Barry Levy

Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a former English teacher who also worked as a Literary Artist for the Cultural Council Foundation/CETA Artists Project, co-authoring the topical revue “New Living Newspaper, Vol. 1, No. 2” (Playwrights Horizons), writing poetry for the anthology “Words to Go” and conducting interviews for the publication Art Workers News. I was a reporter for Gotham Newsmagazine and a freelance game show writer for NBC’s “Shoot for the Stars.” I am the recipient of the Clarence Kline Essay Prize and was a semi-finalist in the Writers Guild of America, East, Fellowship Competition. “European Son: a novella” is my first work of fiction.

What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I was inspired to write “European Son: a novella” after reading Jerzy Kosinski’s short novel “Steps.” I was impressed by his succinct and clear language and intrigued by his male protagonist, a manipulative loner who meets a variety of characters on his solitary journey.

Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t know if this is unusual but when writing dialogue I say it aloud, becoming the characters in conversation. Years ago when I was writing screenplays, I spoke the characters’ words into a cassette recorder and then listened to them to hear if the words sounded true to the people speaking them and if they were easy to say (not too many “ssssssssss.”)

What authors, or books have influenced you?
Aside from “Steps” by Kosinski, Camus’ “The Stranger” and Ian McEwan’s “The Comfort of Strangers” influenced my writing of the novella. Pinter’s crisp and understated dialogue, with its often menacing and sexual subtext, has always had a pull. So have Hitchcock’s visuals and storytelling methods. When writing my novella, I tried to picture the events as if through a camera lens in order to observe my characters speaking, listening, reacting or remaining silent, while directing their behavior, movements and gestures. I have been told that the book is indeed very visual and would make for an intriguing film.

What are you working on now?
I am working on a manuscript composed of several poems, a short story and a novella, “A Solitary Landscape,” which is also the title of the book.

What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I find that e-mails work best for me. I also make phone calls and send out flyers if I am doing a reading or an event such as a book fair. My book also has a Facebook page.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
Read a lot. Write often. Believe in your talent. Don’t squander it. Don’t talk about what you’re gonna do — just do it! And surround yourself with encouraging, supportive, like-minded people. Try to get to the desk – or wherever you write – several times a week, keeping a record of how much time you sat there writing, thinking, rewriting… Then total up those minutes and hours. You’ll have a sense of accomplishment. So smile. And reward yourself!

What is the best advice you have ever heard?
One of my favorite people, Patti Smith, said in an interview that she does something creative everyday, whether it’s writing a poem or drawing a picture or working with clay or singing a song. I think that is great advice. No wonder she is so prolific and so incredibly talented.

What are you reading now?
A day or two ago I finished reading Chris Pavone’s excellent debut spy novel “The Expats.” I am perusing “Venture Inward,” a magazine put out by the Edgar Cayce Foundation and several recent issues of The New York Times Book Review. The Pavone book has put me in the mood to read Ben Macintyre’s “A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal.” So that’s next on my book shelf.

What’s next for you as a writer?
Well…my New Year’s resolution is to finish writing “A Solitary Landscape.” I’ve already written most or all of the poetry and the short story. But I need to get back to work on the main part of the book, the novella. Also, I would like to create a blog and post comments, recommendations and reviews of books I’ve read and plays and films that I’ve seen, while also providing information and updates about my own work.

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
I hope I would bring the Bible. “Ulysses” because I bought it in Dublin and never read it. “To the Lighthouse” because it’s one of my favorite books. “Tales of Power” by Carlos Castaneda for courage and inspiration. “Antonioni’s Blow-Up” because it’s my favorite film and the book has great photos. And I would bring “European Son: a novella” and “A Solitary Landscape” because they’re mine and I wrote them and I need to remember that.

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