Q & A with Stephen Nolan

1. What was your favourite book(s) when you were a child?

I read a lot when I was a child. I read books that, looking back now, were probably way beyond me, things such as Robin Hood, Sherlock Holmes, and the Hardy Boys. I also read a great many comic books like Batman, Spiderman, Archie, and Uncle Scrooge. The first comic book I bought myself was Star Wars # 3 for ten cents in the ten cent bin at the Escape Hatch. I still have it. Mr. Muggs was also something I still remember from school. I think that reading anything at an early age really helps you later on in life. It is a big regret of mine that I am not a children's librarian as I would love the opportunity to share the joy of reading to children. Unfortunately the jobs at the public library just aren't there.

2. What are you reading now?

I am reading The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius, a Roman historian born in 70 AD and, of course, I still read Spiderman and Uncle Scrooge. I have been also reading many Newfoundland histories in anticipation of writing another history soon. I love history; it is a passion of mine.

3. When do you like to write (time of day, day of week)? Where do you do your writing (location)?

I write anywhere and at anytime. That is the beauty of writing, you can get inspired and as long as you have a pen and paper handy, you can write to your heart’s content. I have been inspired many times over during the downing of a pint of Guinness at the Duke of Duckworth.

For my histories I usually write in a small room surrounded by text books and articles on Newfoundland history. I love the feeling of being surrounded by history, and since it is about our people, I feel doubly blessed to be contributing to our nation’s culture. In the summer I sometimes go outside and sit by Quidi Vidi lake and write while on a bench. It is nice to simply sit and let the thoughts rush into you. I have written many, many stories just sitting there like that, and hopefully one day some publisher will take a chance on them.

4. What was your first piece in print (book, review, or article, etc)?

A long time ago I wrote for the school paper, when I was eleven years old I won a Captain Newfoundland writing contest in the Newfoundland Herald (I would love to write that comic strip) then I had a few poems written in the Muse and it kept going from there. But when I created the Doctor Who fanzine, The Whostorian Quarterly, with another fan and that took off to be a hit all over the world that really was a big deal for me. I am very proud of that magazine; I think it really began the independent magazine/fanzine craze in Newfoundland all those years ago. After that came out, other groups began creating their own. I cannot tell you how many people were inspired by that magazine, and many of those who participated in it went on to do many great things.

5. What other jobs have you had besides being a writer?

I have done a wide variety of jobs including busboy in various clubs and library assistant. I worked at the old Escape Hatch comic book store for years. I cleaned up on construction sites. I worked in McDonalds. I worked with a museum, and generally whenever there was an odd job to do, I would do my best at it. Right now I am a librarian with the College of the North Atlantic in Carbonear. I have never considered being a writer a job. I write simply because I have to. It is a part of me and I would not be able to stop.

6. What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time I take a cooking class, which is fabulous. The chefs, Darryl Haines and Lisa Collins, are wonderful and I learn a lot from them in the six years I have been doing it. I made many friends there like Jim and the gang. Paula in particular was a wonderful help in promoting my book and to whom I am grateful.

I also watch a lot of DVDs and enjoy sitting back and relaxing with friends. If I have a break from work, I like to travel and I head to St. Pierre for Bastille Day every year I can because it is so much fun and the pastries are great! My philosophy is that you cannot wait to do the things you wish to do because you may never be able to if you keep putting things off.

7. What is your favourite food?

I know it is bad for me (but then what favourite food isn't) but I like tacos and burgers. They are simple to make and are so enjoyable. I have a taco party every Super Bowl Sunday, and I invite friends over and I make them my special tacos. They love them and wouldn't miss it for the world. I love cooking for people, especially my female friends, whom I treat with a scrumptious meal and a bottle of merlot. Cooking is a high art form in the proper hands. There is a joy there and I love it when my meals turn out well. I really enjoy the smiles on people’s faces when they have enjoyed a meal I cooked.

8. What kind of music do you listen to?

I listen to a lot of different types of music. I like classical music and go to the Basilica every year for the Messiah. Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans should be very proud of their symphony: they are world class. I love the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and Elvis. I, thanks to my brother Derm, like Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne, and my guilty pleasure is the Spice Girls. I can listen to almost anything, and I used to love the local group Pressure Drop and wish I had their CDs.

9. If you could live during any time period and in any place, when and where would you choose?

Well, I love Doctor Who so if I could be in the Tardis I'd like two trips, one to the past and one to the future. I'd like to go back in time and see my nan and my father again as they are gone now and they only exist in my memory. I would also like to go to the future just to see if my hope in it is justified. There is a lot of anger and upset in the world today, but I like to think that one day we'll get beyond all that petty stuff and build a world where everyone looks after each other rather than the dog-eat-dog rat race we have on the go today. I’d like to see a world where the ordinary Joe is celebrated and people aren’t so cynical.

10. Make a question of your own and then answer it.

What does it take to be a writer?

I was asked this question by a mother and daughter at one of my book signings for Leaving Newfoundland and it was one of those easy/difficult questions to answer. I really believe you have to have a talent for it. While it is a skill that can be learned, a writer has to speak from the inner being, from the soul, otherwise what comes out is lifeless.

I believe a good writer also must be well-read and have a good knowledge of history. Education is important, and I think that you simply must have at least a high school diploma in order to acquire the basic tools with which a writer needs to work. If you wish to get your work published, it is good to have a publisher willing to take a chance on you and, as in the case I found with Flanker Press, a good team who will take your work and make it better. I’ll always be very grateful for their efforts with my work and would work with them again in a heartbeat.

Being a writer is a calling much like being a priest. While it can be arduous at times, the joys of writing easily outweigh the times when you feel like pulling out your own hair. I love writing and it is a part of me that I can never give up. The people I have met as a result of my body of work have been inspiring. If there is any advice I can give to a potential writer out there reading this it is that you just have to go for it. There is no person on the face of this earth who can deny you that simple freedom to express yourself through art, and while there will be an army of naysayers who will love nothing better than to prop up their own egos by deflating yours, never give up, never surrender!

Finally, I’d like to add that any writer should not take themselves so seriously that they can’t enjoy the process of writing. You can be a slave to your passion and still find some beauty in simply putting pen to paper or your hands to the keyboard. The gentle caress of your ideas should lift you toward to the heavens and not pull you down to the depths of despair. Few writers become stars and still fewer get rich at it. Being a writer is fun, enjoy it! Thank you to the wonderful people at Flanker Press for asking me to do this piece. It was my sincere pleasure.