Interview notes (January 2023)
Interview notes (January 2023)
Tell me about yourself
"Tell me about yourself. Not as the chronicler, that’ll come later, but as the person."
I was born in Minneapolis in 1961. Grew up in a middle-class household in a nice neighborhood. My parents were both liberal intellectuals who encouraged reading, art, science — whatever I wanted to study, they encouraged it.
My dad read science fiction, so I was exposed at an early age to the works of Philip K. Dick, John Brunner, and Bruce Sterling, among other writers.
Satire appealed to me very early in life. I remember being eight or nine years old. My dad worked for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, so we got the paper delivered free. Dad had a custom: on Sunday mornings, he would make a big skillet breakfast for the family, with cinnamon rolls and orange juice. After breakfast we would all — Mom, Dad, my brother Geoff, and myself — would sit down in the living room and read the Sunday paper. For the kids, this meant reading the funny pages. Then the real fun began. Dad would pull out this book of classical art prints, so thick old volume. He would pick out some particular plate: I recall one with Napoleon atop a rearing horse. Dad would pick a comic panel, carefully cut out a talk balloon, and paste it over Napoleon's head. I forget what the talk bubble said, but whatever it was, we found it hilarious.
Another pleasure from around that time was Wacky Packages. Oh, I loved Wacky Packages!
Where I'm from
"Now tell me a bit about where you’re from! What it’s like, what does it mean to you , any particular places you love visiting?"
What I do with the Gnomon Chronicles
"Explain to the readers what it is you do with the Gnomon Chronicles. Just give a lowdown of what it is"
Name
"Where did the name Gnomon Chronicles come from?"
"Gnomon Chronicles" began as a title for the imprint of an original comic book series. I was working with an illustrator around 2014, kicking around ideas for stories which I would write and he would illustrate. That project fizzled out, but the name stuck.
Inspiration
"What inspired you to take up the gnomon chronicles ? It’s something you are clearly very dedicated to, so it couldn’t have been a simple decision … or was it?"
Synchronization
"Have the gnomon chronicles site and twitter page always been in unison? Did one come first , or do you prioritise one over the other etc?"
Aims
"What is it you aim to do with the gnomon chronicles? Is it for personal pleasure, or to entertain others? I’m intrigued."
I take pleasure in what I do, but I am doing it for others. I want to entertain people. Entertain, and inform.
Some authors write short stories. Some write novels. Some write plays or poems or scripts.
I write my Chronicles.
Which tweets do I reply to?
"I often find your satirical posts in replies to tweets that perhaps wouldn’t be expecting it to respond to them. How do you decide which tweets to respond to with your satirical media?"
What keeps my twitter account going
"What is it that keeps this account going. A lot of online personalities maintain their accounts to ensure a constantly growing level of engagement , but if you don’t mind me saying (and I mean this with no disrespect of course), you haven’t got the largest level of consistent engagement , at least if one was to look at every piece of satire you post . Do you ever think about this or take it into account?"
Online community
"I’ve noticed in my time following you that you’ve cultivated a very lovely online community that stays in touch through twitter posts and threads . Do you feel you’ve found people on twitter that you would genuinely call friends? Or do you more see them as followers."
Trouble
"Have you ever had any trouble online, with trolls or bothersome personalities? If so, how do you deal with them?"
How to people feel
"How do the people in your life feel about the Gnomon Chronicles?"
Personal updates
"Alongside the usual satirical posts , you often provide lovely updates on what you’re up to , what the weather is like or how your day has been. Do you find this is important to the idea of the gnomon chronicles / building a community, or is there a different motivation for this."
Inventing movies
"You are a man who spends his time inventing movies , so I must take some time to ask you about them. Firstly, how up to date are you with popular culture? Do you make an effort to keep on top of the latest releases for the account, or do you simply watch what you want to and build on that."
Favorite films
"What would you say are some of your favourite films ? Tell me and the readers why it is you love them."
Inspirations
"Do you have an inspiration for what you do ? Someone or something that made you think, 'I could do this'!"
Inspirational words
"Words of inspiration for readers on doing what they love?"
In the News
Fiction cross-reference
Nonfiction cross-reference
External links
- [ Post] @ Twitter (30 January 2023)