James Eliasberg has been a member of WLT for over seven years and is registered for Margo Rabb’s “Mapping Your Novel” workshop on September 6 at St. Edward’s University. He lives in Austin, TX.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
James Eliasberg: If I had to pick one, I would say dark comedy, but the first novel I hope to release in the next six months will be something between a murder mystery and a psychological thriller (though I sure hope it has some funny moments).
Scribe: What authors would you like to have coffee or a beer with and which beverage?
JE: I would love to get Jonathan Franzen and Tom Wolfe drunk and hear what they had to say. I myself would stick to coffee so I could keep track of what they said.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
JE: Probably Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. It might take several months before I felt comfortable that I understood it!
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
JE: Some of the courses have been great and it has been a comfort and a joy to share the love of reading and writing – and some of the attendant struggles – with other good people.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
JE: Over the next couple years, I plan to self-publish a novel and do my level best to promote it. I will make an earnest effort to see if I can write for a living.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
JE: I expect that my novel – Sick Twist – will be available within the next six months. Blurb descriptions are challenging and misleading, but it’s something like Angel Heart meets The Search for the Manchurian Candidate – a murder mystery set in the context of the narcotic/hypnosis experiments conducted by the CIA in the 60’s. I hope it’s engaging and fun. I hope it’s surprising.
