with Stephen J. Golds
Q1: When did you start writing and first influences?
Stephen: I had always been writing to some extent while I was younger, but recently started writing again seriously November 2019 to help me deal with mental problems I was having at the time. My first influences were Charles Bukowski, Knut Hamsun, John Fante, Sarah Kane. From a young age, I liked reading about people on the fringes of society, outsiders, outcasts. Still do.
Q2: Who are your biggest influences today?
Stephen: My major influences have pretty much remained the same. However nowadays I tend to look to my peers on the indie scene. Seeing the stellar work, they are putting out there really lights a fire under my ass to try and be better. Write better. Edit my work and strive for higher grounds.
Q3: Where did you grow up and how did that influence your writing? Have any travels away from home influence your work?
Stephen: I grew up in the North of London but moved to Asia when I hit adulthood. I travelled around a bit and then landed in Japan. London is an amazing city and will always have a place in my heart but my heart loves Okinawa now and I find a lot of inspiration in the ocean, the light, and the different landscapes they have out here. The cocktail of beaches, hills, jungles, harbours, and inner-city areas. Love the people and the culture.
Q4: What do you consider the most meaningful work you’ve done creatively so far?
Stephen: I would say it is Always the Dead – a noir novel about the 1949 disappearance of a young starlet named Jean Spangler. Its probably the one book that I feel defines my prose writing the most.
Q5: Any pivotal moment when you knew you wanted to be a writer?
Stephen: At sixteen realizing that I couldn’t sing or play a guitar so had to give up the idea of being the next Kurt Cobain.
Q6: Favorite activities to relax?
Stephen: Boxing, skateboarding, surfing, reading, and hanging out with my two beautiful daughters.
Q7: Any recent or forthcoming projects you’d like to promote?
Stephen: I have a 100-page collection of previously uncollected poetry coming out with Alien Buddha Press on the 3rd of July titled Cut-throat and Tongue-tied – Bullet Riddled and Gun Shy. And I have a new noir novel about corruption, a missing child and OCD – just out with Red Dog Press titled I’ll Pray When I’m Dying.
Q8: What is a favorite line/stanza from a poem/writing of yours or others?
Stephen: Favorite line is probably from Always the Dead, when discussing life, “It’s all just a circle of bullshit and blood.”
Q9: Who has helped you most with writing?
Stephen: It’s a long list of great people I met on twitter. People like Rob Parker, S. E. Moorhead, Alec Cizak, B. F. Jones and Gabriel Hart to name just a few.
Links:
2 poems by Stephen J. Golds “Boat Trip in VietNam” “Bus Stop Man”
https://www.amazon.com/Books-Stephen-J-Golds/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AStephen+J.+Golds
https://www.bristolnoir.co.uk/interview-stephen-j-golds/
https://www.bristolnoir.co.uk/review-always-the-dead-by-stephen-j-golds/
https://punknoirmagazine.com/2021/04/15/3-poems-from-stephen-j-golds/
https://punknoirmagazine.com/2021/06/17/your-call-is-important-to-us-by-stephen-j-golds/
Fevers of the Mind 
1 comment