Reader Meet Author: Joe Meno

There are times when we all begin to coast a little bit. You know what I mean, move through days, through functions, through life without thought or effort, but then something happens. A bolt, accidental or intentional, it snaps your mind and body to attention. It changes everything you ever thought or felt, and forces you to move in a new direction.

Not that Chicago's Joe Meno was floating, but he did feel the shock of a life changing event. Four years ago, while already working on a version of The Great Perhaps, Joe suffered a seizure. I can only image the fear and helplessness he felt in that moment. His latest novel, The Great Perhaps (W.W. Norton, May 11th), deals with some of these emotions, but ventures (in only a way that Joe can) into a whole new universe. It tackles the essence of uncertainty and life's complexities, and attempts to secure the simplest answer in the most difficult situations.

Recently, Joe was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): The Great Perhaps is your latest novel, and deals in part with epilepsy and how it affects a family and a personal perspective on the world. How much time did you spend researching epilepsy and do you see this novel connecting on a deeper level with individuals who have epilepsy?
Joe Meno (JM): This book is the most heavily researched novel I've written, only because it covers so much time and so many characters, three of whom happen to be scientists. So there was a lot of research looking into the prehistoric giant squid and the social hierarchy of birds. Also, there are a number of chapters that take place as far back as 1620 AD, and so there was research into getting those details right as well. I had written about half of the first draft of the book in 2005 when I suffered a seizure two days before Christmas and it was, without a doubt, the most frightening thing that's ever occurred to me. I was literally unable to lift my arms or talk. The symptoms lasted for about two days and afterwards, when I went back to the book, I realized it was a pretty good way to explore Jonathan's relationship to fear and weakness and failure and the feeling of being overwhelmed by the complications of modern life.

OA: I love the opening quotes that you used for the book. How did you decide on those quotes, and was it essential that they originated from University of Chicago?
JM: The book is heavily influenced by both Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" and Thornton Wilder's "Skin of Our Teeth." I loved how Vonnegut was able to explore the questions of war but with humor and sincerity and how in Wilder's play, he uses a family to get to the struggles of human beings over millions and millions of years. Both are pretty absurd and surreal and I wanted to try and capture that in the book. I had known Vonnegut had been a grad student of U of C, but then I found out Wilder taught there as well, and it was one of those perfect little details that you can't plan, so I used both.

OA: In the press release interview you reference the White Album as an influence. What aspects of that album influenced you the most, and did you listen to the album or have it close to you as you wrote?
JM: There's a lot about that record that informed the book: mostly it was its expansiveness, how broad and ambitious and how complex it is, and in the end, that's what the novel is about, the need for complexity. There's this sense of humor and absurdity, similar to Vonnegut and Wilder's writing, but in the same sense, an earnestness, a willingness to explore real social issues like war and class and revolution, and the fact that there are four different singers helped influence the structure of the novel, with its repeated five character structure. I had written a lot of the novel in different parts--some of it as short stories, some of it as parts of different plays, and hearing the White Album helped me to realize all these parts could and should be related.

OA: The illustrations for the book were created by Koren Zelek. How much input did you have in the illustration and how did you select Koren for this project?
JM: I selected Koren because she had done the cover for my last novel, The Boy Detective Fails. She is also my wife so I felt pretty confident I could get her for the project.

OA: This novel takes place in Chicago. Do you feel there should be more novel taking place here?
JM: There is such an interesting atmosphere in the city, but still most people write about NY. I think the reason most novels take place in NYC is because the industry is there and editors want to publish material that reflects their own experiences, which makes sense. But it's also a little boring. One of the reasons I love living in Chicago is that there are so many events, so many parts of town no one has written about, and it gives this absolute freedom to explore the city on the page in a way that hasn't been done to death. Having said that, there a ton of books set in NYC that I love, but in those cases, the writers really have to work to invent their own cities from the ground up.

OA: What are your thoughts on the Chicago literary scene right now? Is Chicago a good place to be a writer?
JM: Chicago, for me, has been incredibly supportive. I couldn't think of living anywhere else. There is definitely a disadvantage to being a writer here, as you're somewhat disconnected from the majority of the publishing industry, but there are plenty of writers like Alex Hemon and Elizabeth Crane and Stuart Dybek who have established themselves living here in town. I have a ton of friends who are writers in New York and they're all great people, but I don't think I'd want to live in a town where fiction writers outnumber the police. It's kind of daunting, I think.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy and who area few of your favorites?
JM: I've been listening to a lot of children's music lately because of my daughter. And she loves the Beatles more than I do, I think. But when I'm alone in the car, I've been listening to a lot of Wilco and Wolf Parade and the Clash. I really love Neko Case's new record, too. You should also check out The Astronomer, a Chicago band I really enjoy.

For more information on Joe Meno please visit his website, and to order a copy of The Great Perhaps or find a local store that carries it visit IndieBound.