Nathan Leslie

Where Hurry Up and Relax is primarily satirical, these stories are more serious in tone and nature. My students might call them “depressing.” I found myself gravitating towards issues of the body, of ethics, of characters in turmoil of one kind or another.

Get a glimpse into what makes your favorite creative types tick—from the writers who inspired them, to the weird habits that accompany the practice of writing, their favorite places in the world, and more. Each week, Sean Murphy, Executive Director of 1455, poses 15 questions in (less than) 15 minutes in this fast-paced and insightful series.

Over the years, I’ve developed a sense of how to piece together a short story collection. This particular collection is a little more sprawling than some of my others and less cohesive in terms of an aesthetic. For years, I wrote thematic collections and every story fit the theme.

Leslie talks about his latest book, The Invisible Hand, and shares insights into his writing and editing.

I knew how this story would end before I began writing. I’ve always been struck by a quote by Flannery O’Connor—the one where she essentially said that often she didn’t know exactly where a story was going when she began. Occasionally I work like this, and I have been surprised by some of what I’ve discovered approaching fiction from this more improvisational angle.

I didn’t consciously choose writing–it chose me. Writing has always been more of a compulsion for me than something I feel like I want to do. I’ve always felt that I had things to say and stories to tell and then I’m drawn to the page to get it all down. Why? I have zero musical talent and can barely draw a stick figure, but I’ve always felt somewhat skilled with words at least.

Guest editor Robin McLean interviewed featured fiction author Nathan Leslie for this issue. Here’s what Leslie had to say about voice, the use of time and memory in fiction, and his drafting process.