Q&A with John Dufresne

John Dufresne is the author of two short story collections, “The Way That Water Enters Stone” and “Johnny Too Bad,” two New York Times’ Notable Books of the Year – “Louisiana Power & Light” and “Love Warps the Mind a Little” – as well as the novels “Deep in the Shade of Paradise” and “Requiem, Mass.” His latest novel, “No Regrets, Coyote,” will be published in July. His books on writing, “The Lie That Tells a Truth” and “Is Life Like This?” are used in many university writing programs. John is a professor at Florida International University in Miami and a 2013 Guggenheim Fellow in Fiction.

What are the best books you’ve read recently?
“The Old Boys” by William Trevor; “Heart of Palm” by Laura Lee Smith; and “Ninety Days” by Bill Clegg

What was your favorite book as a child?
We were not a reading family. But I did happen on to the Chip Hilton series of books by Claire Bee about a high school athletic star. I wanted to play shortstop for the Red Sox or guard for the Celtics and I devoured those books. They taught me how exciting a story could be. “Fourth Down Showdown” might have been my favorite.

Why do you enjoy attending book festivals, either as a presenter or audience member?
I appreciate the celebration of books and literature, which are central to my life. And I like meeting people who love stories as much as I do and talking about books. And it’s nice to have an audience, which I don’t have at the writing desk, nice to get an immediate response to the work.

Have you been to the D.C. area before? If so, what is your favorite thing about it?
I’ve been in the area lot. My sister lived in Germantown for years, and I have friends in DC. I love the museums, the parks and the great restaurants.

What is the most difficult, or challenging, aspect of being a writer?
It’s all wonderfully difficult. If it were easy, we wouldn’t bother, I suppose. The writer’s life is a dog’s life, as Flaubert said, but the only life worth living. I suppose the hardest part of the process for me is finding the right narrative structure, a kind of matrix for the plot and the characters to exist in. How do all the pieces fit together in a compelling and provocative way?