Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m a longtime freelance journalist published in more magazines than I can remember (among them Smoke, Chic, Army Magazine, American Way, The Nation et etc). Published books include two novels, two nonfiction books, several volumes of poetry. Some bio details:
As a highschool junior varsity baseball pitcher I threw a no-hitter but lost the game 11-0. (Nine walks, three wild pitches, two hit batsmen, six fielders errors, two of them his.)
As an Air Force enlisted man I received commendations as a bomb wing historian but never received a good conduct medal.
During undergraduate days at Mexico City College I edited the award-winning The Collegian newspaper, received the gold key honoring the year’s outstanding graduating senior and lost numerous arm-wrestling contests in a bar called The Baliliaka.
My journalistic career began as an editor with Western Publication in Austin, Texas, literary career with a poem in The Beloit Poetry Journal and shortstories in Four Quarters and The Georgia Review.
Journalistic adventures were interrupted by a year in Europe, writing an unpublished novel in New Orleans, two marriages and the births of two sons and three daughters, six years as a business and government accountant, passionate participation in Rotisserie baseball leagues and community, fern bar and university appearances as an actor, director and gofer.
Writing credits include:
Nonfiction
The Blood of the Serpent, Algora
Why Immigrants Come to America, Praeger
Novels
Miss Sally, Bobbs-Merrill
Running Out the Hurt, Black Rose Writing
Poetry
They Still Play Baseball the Old Way, White Eagle Coffee Store Press
A Perfect Throw, Aldrich
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Two books published in the past year: The novel Running Out the Hurt was inspired by my associations with a Mexican semipro baseball team in a little town in Tamaulipas. I wrote a humorous article or two about them, then a series of biographical poems that won a chapbook prize. A fellow writer who read the chapbook suggested I develop into a novel. Ironically the book pf poetry just out, A Perfect Throw, includes the poems in that chapbook that gave rise to the novel. The poetry book’s second section deals with marriage, my mother-in-law’s death and separation; the third with a 19th century Jewish peddler and Welsh miner’s widow inspired by writing and research I did in Nevada history.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
According to my ex-wives all my habits are unusual. Basically I’m a journalist accustomed to pushing against deadlines and getting things done but also enjoying lax periods when I can ease along and play with concepts and ideas. How unusual my habit of cursing MicroSoft Word might be I don’t know, but along with talking to myself while I write it might be a bit off-beat.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Fiction: D. H. Lawrence, Doestoevskii, Richard Wright, Wally Stegner, many others.
Nonfiction: Simone de Beauvoir, Hannah Arendt, Swami Vivekenanda, Richard Halliburton, many others
Poetry: D. H. Lawrence, Hart Crane, Garcia-Lorca, many others
What are you working on now?
Finishing/revised a nonfiction book on Mexico-U.S. danger points and a novel based on social protest and government repression in Oaxaca where I live. Plus writing poetry, some political essays and a few pieces of satire.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Times have changed drastically. Except for my new novel my books were published by hardcover publishers and promotion was based on giving readings, library sales and appearances, magazine reviews. The so-called indie world is a very different (and sometimes disagreeable) hustle that’s often based more on marketing than on book quality. Expanding a network of personal contacts that includes writers and readers for me is paramount.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Enjoy what you’re doing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
From my highschool football coach: “Don’t think, Stout! You’re hurting the team!” (i.e. do, don’t theorize.)
What are you reading now?
A new book on drug-related violence in Mexico called Morir en Mexico, poetry by Alan Britt and incomprehensible instructions for promoting books on Amazon.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I concurrently work on nonfiction, fiction and poetry so there’s always a lot ahead: essays and maybe another nonfiction book about Mexico once the current one is published, short stories for literary magazines (again primarily with Mexican settings), poetry. I love writing and a lot of what I launch into evolves spontaneously.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Unanswerable. I’ve never been much on “one favorite” anything: drinks, movies, baseball players, lovers, pets.
Author Websites and Profiles
Robert Joe Stout Website
Robert Joe Stout Amazon Profile
Robert Joe Stout’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile