By: Franklin Monroe
Peter Stenson candidly shares his concerns over the mental health of his children and college students in this interview. With the world presenting numerous challenges, such as screens, bullying, and political turmoil, Stenson reflects on the daily anxieties he faces, particularly with his children. His approach to parenting focuses on love, emotional intelligence, and resilience despite acknowledging the inevitable imperfections and struggles. Transitioning from his role as a parent to his experiences as a writer, Stenson delves into the realities of the literary world, expressing his passion for writing while grappling with self-doubt and the pressures of the publishing industry. In discussing his journey and future projects, he offers aspiring authors unfiltered advice to write authentically and fearlessly.
You are both a parent and a professor. Do you have any of the same concerns over your children’s mental health as you do for your college students?
F**k yes. More. This world is a s**t show. I’m not going out on a limb to state the projections aren’t looking too good, either. Screens, bullying, the environment, politics, AI, sexual assault…I mean, s**t, every single morning when I drop them off at school, I wonder if their lockdown drills will be the real thing. Add to this, they have a genetic cocktail of predisposition hell passed down to them like detached earlobes, and yes, I’m worried for them. Terrified, really.
But…I don’t know…what are you going to do? I try my best to be present in their lives, to let them know in every way that they are loved, worthy, capable, strong, to teach emotional intelligence and empathy, to let them know it’s a demonstration of strength to ask for help, to F**k around and have fun. I will try. Is it perfect? Not even close.
Am I probably messing them up in the ways in which our well-meaning parents messed us up? Of course. But I’m trying my absolute best. I think this goes back to what we were talking about earlier with my “damaged” characters. They’re trying, man, like clawing tooth-and-nail trying. Hopefully, I’m doing a little better job than them, but still. The struggle, as they say, is real.
Speaking of struggles, what do you, Peter Stenson, struggle with regarding writing or with being a writer?
Not being rich and famous, hobnobbing with Reese and Oprah as they draw straws over who gets to the honor of selecting my latest novel for their book clubs. I think that’s the biggest gripe with my literary career at this point.
Other than that, it’s all rainbows and kicking game-winning field goals. Not really. But what author doesn’t want more readers, acclaim, advances, and movie deals? As for being a writer, well, I’m not sure. I love the act of writing. Sitting there with my headphones on, typing my silly stories, lost in a world of my creation. It’s pretty much the most enjoyable part of my day.
But everything else that comes with “being a writer?” Not my favorite. The relentless doubt and self-criticism. Publishing. Self-promotion. Heck, even calling myself a writer feels cringy at times, as I know it’s going to be followed up by the questions have you written anything I would’ve heard of? I want to say, Did you happen to catch that short story in an obscure literary magazine about an archeology-themed orgy? No? Weird. Then no, I haven’t written anything you’ve read.
But F**k it. I love writing. I love the idea that something I write will reach a person and deliver the exact message or emotional resonance that he/she/they need. Kind of like those little shots from the universe that let you know you’re not alone.
Are you speaking about God?
Beats me. No. Maybe. Just whatever powers are out there that make you feel like you’re not completely alone. The universe’s wink, maybe even a hug. That type of thing. Like when I was a kid and addicted to all sorts of drugs, I was trying my hand at homelessness, sleeping in a wooded median in a parking lot on the Evergreen College campus.
My first night there, I found a water-soaked copy of Herbert Gold’s The Great American Jackpot. I read the entire thing in a day. I don’t remember much about the book, only that the voice spoke to me, made me feel like I could be a writer, that I had something worth saying. That’s kind of what I’m talking about.
What’s next?
I’m finishing up a draft of something on the speculative side of the world. Strange modality. Like fifty characters. A heater, for sure. Sorry if I’m being cryptic in my descriptions. I don’t love discussing my work before it’s fully complete. I have to safeguard my vision while I’m generating. One comment can worm its way into my psyche and derail the momentum. But speculative, for sure. Character-driven but speculative.
Last question that I ask all of my interviewees: What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
F**k everyone and everything. I’m the least punk rock person you will ever meet, but I feel this mantra in my core when it comes to writing. Don’t worry about what people will think. Not your peers or professors or editors or seventh-grade crush whom you haven’t spoken to in twenty-five years. Write the story you want to write. Let your fears and obsessions into your work. Don’t show a single person while you’re drafting. Keep your s**t locked down.
Writing is too hard and too time-consuming to write things for other people. I’ve tried this and the results were dog s**t. Why? Because those attempts lacked soul. They weren’t me. So, F**k ’em if they can’t take a joke. Write what needs writing.
We, Adults Available on Amazon!
Published by: Khy Talara
