Q+A with Poet Nicholas Lann

If you could cook dinner for any author, dead or alive, who would it be? What would you make?  
I’d make spaghetti for Tom Wolfe (in his pristine white suit).


What scares you the most about the writing process? How do you combat your fears?
I’ll fall into a perpetual depression and lose both the will to write and my creativite expression. That and aphasia, or any debilitating brain disorder. 


Who is your biggest literary crush, author or character? 
Frankenstein. I’d caress those bolts anyday.


What books are on your nightstand? 
None. I keep almost all of my books on my bookshelf. I always keep a dictionary in my room somewhere, usually on my desk or on the floor. I’ll probably have an Evelyn Waugh book on my desk too sometimes- he’s my favorite author.

Where do you get your ideas? What inspires you?
My thoughts are stimulated by other books, movies, and even sometimes music. Music can create a setting or set a mood for a story. I try to distance myself from the mainstream as much as possible when looking for ideas. Unique stories-something strange or absurdly hilarious-fascinate me and are the impetus to my writing.

Favorite punctuation mark? Why?  
The semicolon. It’s so underrated; it wonderfully joins two clauses. 


What book were you supposed to read in high school, but never did? 
A Tale of Two Cities- although I did draw mustaches and beards on all the characters on the cover.


What inanimate object would you thank in your acknowledgements? 
None of these great poems would be available without my pen. I write down what comes into my head-sometimes a jumbled mess- and rearrange and transcribe them on my computer; although I’ve since  switched to using solely my typewriter. 

Why do you write? The first 5 words that come to mind. Go. 
To escape from the mundane

If you could write an inspirational quote on the mirrors of aspiring writers, what would you write?  
Think for yourselves! Delve into art; study the classics. Stop looking at your phones all the time. In fact, just throw them out and renounce your generation. Most important is seclusion. Embrace it. Your thoughts will just flow. ​

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