project of Willamette Writers
The Authors Road is a
"Writing and reading decrease our sense of isolation. They deepen and widen and expand our sense of life: they feed the soul." Ann Lamott
INTERVIEWS
For nearly five years we’ve driven around America meeting and video interviewing many of our best storytellers.
We've spoken with novelists, poets, screen and playwrights, a songwriter, science and sci-fi authors, journalists, publishers, a librarian, experts on five dead masters, and more. And in these chats you will find inspiration, insight, brilliance, and a few good laughs.
It’s a remarkable journey of discovery, and one we’re very proud to share.
We traveled with our trusty sidekick, Ella, in a truck we named “Rocinante Tres” (like Don Quixote’s horse and John Steinbeck’s camper-truck in Travels with Charley), hauling a 5th wheel trailer we call “Hardscribble Hacienda” (after the home of an old friend, writer Hugh Mulligan).
On our travels some folks have asked us why we are doing this. Here are our answers:
You can navigate to interviews by genre (above) or by name (left). Many of our authors write in more than one category. All are worth exploring, no matter what you normally read . . . or write. We hope you enjoy meeting them.
The year 2015 turned out to be a time of change for us. There were deaths and births bringing changes and new responsibilities. Before long Roscinante and Hardscribble were turned in for a vehicle more parkable in a city, and we found ourselves in a home on a creek south of Portland, Oregon with not one, but two dogs. But it was soon Ella's time to leave us after 16 good and goofy years—we still have Weezie to walk and snuggle with.
We 'officially' retired and are now writing, doing art, reading, volunteering and dreaming about the road, and writers and the friends that we made. Our writers are,for the most part, still writing and we invite you to look them up and see what they've done since our interviews. But a few of them are no longer with us: Michael Blake, Ivan Doig, Larry Engelmann, and Jim Harrison. We are honored that we got to interview them, and blessed with their friendship no matter how brief.
Will do more interviews? We don't know. But we are still doing slide presentations and talks about our adventures on the road, the writers we met and the many things we learned at group meetings, independent bookstores and libraries. If your are interested in having us come share out stories with your group, please get in touch: info@authorsroad.com