Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I am a native of North Carolina. I left to live and study in Paris and Dijon, France before graduating from Wake Forest. It was at Wake I had the honor and privilege of studying under and being mentored by Germaine Bree‒amazing woman and scholar.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Store In A Cool, Dry Place”?
A2. Mixing and matching ideas and concepts found in mythology, quantum physics, poetry and interpersonal, or if you will‒romantic‒relationships. Risk, betrayal, loss and redemption are always keys to developing a story that will hopefully draw in, hold, inform and then treat the reader to a story that will affect them emotionally, spiritually and perhaps leave them asking him/herself new questions about their own lives.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. In particular for this novel Carl Jung and his work: “Psychology and Alchemy.” His ground-breaking work on the collective unconscious informs much in this novel. William Faulkner is a huge influence. His approach in developing the narrative, wherein the reader is the participant who can put all the pieces through carefully crafted inferences and suggestions made by the writer, has always been a driving force in my writing. Marcel Proust and Gustave Flaubert and their approaches also show up as influences. Proust in his use of “time” as active participant. Flaubert in the character of Fanny Driscoll. Hopefully the reader will see the strength, beauty and resilience of Emma Bovary in her.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. In North Carolina it’s the mountains. I spent a lot of time in Boone growing up. Outside of NC I would have to say one place: Monument Valley in Arizona and Utah. There is no more “spiritual” place in the world.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Store In A Cool, Dry Place’?
A5. With all my work there is a recurring image that apparently is bubbly up from my unconscious. The image pesters me until I start looking into why I am “seeing” it so much. There were two such images for this book. One was of a young girl out on the beach looking for shells who is drawn to one in particular‒the chambered nautilus. The other was of a professor on sabbatical in the mountains who receives a telegram in 2017. As it turns out the two images were intimately connected and created an organic supercomputer under Black Mountain, NC.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Store In A Cool, Dry Place’?
A6. From start to finish including rewrites and working with my editor at Solstice about two years.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon If you go to my website: garybolick.com you will find a description of the novel and an easy link to buy it.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Store In A Cool, Dry Place’?
A8. When I discovered the photo that was used, I had the odd feeling that I was a character in my own book. It was as though Nautilus the organic supercomputer had directed me to it‒it was perfect.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. Rule one and the one that is perhaps true for all writers is: If I don’t like it, then no one else will. From there you can take a step back and resolve any potential problems and issues, but always within the confines of: I have to like it first. If I don’t like it, then how in the heck can I expect the reader to fall in love with it.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Discipline yourself to write on a regular schedule, then when you sit down and start: Don’t get it right, just write. Two sides of the same coin. The discipline allows you to go into a sort of meditative state wherein as you start free-associating‒writing whatever chooses to come into your head‒ideas flow freely. When you go back, to rewrite, then it is much easier to throw away obvious misfires or be pleasantly surprised when you discover that a nugget of gold has surfaced.
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