Conversations with the Bookless: Clair Dickson

A couple of years ago Jeff Vandermeer ran a series of blog posts called Conversations With the Bookless. The Conversations with the Bookless series was designed to showcase those writers who are up and coming, who don’t yet have a collection or a novel out, who are making their names known writing short stories. With Jeff’s blessing I will be continuing the series here at BSC over the next couple of weeks, but with a focus mostly on mystery/crime fiction.

From the first generation successes of Anthony Neil Smith, Victor Gischler and Sean Doolittle that came out of Plots With Guns to the later success of zine author/founders Sandra Ruttan and Russel McLean to a lot of others the online zines have, over the years, proved to be a fairly successful and fertile ground for emerging talents to launch a career, highlight their own work and showcase the work of others.

These writers are the next generation and it will be interesting in the next couple of years to see which of them will make it and which will stand out.

Nothing else to say really except to end with a quote from the original series.

The fact is, if you don’t have a book out, it’s harder to get attention and it’s harder for reader attention to crystallize around you. I hope these interviews introduce readers to some of the great talent that, in the coming years, will be amazingly and bountifully bookful. — Jeff Vandermeer

    
Clair Dickson’s reoccurring character, a PI named Bo Fexler, is described as “a sexy modern, fictional, female private eye who can use her brains, her body and her fists”.

    
What do you most value in the fiction you love?

Strong characters who are confident and capable. I also like realism—my disbelief suspension isn’t very good. And I like clever and witty writing, either dialogue or narrative. For example, I love the unusual comparisons that Raymond Chandler uses.

    
Why do you write?

I write because I love to, really. And because my brain keeps filling up with stories. I’m always thinking about things, spinning them out into tales. May as well write them down. That at least frees up room for new musings.

    
What is the value and purpose of short fiction in mystery/crime fiction for you personally and overall for the form and genre?

For me, short fiction is perfect for those interesting crimes that really aren’t worth a whole novel. Since I am fascinated by everyday evils—you know, the petty crimes and nasty things short of murder that the average person is likely to commit—I find that short fiction is great for exploring these. It’s like reading the police blotter, only in short fiction, there’s a resolution of sorts. In short fiction, I think we see more of that implied story telling that I like—where the author doesn’t explain everything. Also, short fiction leaves out those romantic sub-plots and other things that I don’t like. It’s just a crime, just an investigation, just one thing.

    
What issues or ideas about fiction have been foremost in your mind of late?

Why are there so few hardboiled female characters? I actually liked the femme fatales of old—they knew what they wanted and how to get it. They were confident, sexy, and capable females. And they were tough. Most of the women that people suggest as hardboiled chicks are bit underdone for my taste. I want a female Phillip Marlowe. Not surprisingly, I write the sort of character I want to read.

The other issue that bothers me is the many worn-out, washed up old characters. Many hardboiled characters (usually men) are older and rather beaten down. They’ve screwed up somewhere and there’s not much hope for their future—except this one last stand. I’d like to see more successful characters. But still tough, hardboiled, and maybe a bit cynical. I don’t really see these and contradictory. You can be fairly successful but still have a bitter view towards the world.

    
Who is the best short story writer that people haven’t gotten hip to yet?

Oh, this is a tough one. There are a couple of authors who’s stories I always read. I’d have to put r2 at the top of the list, though. He writes such dark, twisted noir. And if Albert Tucher ever put out a novel with his tough female protagonist, I’d buy it.

    
What do you like most about short fiction?

The instant gratification. At least, in part. The other big part is that short fiction is easy to squeeze into my busy schedule. I’ve written flash fiction pieces in a couple hours while my students watch a movie.

    
When did you start writing short fiction and what prompted you to do so?

I started writing short fiction early 2007. I had previously had no luck submitting my “first” novel to agents. I think I’d read somewhere that publishing credits helps an author, so I figured I’d give it a whirl. I don’t know if my collection of published short stories (about fifty) will actually help me get an agent— but I do know that writing short stories and getting feedback on them from zine editors greatly improved my writing. I am a far, far better writer today than I was just a few years ago.

    
Of your stories, which is your favorite; the one that showcases best your abilities?

Well, currently, I think that Black and Pink and Blond all over (which recently appeared in Crooked Ezine) is my favorite, but this tends to change. I pretty much like all my stories, for different reasons. Some because they’re all sexed up, others because they’re full of witty dialogue, and others because they are just Bo at her best. But, I do like to think that my novel actually showcases the best of my abilities—it has character development not possible in the short form, along with plenty of sex, clue-finding, fun dialogue, and Bo’s commentary.

    
Do you have any short story publications forthcoming?

At the moment, no. I have lots of reasons and excuses, but the simple fact is that I’ve written far fewer short stories in the last few months. Getting back into writing shorts is like riding a bike—you never forget, but the first couple times out, you may end up in the ditch. I think the fourth job was a bit of a stretch, time wise, but the money is good.

    
How do you plan to rectify your booklessness? I understand you are shopping a novel around, care to give us a paragraph or two?

I am currently in the process of sending my seductively dressed novel after unsuspecting agents. The first Bo Fexler novel is titled Sex and Violence. In this little tale, Bo Fexler is looking for the missing son of a horny millionaire. The son’s supposed to be perfect, but perfect men don’t just disappear. So, when Bo takes the case, she’s sure it’s going to lead to some fun things, like sex and violence. If not, she’ll bring her own.

Here’s an excerpt:

Deputy Ruggins stepped onto the sidewalk and shook my hand. He grinned, showing even, white teeth. “Bo Fexler. So, we meet again.” Of course the cop who’d taken the report on the missing person I was interested in would be the very same who’d pulled me over the other day. So much for moving to Livingston County, the edge of suburbia, in order to get away from all the things that had previous defined me.

“But without any nefarious deeds or lengthy history.”

“I should hope not. I would have to take you in.”

“Little worse than a citation—hey, who says you couldn’t be the disreputable one?” I almost made him promise to use handcuffs, but kept that innuendo to myself. For now. It never lasts.

    
_{Clair Dickson blogs at Bo Fexler, PI, links to her stories can be found here.}

About Brian

Brian loves both kinds of books -- fiction and non-fiction. He is an all around book john and reviewing roustabout. His semi-regular columns at BSC include BSC Radar Screen, The Electric Mayhem, Conversations with the Bookless and Short Thoughts on Short Fiction. He blogs at Observations From the Balcony.