John Drudge On Books And Writing
For my latest author interview, I got in touch with John Drudge.
This interview has been edited.
Would you tell me a little bit about your new book?
“A Long Walk” is about healing and redemption, and about the search for hope when all hope seems lost. It’s also about longing, desire, and perseverance; but fundamentally, like much of my work, it’s about the power of love to transcend both interpersonal and ontological suffering.
My work can go to dark places to be sure, but no matter what, it’s always about love and hope in the end. It is being published by Cajun Mutt Press and I’m grateful to editor James Dennis Casey for all his assistance and hard work. I’m also very honored and humbled by the graciousness of Ron Whitehead who took the time to read the manuscript and generously write the back cover. However, what I am most proud of is that my son Jacob [Drudge] did the artwork for the front cover.
How long did it take to write? Do you have a writing routine?
It took about three to four months to complete, and then I polished it up a couple of months later. I like to let them sit for a while before finalizing them and shopping them around.
Personally, I don’t really have a writing routine per se and tend to just jot things down in my phone notes whenever the mood strikes. I generally write in the early mornings or late at night when the world is slow and quiet, but I also write watching TV, or in noisy cafes, on beaches in Europe or the Caribbean, or tucked away in an olive grove in Tuscany or the South of France.
The truth is they come when they come, and more often than I’d like to admit, I’m frequently just along for the ride. I think of it like surfing. Surfing is mostly sitting and waiting and looking to the horizon for the next big wave. It’s not something you can predict, or conjure up at will, much like poetry.
How did you go about getting the book published?
James Dennis Casey had previously published a number of my individual pieces and was an early supporter of my work. When I heard that he had a call out for manuscripts, I sent it in, and it was accepted shortly thereafter. It was as easy as that. It’s not usually that easy mind you.
With my first book, I received so many rejections that I felt like quitting before starting. Rejection after rejection, sometimes with a side of stinging criticism, was brutal and at times demoralizing. It’s not for the timid of heart that’s for sure. The funny thing though, was that I didn’t know any better. I knew absolutely nothing about the industry, nor how implausible my goal was, but I was certain that I was going to get my little book into print.
I hounded everyone across the globe. Up until that point, I hadn’t had a single poem published anywhere, and absolutely no one knew anything about me. But I was shopping a full-length manuscript around, and against all odds, the thing was published and did well … and I’ve been looking at the horizon for those waves ever since.
Any big writing projects in the works?
I have a “Selected Poems” compilation coming out from Barrio Blues Press in the very near future. It’s a collection of many of my travel poems from over the years and I’m very excited about it. Travel is an integral part of who I am and has helped to define my worldview. I hope it will be an enjoyable read for travelers and explorers of all kinds.
I also have a poetry collection, “A Curious Art,” coming out on March 15, 2024. My son Jacob did the cover art for that one too. It’s extraordinarily rewarding to be able to collaborate artistically with him. Beyond words, really!
