His Other Work
Story Art Sneak Peek
Amazing Artwork By Daniela Rivera
"THIS SHOULD BE THE PLACE"
Anthology: Paramnesia
Release Date: April 7th, 2023
Preorders: Kindle | Paperback
About the Author: Stuart Freyer is a Pushcart Prize nominee and his stories have appeared in American Fiction Volume 14: The Best Unpublished Stories by New and Emerging Writers, Glassworks, december, Timber Creek Review, and Zahir: A Journal of Speculative Fiction, among others. He has been an otolaryngologist, acupuncturist and standup comic. He lives in Williamstown MA on a dirt road.
Release Date: April 7th, 2023
Preorders: Kindle | Paperback
About the Author: Stuart Freyer is a Pushcart Prize nominee and his stories have appeared in American Fiction Volume 14: The Best Unpublished Stories by New and Emerging Writers, Glassworks, december, Timber Creek Review, and Zahir: A Journal of Speculative Fiction, among others. He has been an otolaryngologist, acupuncturist and standup comic. He lives in Williamstown MA on a dirt road.
Q & A
How does it feel to have this story published for the first time?
It’s a kick every time a story is taken. Then, of course, there are the nerves about how it will look. I remember a time when a famous author’s one page essay was opposite the first page of a poem of mine and I thought, well maybe more people will find their way there.
This particular story has been waiting for the the right theme for quite a while and I think the fit is near perfect.
This particular story has been waiting for the the right theme for quite a while and I think the fit is near perfect.
What inspired the idea for your story?
My stories usually arise from incidents I have heard about or people I have known and this one is no exception. The main character is a blend of two unique persons who have lived nearby and the “replacement” idea actually happened in some form. The paramnesia seemed to flow out by itself once the tale was taking shape.
We know that writing can be a tumultuous journey with a lot of obstacles, what is your kryptonite as a writer?
There is no kryptonite. But there is laziness and procrastination of which I have a cache, thankfully a small one.
Clearly, you’ve succeeded at writing a captivating story for GrendelPress, but we all start somewhere. What advice would you give yourself as a young writer?
i would recommend the advice a teacher of mine gave me about rejections.
“I have a photo of Rocky Marciano, the great boxer, on my office wall. It reminds me to get up off the floor and never give up.”
“I have a photo of Rocky Marciano, the great boxer, on my office wall. It reminds me to get up off the floor and never give up.”
We’d like to argue that every good story makes both the author and the readers feel something. What perspectives or beliefs have you challenged with your story?
To me the story plays with the idea that we are not as in control of things as we might think we are.
Tell us about your favorite author. What about their book(s) call to you and how do they inspire your own writing?
The stories of George Saunders are so inventive. I especially loved his nonfiction “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain”, which is about reading stories. It provided me with insight as to how the mind of great writers work.
What do you love most about your story’s genre?
I don't write too many stories that border on the fantastic but this one, I like to think, blurs the edge between the possible and the impossible.
What are some other genres you’d like to break into and why?
Sometimes i think I might like to write a play. It certainly would be an exercise in dialogue. In fact there is one story of mine I have been having trouble with which might like itself better in that modality, who knows?
If you had to pick another story of yours to share with your readers, what would it be?
"Pink" is a favorite of mine that hasn't been accepted yet. A teenage boy experiences misplaced sexual longings and a near tragedy that could alter the course of his life.
