"I DON'T SEE ART IN SILOS": A SONG FOR KATY SHAYNE & WRITERS AT WORK'S JIM FUSILLI

I met Jim Fusilli early on in my career in the book world when he was writing his Terry Orr series, a favorite of one of my bosses who turned me on to it. I've had several in depth conversations about writing both publicly and privately and he always left me something to think about. It was no surprise that he recently began the podcast Writers At Work where he converses with writers of all stripes. Also, he recently published his latest novel, A Song For Katy Shayne, tapping into his former job with a music critic, Jack Fiorello looking into the death of an aspiring singer-songwriter in the seventies. Jim was kind enough to give me another conversation about writing,

SCOTT MONTGOMERY You've done the opposite of many fiction writers with this book and The Price You Pay in that you're directly mining from your life later in your career. Do you think giving yourself more time for this affects writing about it?

JIM: FUSILLI: I tapped into autobiography in “Narrows Gate” and “The Mayor of Polk Street,” but it was well-hidden.  I felt I needed to find a new way to tell my stories.  That led me to explore my experiences and what they meant.  

“The Price You Pay” is set at a time while I was in college by day and a Teamster by night.  I didn’t become a criminal.  I did stay true to my values.  How and why?  “Katy” is set in 2018, but also back in the 1980s.  It’s about the value of work and the fear of obsolescence.

S.M.: What is the biggest difference between you and Jack Fiorello?

J.F.: Jack doesn’t have any other career paths.  Being a music critic is all he has professionally.  I’ve been a published novelist and short story writer for a long while.  I’ve had satisfying day jobs.  I’m a musician.  Also, and this is no small issue, I’m a father and a grandfather.  Jack and Molly don’t have any children.  Jack is laser-focused on his job because he fears that, without it, he has nothing else.  I’m not like that at all.

S.M. What did you want to convey about someone who covers the music scene?

J.F.: That whoever does it must understand that it’s a serious occupation that requires diligence, judgment and respect for readers. And passion.  That’s Jack.  There are too many critics who don’t know music, who follow trends and are gossipy and star-struck.

S.M.: One of your great skills is us getting to know the missing or dead character. How did you make sure Katy Shayne lived in our minds, even though she was dead years before the book started?

J.F.: Through her struggle.  We see her as a teen – actually we hear her as a teen – writing songs and playing music as she bridles against small-town prejudices.  We’ll all been there, in one way or another, if we’re committed to achievement.  When I think about my time playing music in Greenwich Village, I remember there were many women who were fighting to be heard and have their art taken seriously.  It didn’t always end well.  In the book, I wanted Katy to be heard and be taken seriously.

S.M.: In the book there is talk of Fiorello publishing a collection of his pieces. Are you thinking of doing the same?

J.F.: Yes.  In fact, it’s finished.  When to publish is the question.

S.M.: I love your podcast, Writers At Work. In fact, many of my peers and I talk about it. What interested you in taking this on?

J.F.: Thanks.  It was twofold:  I wanted to give writers a forum to talk about writing; and I wanted to learn more about writing from all sorts of writers.  I like the sort of casual tone of it.  The writer and I are chatting and the listener is eavesdropping.  That’s the feel I want.  

S.M.: I don't know if this makes sense, but I learn more about how to be a writer than the technique of writing. Do you have a particular approach to the program?

J.F.: I’m lucky in that I don’t see art in silos.  That is, if it’s good, then it’s good.  So our guests come from all over – literary fiction, journalism, TV and film, songwriting, the graphic novel and genre fiction.  Some of my favorite episodes are with writers I’d never heard of.  I said to a guest the other day that her work clicked no boxes for me yet I enjoyed it very much.  To me, that’s the ideal.   Our producer Erin Mitchell and I joke that I’m likely to ask if a writer prefers a colon or an em dash, but it’s more about approach than technique.  About bringing an idea to fruition. 

S.M.: So far, each episode is under an hour. Is that by design?

J.F.: I try to get a sense of the subject’s energy and interest.  If either flags, I move ahead to wrap it up. I’m unaware of the time when we’re having our conversation. 

S.M.: Who are some good writers you've discovered through it?

J.F.: I can honestly say that we haven’t had a bad writer.  The Western writer Johnny D. Boggs was a   revelation.  Robert Plunket was a delight.  We had the biographers of Dorothy Parker and Edna Ferber on separate episodes.  Those conversations allowed us about their books and the work of their subjects.  Who else?  Ken Ludwig, the playwright.  Virginia Feito, the author of “Victorian Psycho.”  So many were enjoyable.  Jessica Anthony.

The mystery and crime community has been very supportive.   I’ve known so of these writers for years and yet, in that forum, I learned things about them that I found fascinating. 

S.M.: Who has surprised you the most about what they've had to say?

J.F.: The biggest surprise for me comes when my assumptions are upended.  If you listen, you can hear me say, every now and then, “wow” or “really?”  That’s genuine.  I love those moments.  I’ve learned something and maybe the listener has too.  

S.M.: This is the most productive I've seen you at. Does this come from your history of writing a column while writing books?

J.F.: Yes and no.  Doing a weekly column for the Journal required discipline, but I was always writing novels and short fiction.  After “Narrows Gate,” I needed to think about what types of novels I wanted to do.  I experimented with short fiction, then wrote the kind of books we discussed earlier – genre fiction based on autobiography.  I just finished another novel that would fit that model.  At the same time, though, I’ve been working on a mainstream literary novel for eight years.

You can reach Writers At Work at www.writersatworkpodcast.com