'Grandfather of Monday Night Blues' shares his writing secrets
Ron Dixon is a literary "regular" around Charleston. When he's not writing, he spends his time with the writing community: spending every Monday night with the crew at Monday Night Blues, speaking at Trident Technical College and more.
Dixon's work can be purchased by contacting Publish America at www.publishamerica.com or (301) 695-1707.
Q: Tell me about the self-help book, "You Have Every Right to Be Happy: What's Stopping You?," that was published in 2003. Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
A: This book was inspired by those I worked with as a counselor and social worker. I suffered a very bad childhood and survived. I also am an alcoholic with 27 years in recovery.
Q: Tell me about your anthology, "At One Time I Thought I Understood Life," that was recently published.
A: It is a collection of eight short stories, 35 poems and 21 essays, magazine articles and personal writings.
Q: Do you approach writing essays, fiction and poems differently? How so?
A: Poems just seem to come to me. With short stories, I write what ideas come to mind, and the essays are my emotional baggage.
Q: You are regularly invited to address the department of humanities and social sciences at Trident Technical College. How has this helped you grow as a writer?
A: It has taught me sentence structure and has given me the courage to face an audience.
Q: How has teaching/lecturing affected your writing?
A: It has taught me necessary writing skills and to have the courage to write what I feel and what I want to write.
Q: Tell me about your involvement with Monday Night Blues
A: I am called the "Grandfather of the Monday Night Blues" because I have not missed a Monday of reading my poetry for more than six years.
Q: If you could attend a writing course by an author or poet, who would it be?
A: (Ernest) Hemingway and/or (Robert) Frost. Both were extraordinary writers.
Q: What advice would you offer fellow writers in the area?
A: Write, write and write more. Use your own style. And keep on trying to get published. Never give up trying.
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