called simply, The Institute. No writer was forced to take any editorial suggestions. And even though we totally blew our PG rating with very adult oriented stories from Harry Turtledove, Keith Aaron and Maggie Estep... we decided that those stories needed to remain in the collection, even if it hurt us during reviews, and narrowed our audience a bit.
Was it difficult to recruit writers? Were there any writers you wanted who turned down the project? Were there any writers that you wanted, got and were actually surprised to have gotten?
It was and it wasn't. Authors liked the concept straight off and got pregnant with story immediately, or never would. Ray Bradbury, Neil Gaiman and Arthur Clarke had to pass for time constraints, but offered us their blessings. Katherine Dunn and William F. Nolan were like God-sent blessings.
Will ibooks publish a print version, electronic, or both?
The book is a trade-sized softcover. It's a sexy looking book. [Check it out here!] There are four free stories (not from the anthology) that are up on www.deprivers.com if you want a taste.
What is the message that you hope readers come away with?
I want this ficticious epidemic to instruct the real world as much as possible, and spread some enlightenment. I also want other authors, or aspiring authors to go out there, knowing I pulled it off, and institute similar projects. Of course, I'm always fond of people saying, "That's so cool."
How were the charities chosen?
I had a friend who was terrified he had HIV. He was nearly scared to death. I knew about HEAL (Health Education AIDS Liaison) and I went with him to a group session where they told people that it didn't have to be a death sentence... there were, and are, people who have tested HIV positive from the day the world learned about AIDS, who have never taken a single drop of protease inhibitor or AZT... who are still completely healthy. You don't hear about them. I feel there's still a lot of bad information out there. Green monkeys, mad scientists, transference through saliva or mosquito bites... what's science fiction and what's science fact? The second charity f.a.c.t. (Foundation for Advancement in Cancer Therapy) was recommended by several friends who explained they carried out a holistic approach for cancer sufferers. So, I chose the charities, based on my own judgement of the work that they showed me. I knew also that every one of the authors would have been personally involved with a loved one who had been exposed to either one or the other of these "whispered" conditions... and would therefore be eager for a chance to help out with their craft.
ABOUT WRITE AID...
When did you get the idea for WRITE AID?
I'm a student of Zen, and my belief system is predominantly Buddhist. I'm drawn to charitable events, group writing projects, and using my work in a positive manner. My hat goes off to Bob Geldoff though, for LIVE AID. He showed us the way...
Any idea what the proposed future projects will be about?
We've done some preliminary work on a collection of science fiction prisoner stories with proceeds to Amnesty International and PENN. But we're holding our breath to see how THE TOUCH comes off.
Do you plan to continue to give writers an elaborate theme?
Gosh, I'm kinda hoping one of the other writers picks the ball up and I just get to write on the next one. Maybe someone reading this, any takers?
Do you expect many of the same writers to be involved, or would you pursue all new writers?
Each project has a karma of its own. These noble writers will certainly all be invited, but remember, no matter how much any writer digs the concept... it has to give them that magic story spark, or no dice. More household name writers will be more willing next time, I suppose, if THE TOUCH kicks ass in the bookstores.
What other charities might you try to help?
Amnesty International. PENN. Greenpeace. PETA. The National Humane Society. American Cancer Foundation. Tibet House. These are a few that come to mind.
ABOUT YOU...
When did you start writing?
Sixteen. First novel, entitled Nirvanian Siege, was a dismal failure. Never stopped since.
Was Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires your first published book? What's the premise behind this story, and how did you develop the idea?
Nope. First one was called Captain America Is Dead. In that one, responding to a time when it seemed that all of our heroes were dying (or getting locked up), I sent a 12-year old boy, named Larry, hitchiking from LA to NYC to find Captain America's killer and we got to watch him come of age on the road.
Zen in the Art of Slaying Vampires is about a young couple that fall in love in New York, and begin learning about the Tibetan life path. On the way home from a restaurant, at their height of celebration, they're murdered by vampires. She dies and he gets turned... but he locks himself in the apartment and meditates beyond the bloodlust.
I'm a big fan of actress Sheryl Lee, she wrote a review once before we were in contact, from the set of John Carpenter's Vampires, and she said it best, "It's a spiritual journey about facing the vampire within us. When we slay the vampire, we're also slaying the vampire within ourselves. It's spiritual in the sense that we're not just light, we're light and dark. To deny the dark does nothing but give it more power, To embrace it and acknowledge it and see its purpose is what makes you whole."
Describe the setting or environment in which you most prefer to write.
Quiet house. Hazelnut coffee. Lover lying somewhere off behind me, reading on a futon. What more can I ask for?
Describe your writing style. How has it changed over time?
I go for economy. I trust it the first time and rarely edit. I trust the story to tell itself. I fear no critic. I never look back.
What is your educational and professional background?
I dropped out of High School in the second week of 10th grade and ran away from home, actually. I wandered around. I got my G.E.D. and started community college at age 16 in Ft. Lauderdale. I got my B.A. at 19 from a little college called Pfeiffer, in North Carolina. I got my Masters from Villanova University and still wasn't old enough to drink. I decided that if I earned my doctorate that no one would be able to understand a word I wrote. So I stopped.
I moved back to my native New York and went from science fiction author to production assistant to production manager to published author to ADDY award winning advertising copywriter to technology writer to Internet Startup advisor for several high-tech startups in Europe to venture capitalist in London and back home to science fiction author.
What other projects are you involved in or planning?
I have a sequel to Zen Vampire called Tao Damphire, that I really need to show to my agent, and I'm working on a second collection of my own Deprivers stories.
[The Thai Monkey Warrior fires away at Steve Altman]
t's definitely not something you see every day...but maybe it could be. Steven Elliot-Altman has put together an anthology that will raise money, and perhaps more importantly awareness, for some charities near to his heart. And if that were the end of the human interest side of this story, it would still be very cool...but it's not. The idea that drives this anthology is an extremely clever weave of disease, the government, public fear and a definite 'it could happen here' intricate pattern. You really need to read about this one.
