Keith Lansdale is currently working to bring to life an illustrated novel which take place on the same island setting as featured in the short story Prisoner 489 by Joe Lansdale. The novel is tentatively titled A Prisoner of Violence. I recently sat down with Keith to find out a little more about the project.

What was it about the story Prisoner 489 that sparked the idea for this project?

Prisoner 489 is a fun little story about an unstoppable monster terrorizing people stuck on an island designed like Alcatraz if it was in the Bermuda Triangle. The island itself is a bit of a mystery which is why when asked to do a story in the same universe, I knew the island had a lot of potential.

How does it feel to be creating your own work which shares the same setting as one of your father’s stories? Do you feel lucky to be able to do so?

When you have someone who’s as well known as Dad, people are clawing over each other for a chance to work with him. So lots of offers I get are people looking to adapt or expand that well known library of Lansdale. This is actually one of few projects that, while inspired by his universe, is my own creation within that. Oh, of course. I’m humbled every time I get to work on a project with Dad.

Did you look up to him as a child growing up?

Absolutely. And still do.

How has his influence helped you in your own career so far?

It would probably be easier to answer how has it not. He’s a man that knows his stuff and growing up with him meant we had a lot of time to talk about several aspects of storytelling.

What would you say is the most important thing you have learned from him in regards to that?

Growing up I learned a lot about deductive reasoning. This is a mighty effective tool not only to better my day-to-day life, but an important aspect of storytelling.

What do you love most about the act of writing?

It mostly boils down to it’s fun to create something. I love a good puzzle, and lots of times I’m not sure where the story is going to end up until it gets there, but I just keep putting those pieces together until, bam. A complete picture.

Can you tell our readers a little more about A Prisoner of Violence? What can they expect from this one?

It’s not a secret, but I don’t want to give much away. Prisoner of Violence complements the original Prisoner 489 while still being its own beast. I’ve got a couple characters who are fighting to survive that I enjoyed writing. One of which was actually a throw away character who I had no real plans to keep around, but no matter how many times I tried to lead him to his doom, the story leaned a different way.

What are you hoping the reader takes away from this piece of work?

A suspenseful ride with a few laughs. That’s the most anyone could ask, really.

What elements are still in development?

Well, the first draft is written and turned into Dark Regions Press. But that’s about it. We still don’t have an artist or anything decided yet.

What is the most challenging issue you have faced so far in bringing this project into existence?

Just trying to make sure I do the original work proud without stepping on it.

When do you think it will be available to the public?

That I couldn’t guess. It’s still in the early stages and depending on how fast the artist and everyone else works on it, could be this year. Could be next.

Do you ever get nervous about how your work will be received?

Not really. Obviously to be successful I need other people to like the work, but I don’t think about that much at all. I don’t really even like looking at reviews of things I do. Good or bad. I know that if it’s got my name on it, I liked it. Or at least liked it when I touched it last and handed it to the next person. After that, if someone says they didn’t like it, I just think, then it wasn’t for them. But I put the same amount of stock in the good reviews, too.

What do you like to do when you aren’t working?

A perfect day would be pizza and PJs with my girl and a new show to binge watch the hell out of.

Are there any little known things about yourself that your fans might be surprised to learn?

I make a damn fine waffle.

 

 

 

A Raven Flies Through Moonlight

Lately, I dread the sky lightening,
the black nothingness of furniture,
emerging outlines. I want the night
to go on forever, empty as willows
the deer have gone past. Tell me
you don’t have nights any light is
an intrusion, a burglar? Don’t tell
me you haven’t, even in a lover’s
arms, dreaded to leave the stasis
of lying together, listen to the
other’s heart beat, breath. The old
story: we are alive

 

Lyn Lifshin has published  over 130 books and chapbooks including 3 from Black Sparrow Press: Cold Comfort, Before It’s Light and Another Woman Who Looks Like Me. Before Secretariat: The Red Freak, The Miracle, Lifshin published her prize winning book about the short lived beautiful race horse Ruffian, The Licorice Daughter: My Year With Ruffian and  Barbaro: Beyond Brokenness.  Recent books include Ballroom, All the Poets Who Have Touched Me, Living and Dead. All True, Especially The Lies, Light At the End: The Jesus Poems, Katrina, Mirrors, Persphone, Lost In The Fog, Knife Edge & Absinthe: The Tango Poems .  NYQ books published A Girl Goes into The Woods. Also  just out: For the Roses poems after Joni Mitchell and Hitchcock Hotel from Danse Macabre. Secretariat: The Red Freak, The Miracle.  And Tangled as the Alphabet,– The Istanbul Poems from NightBallet Press Just released as well  Malala,   the dvd of Lyn Lifshin: Not Made of Glass. The Marilyn Poems was just released from Rubber Boots Press. An update to her Gale Research Autobiography is out: Lips, Blues, Blue Lace: On The Outside. Also just out is a dvd of the documentary film about her: Lyn Lifshin: Not Made Of Glass. Just out: Femme Eterna  and Moving Through Stained Glass: the Maple Poems. Forthcoming: Degas Little Dancer and Winter Poems from Kind of a Hurricane press, Paintings and Poems, from Tangerine press (just out)  and The Silk Road from Night Ballet, alivelikealoadedgun from Transcendent Zero Press