John Baker’s Blog

1. Why do you blog?
Blogging keeps me accountable. When I open the New Post window, I’m thinking about writing, books, and stories. If I’m not, I’m thinking about how the dumb thing that is on my mind fits within that framework. Thinking aloud in the blog sometimes helps me solve something in a story. I guess this is all a way of saying that it is cheaper than therapy.

2. Which author and/or book has most influenced you?
Two books: Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita, and Kurt Vonnegut’s Slapstick. Both offer cynical, backhandedly profound, and totally inappropriate stories about love. (George Saunders does this sometimes, too, but three authors is probably pushing it . . . )

3. Which three blogs do you most visit?
I keep a list of the litblogs I read regularly on my site. As for non litblogs . . .
The Ottoman Empire at: http://ottoman.worldwidewhitney.com/blog/ In which my sister reviews movies, gets tattoos, and raises an evil genius.
AFK Gamer at: http://afkgamer.com/ I play World of Warcraft sometimes, and Foton is on a wavelength to which I can relate: Long time gaming addict, whose biggest boss battle is sometimes with misanthropy.
York Staters at: http://yorkstaters.blogspot.com/ There is a very large part of New York State that is not New York City. The region has suffered from substantial brain drain, poor economic growth and, some would say, indifference from its legislators. I am a York State expat, so I follow the subject with interest. Occasionally, I write fiction about it.

4. Why do you read fiction?
I read fiction because I like figuring out what makes people tick. Stories that aren’t limited by truth offer countless ways to do that.

5. What makes you laugh?
Irreverence. I’d like to say “clever irreverence”, but that’s not always true!

Erin blogs at Rarely Likeable, which can be found here: http://www.rarelylikable.com

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