And like right here at that. Excerpt? Word.
SP: If I Knew the Way, I Would Take You Home has much in common with Commercial Fiction-
your style is immediately visible on the page- but there is a
seriousness bubbling under the surface of these stories, a bittersweet
nostalgia, that lends weight to the stories. How was your mindset
different in writing this collection?
DH: Thanks for saying that! I think the best compliment
I ever got was from Steve Almond, who said “I bet people tell you all
the time how funny these stories are, but they’re really sad.” I like to
think I can make anything really sad, even a Wiggles concert or a
Budweiser ad. The stories in If I Knew the Way have a lot of
what a friend called “father/son shit” happening in them, a lot of
reckoning with getting older and the disappointments and limitations
that might bring. I tend to write maybe five years behind where I am in
my life. I guess I process things slowly.
