Patrick Hicks
Patrick Hicks is the author of The Commandant of Lubizec, Adoptable, Library of the Mind, and The Collector of Names, among others. His work has appeared on NPR, The PBS NewsHour, American Life in Poetry, and his first novel was selected for National Reading Group Month. He is the Writer-in-Residence at Augustana University as well as a faculty member in the MFA Program at Sierra Nevada University. He lives in the Midwest and hosts the popular radio show, Poetry from Studio 47. His latest novel is In the Shadow of Dora.
Twitter: @phickswriter
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
I do listen to music while I write, but it can't have lyrics because I find that too distracting. When I wrote my first novel, The Commandant of Lubizec, I listened to a lot of Chopin and when I wrote my second novel, In the Shadow of Dora, I did the same thing. Depending upon what I'm writing, I often choose music that fits the mood of the story. As I'm answering these questions, I've got some traditional Irish music on in the background. The Chieftains.
What's the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author?
I always refer to myself as a writer because that's the act of creation. Being an author is performative -- that's when I enter an auditorium to do a reading and answer questions. I enjoy doing this but it's a bit jarring because being a writer is such a solitary existence. It's almost monastic. And yet, when a book comes out, I have to suddenly shift gears and become an extrovert. That's the difference for me between the two words. Being a writer is introverted action while being an author is a type of acting on stage.
Do you collect anything? If so, what, why, and for how long?
I don't really collect anything, but I do have this odd habit of keeping bicentennial quarters. Whenever I find one of them in my change, I save it and put it in a drawer with all the others that have crossed my path since the 1970s. A weird habit, I know, but I started doing this a kid and for some reason never quit. I've got tons of them now. But of course, a lot of time has passed since 1976 so I don't see them very often anymore.
Is there another profession you would like to try?
I've always been fascinated with flight and if I wasn't devoted to writing I can easily imagine myself being a pilot. In fact, I'm considering taking flying lessons just to feel the thrill of being airborne and seeing the world glide beneath the nose of the plane. I'd really love to experience the tremendous speed of a military fighter jet. All those loops and rolls. Fun fact: during my spare time I'm with an organization that keeps original World War II aircraft flight ready. It's a joy to go up in an old bomber like a B-17 as a passenger.
Vacation druthers...City or Rural destination? Why?
I am absolutely in love with the city of London. If someone told me that I had to live in a single city for the rest of my life, and I couldn't leave it, I'd choose London. There is something about its vibrancy, its history, its different boroughs and parks and cultures, that just finds me returning again and again. Samuel Johnson was right. "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life." It's like a second home to me and I pine for the place when I'm not there. I miss it even now.
