At the heart of a good story collection is damn fine story-telling, something that SaltWater is chock full of. Lane Ashfeldt writes with a keen sense of place, setting her prize winning tales in Dublin, West Cork, London, Greece, New Zealand and Haiti. She is launching her collection at Waterstones Brighton at 7:30pm on Monday 12th May and you are welcome to come along and hear her discussing short stories and competitions with Vanessa Gebbie and Bridget Whelan. If you’d like a FREE ticket please just call the store or tweet @BrightonWstones:
Lane agreed to take part in one of my Smash Lits interviews, so, without further ado
1) What colour is Tuesday?
Green
2) Have you ever had a nickname?
Laney (primary school on). The Extra Terrestrial (university). The Mother-thing (more recently). Oh, and people I don’t know often call me Lana in emails, but I really don’t wear enough lipstick to ever be a Lana, I think.
3) Bacon V Tofu – who wins? Why?
Bacon, just because.
4) What’s the most twunty writer thing you’ve done?
I don’t know. I looked up twunty writer thing and somehow got this page so am leaving the link instead.
5) Who is your favourite Neighbours character?
None, don’t watch.
(I don’t understand how people can NOT have a favourite Neighbours character. You should watch, Lane.)
6) Do you bite your nails?
Nope. Except on holidays post 9/11, due to carry-on luggage restrictions.
7) What is your motto for life?
Don’t have one – would never stick to it anyway.
8) You hold a dinner party and can only invite writers (living or dead). Who do you ask?
The hardest question by far. I might ask a writer from a couple of centuries ago, at least, and make them microwaved M&S dinners. Maybe the Shelleys? Or if I could travel in time, I might go back a few centuries to a place in rural Ireland where my family were then living, and listen to the storytelling around the Bealtaine (May Day) bonfire — though a revision course in Irish might be needed.
9) Do you have any recurring dreams?
When I was living in a one bedroom flat shared with two people, I dreamt extra secret rooms, hidden under the flat. Around that time I also dreamt a secret beach in London. I was so upset when I woke up and realised it was just a dream.
10) How do you organise your bookshelves?
Rarely. My books spend more time in stacks and boxes than on shelves. I also lose books. Great when you find a good book again, but that doesn’t always happen. But I have a project on the go to fill an old wardrobe with books. Maybe two, if it works. I haven’t decided whether to leave the doors on, or not. What do you think?
Ah, that’s a pretty neat idea. You could get a lot of books in a wardrobe.
11) What school playground games do you remember playing?
A space travel game, in round see-through spaceships. We all thought inter galactic travel (probably time travel too) would be a thing by the time we grew up, and we haven’t even got mass-produced hoverboards yet…
12) Sparkling or still water?
Tap.
13) Do you have a picture on your wall? Describe it.
Oil painting of bedside clutter, including a book about Katherine Mansfield with a paua shell obscuring her face. “Coming home” by Sarah J Moon.
14) What would your superhero power be?
Touchtyping 1000 words a minute. (I wish!)
15) Hardbacks, paperbacks or ebooks?
All three.
16) Can you make up a poem about salt water?
Only if serious money changes hands.
17) Have you ever had your fortune told?
Once, but afterwards was told the fortune-teller, who worked out of a shop with a bead curtain doorway on Holloway Road, was really a prostitute. She was reluctant to tell my fortune and not very convincing, so this may well be true.
18) Do you talk to yourself?
Yes, rarely. Mostly to remind myself of essentials if packing in a rush. A poor substitute for the lists I should really write, often leading to the purchase of a new toothbrush or power lead.
19) Word association – I say Cloud, you say…? Water? Salt? Boat? Phone?
Skype.
20) What is your favourite sound?
The sound of deadlines whooshing by.
Sara Crowley 