Behind the Words: Lucas Burris

Flash fiction is a venture in extreme brevity, and no writer explores those treacherous depths (or is it shallows?) with greater gusto than Lucas Burris, author of “Blind Little Rain God” from our premiere issue. If you’re a fan of the micro-fiction of Russian surrealist Daniil Kharms or the disconcerting antics of Andy Kaufman then you’ll surely find Lucas as fascinating as I did.

Mark-Anthony Lewis: According to your bio, you’ve been a surrealist writer since you were a little kid. What sent you down this path? Who were your early influences?

Lucas Burris: It’s just what came naturally at the time. I didn’t really have any major influences.

M-AL: Some writers use logic puzzles, cartoon physics, or clever grammar and wordplay to create their surrealist worlds, but what about you? What informs your surrealist mind?

LB: I mainly use automatic writing. I just write, nothing really informs on anything.

M-AL: You just write? Are you into spontaneous prose or would you make a distinction between something like Kerouac prose and “automatic writing”?

LB: I don’t really make any distinctions between any of it. I just sit down and write. Nothing more to it.

M-AL: How do you feel about the editing process? Do you feel it stifles natural creativity or is it helpful to come back to a piece with a fresh perspective?

LB: I don’t usually edit unless I have to. It may work for other people, but its not what comes natural to me.

M-AL: From what I’ve seen of your work, you seem to prefer the short prose format. Would you say this is the format that you are most inspired to write in, or do you dabble in longer works as well?

LB: I’ve done work ranging from poetry to long fiction.

M-AL: You write long fiction? Do you take the same creative approach (automatic writing) with longer works, or does long fiction require a different technique?

LB: I use the same approach usually no matter what I write.

M-AL: Lastly (we always like to ask this), what are you up to now and what can we expect from you in the future?

LB: I’ve recently graduated college. The future is the great gray morass it’s always been.

M-AL: Ugh, “the great gray morass”. I’ve been there (heck, I am there). Are you still able to write beneath that cloud, or are the postgrad blues harshing your mellow (as it were)?

LB: I usually am always writing, in one way or another, regardless.

Mark-Anthony Lewis enjoys reading stories as much as telling them. He also likes Awful Awfuls and pumpkin whoopee pies. You might like his blog. Check it out.