#AtoZChallenge B is for Gary Beck

Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director. He has 14 published chapbooks. His poetry collections include: Days of Destruction (Skive Press), Expectations (Rogue Scholars Press). Dawn in Cities, Assault on Nature, Songs of a Clerk, Civilized Ways, Displays, Perceptions, Fault Lines, Tremors, Perturbations and Rude Awakenings (Winter Goose Publishing) The Remission of Order, Contusions and Desperate Seeker will be published by Winter Goose Publishing. Conditioned Response (Nazar Look). Resonance (Dreaming Big Publications). Virtual Living (Thurston Howl Publications). Blossoms of Decay, Expectations and Blunt Force (Wordcatcher Publishing). His novels include: Extreme Change (Cogwheel Press), Flawed Connections (Black Rose Writing), Call to Valor and Crumbling Ramparts (Gnome on Pigs Productions). As part of the continuing series, ‘Stand to Arms Marines’, Gnome on Pigs Productions will publish the third book in the series, Raise High the Walls. Sudden Conflicts (Lillicat Publishers). Acts of Defiance and Flare Up will be published by Wordcatcher Publishing. Extreme Change will be published by Winter Goose Publishing. His short story collections include, A Glimpse of Youth (Sweatshoppe Publications). Now I Accuse and other stories (Winter Goose Publishing). Dogs Don’t Send Flowers and other stories will be published by Wordcatcher Publishing. The Republic of Dreams and other essays will be published by Gnome on Pigs Productions. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines. He lives in New York City.

1- When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I started writing poetry at the age of 16, imitating the English Romantics, Byron, Keats, Shelley. It took a while for me to start trying to find my own voice, but by the age of 18 or 19 it was clear that I was a writer. 

2- In what category/genre do you write? Why?

I first wrote poetry because it was the form that most moved me. Then I wrote short stories, mostly stemming from my younger experiences. I was a theater director for most of my working life and made a living as an art dealer when I couldn’t in theater. I translated plays of Moliere, Aristophanes, Sophocles, Aeschylus and scenarios of the Commedia del Arte, all of which I directed and were produced at my theater, Sidewalks Theater. I started writing one act plays that were produced at play festivals, then full length plays, some of which were produced at my theater between productions of the classics. When my theater closed I had a lot more time for writing and wrote novels, short story collections, essays, poetry collections and plays. 

3- What part of one of your stories was the most fun to write? The most challenging? (And which book/s are those in?)

My plays that got produced were a lot of fun because of the reward of rewriting during the rehearsal process and being performed for an audience. My short story collection, Dogs Don’t Send Flowers and Other Stories, was the most fun from more than 50 books. The first story was character and situation based, then a dog became a leading character in zanier and zanier situations. My novel Extreme Change, was the most challenging. It's about a young couple who meet in college, marry, move to Detroit, start a family then are driven out by gangs. They come to New York City, move into a sublet in the east village, the landlord tries to get them out, sends an arsonist who burns them out. They enter the homeless system in shock. (I worked with homeless families with children for many years and know the system well. I didn’t want to be an Upton Sinclair and write an expose, but I wanted to reveal the horrors of the system.) The characters go through a tremendous struggle to survive. The woman develops strength to lead their struggle for survival. They make good friends with two black families and an hispanic family and go through tremendous suffering at a welfare hotel until they escape and find apartments together.

4- Would you please, in 160 characters (not words) or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Write every day. Learn from your mistakes. Trust your judgment.

5- Do you have a favorite form of writing (poetry, short stories, novels, essays, plays)? Do you work on multiple projects at a time?

My favorite form has always been poetry since that’s what I started writing when I was young. I thoroughly enjoy each form when I’m working on it, but plays were most exciting because they were produced for audiences. I always work on multiple projects at the same time. Currently I’m working on a poetry collection, a novel and a theater memoir.

6- What do you love and hate most about being a published author?

It’s reaffirming that I’ve had many books published. It's frustrating that I haven’t developed a meaningful readership. I don’t really feel love or hate about being a published author. 

7- Do you publish traditional, self, hybrid, other? Why?

With a few exceptions, all my publications have been with small independent presses. The few exceptions were slightly larger publishers who have the capacity to provide publicity and promotion, who unfortunately went out of business just as my books were being released. I do not tell others how to publish. That is their concern. However it is a great abuse to charge writers for publishing, just as it is for reading or contests. Writers should be paid. If you can’t I understand, but don’t charge them. To me it would be an unacceptable vanity to pay for publication.

8- What question are you dying to answer (about your writing, life, or even a fun fact)? What's the question and then answer.

Why is so much of my work so serious.? Life in America has become a very serious struggle for too many of us and I find myself frequently writing about that.

9- Would you please ask our audience an intriguing question to answer in the comments?

How do I bring some of my exciting novels to the reading public?

10- If they have a specific story, they want to promote a question regarding that. Ex. Which book would you suggest readers start with?

Protective Agency, a novel published by Cyberwit Publishing, is available on Amazon. Protective Agency is about a new fictional government agency created to deal with mass shooting attacks on schools. The novel’s compelling characters are dedicated to saving children, sometimes with moments of humor, always caring. Strong characters and dynamic situations explore the great horror in America, lunatic attacks on our children who just innocently went to school. 

Check out Protective Agency here.

Here is Gary's website.

How do I bring some of my exciting novels to the reading public?

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#AtoZChallenge 2023
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