A Conversation with Doug Henderson, by Swetha Amit
What inspired The Cleveland Heights. How did the idea come about?
For a long time, I wanted to write about the type of gay characters I felt we weren't seeing, especially at that time. Like typically, the gay heavy metal nerds. I always find it interesting to meet queer people in counter cultures. I thought it would be a good idea to talk about such queer people, and that's how the idea began. I finished writing the story in 2013 when I graduated. This book sat for a while, and I worked on it for six years before I signed the contract in 2019.
In The Cleveland Heights, these blurred lines exist between reality and the fantasy world. How did you balance it out?
I was lucky as my characters ended up being the kind of people who saw their world in a blurred manner. Most of them tended to see magic and serendipity, and so for me, that really helped in creating these fine lines as a writer. The only character who resisted that a bit was Mooneyham – though he needs it the most.
There is one interesting line in your book – Sometimes when you're in a rush, you don't see things that are right in front of you. There could be an idea for a story under our noses, which inspires a writer. Where do you draw inspiration from?
So, I am a very different person when I am writing. As a writer, I am much bolder and more stubborn. I am inspired to try doing things as they should. For instance, I make a running list of items. Then I like to tell the opposite of what I see. I write down everything I see in my journal. Besides, I also write almost every day.
What inspired your short story, The Manga Artist? How did you decide upon the unique structure and form?
I wanted to write a story that was form driven, and I knew I wanted to write about a manga artist, and someone living in Japan. These ideas merged, and I wanted to know if there was any way I could write it like a manga. Initially, I hesitated as I was curious if it would be sustainable, or what the reading experience would be like for the reader. Then one day, I decided to sit down and write a few vignettes. I began to like what I saw on the page, and felt I could keep writing like this. And it finally worked out in the end.
There are similarities in the dynamics between Masashieg and Scotty to Alfonso and Hamuchan. How did that come about? Was it a deliberate attempt to draw these parallels?
That also developed as I wrote the story. The idea for the school mice and the hamster came to me first. I also had a list of things I wanted to do, like writing in present tense and in first person. I generally resist both. I also wondered how I could write about animals without making it seem gimmicky. Then I realized the school mouse could be something the manga artist is drawing, and the manga artist could be the love interest of the guy living in Japan, and they all came together. I think these parallels between the characters came on to me quite early.
Did you always decide about Scotty being the narrator?
When I wrote the first draft, I didn’t know how to explain the panels to the reader. It was a little bit more direct. There was a lot of second person where Scotty was telling the readers what they see by using ‘you’. During revision, when I removed the second person, I knew there was a narrator in the story, and it had to be Scotty.
How long did it take you to write this story?
It took about five years from when I wrote the first draft to when it got published. But it sat for a while with a title. I initially came up with a few options, like 'The School Mice'. But once I thought of the manga artist, I knew it was ready to go. I had also workshopped it several times in groups after my MFA program. I initially wrote the first draft during my MFA. Someone said it was ready at the workshop, and I should be finding a home for it. And then it was a finalist at a story competition. But it didn't win, so I just kept submitting to journals.
When you get a few rejections, do you feel that you need to change something in your story? How do you deal with them?
It's always a challenge. Rejections hurt. This story got a handful of them. In fact, it was rejected within twenty-four hours. And it was a finalist somewhere else, and it won a contest. I don't know what rejections mean. And not sending work out is more painful than getting a rejection. Rejection results in a few self-doubts, which lasts for a couple of days. However, I would be crushed if I never took steps to achieve my dream of getting published.
You have written both short and long fiction. What is your approach towards both these forms?
I think about that a lot. The novel can be longer, while short stories need to be very tight. I like to draw parallels with music. A short story is like a music box with many mechanics that need to be fine-tuned. A novel is like a jam session, with more space and time to put in more things.
With some short stories, there is hardly a plot, and they are more character driven. So which, according to you, comes first – the characters or the plot?
Hmm. Not the plot. I don't know if it's the characters, either. Usually, it's a feeling or emotion that I want to recreate. So, I typically manipulate my plot or characters around that emotion. If that makes sense.
So, who are the authors who influence or inspire you?
Recently it's César, Aira-author of The Musical Brain. He is a South American author. My standard favorites are John Steinbeck, James Thurber, and Katherine Mansfield. I generally like a mix of humor and bittersweet stories. I read across genres, from literary to genre fiction, comics, and graphic novels.
What is the strangest place you have ever visited?
I once went to a fairy glen in Scotland that felt magical and transportive. I'd never been to any place like it – lots of small, rolling hills and little ponds. It was very otherworldly.
What is one weird writing habit that you possess? (If any)
I do not need any special requirements to write. I like to just get right into it. But I do enjoy a cup of milky black tea.
Lastly, are there any more books in the pipeline?
Yes. Hopefully. Fingers crossed. I am always writing. I do have short stories recently rejected that l will try to rework. I do have a novel that I am working on. The story takes place in San Francisco, and it's about people who pilot giant mechanical robots. We'll see how that goes.
