Hope in Darkness: An Interview with Andrew Cloninger, author of C6-C7

Andrew is a multidisciplinary artist who resides in upstate NY. He is the guitarist in the band Wren Cove and is the author a book of haiku entitled C6-C7.

You can buy C6-C7 here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The title came to me fairly quickly because the narrative of my book focused on the accident that involves the C6-C7 neck vertebrae.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

There were many emotions that came but I think looking back, I felt the pride and relief of a job well done and the gravity of putting something out into the world.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

My 8th grade humanities teacher recognized my ability and encouraged me to start writing. Some of my early influences would be Carl Sandberg, TS Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, and Elmore Leonard but the influence on the book that I wrote was Bruce Weigl and his great book: Songs of Napalm.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have worked mainly in light industrial jobs. I worked as a bandsaw operator and in a coffee roasting facility to support my family. Then I got hurt and now I am disabled.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

It was a way to process what happened to me and I hope in some small way it can help others in the same or similar circumstances.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Funny question. I am actually working on a musical companion to the book with my band Wren Cove but I think the music I was listening to at the time was by artists like Arvo Part, Nils Frahm, and Penguin Cafe.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I think I would like people to come away from the book with the sense that there is hope even on your darkest day.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I have a collection of poems in the works. I am also working on a collection of short stories. Currently my main focus is making my band Wren Cove’s next record entitled Movement. We go into the studio in January. I am pretty excited about it.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

The highlight of working with Atmosphere was working with the editors and working on the book release strategy. I would say to other authors that Atmosphere is transparent and is there to carry out your vision.

You can buy C6-C7 here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.