An Interview with Bruce Ballard

I’m seventy-one years old, and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1982. At that point in my life, all I wanted to do was write. I started writing sonnets and haiku about Parkinson’s disease, and fiction that went in wildly different directions. Suddenly, I had enough material to make a book!

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

In both cases, it felt great. Ronaldo Alves created a terrific cover for me. He was so supportive of my desires for the cover.

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

I can’t really say. All my life I’ve been a writer. I think Georgia Heard, who’s a teacher trainer as well as a wonderful poet, taught me a lot about writing poetry.

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

All of my adult life has been devoted to education in one form or another. For three years I taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer in rural South Korea. Later on, I directed the training programs for new Peace Corps volunteers in Mongolia and the Marshall Islands. I also worked for three years after that in rural Japan, directing another English program for Japanese high school graduates who wanted to come to the USA for their undergraduate degree. While there, I joined a local triathlon team. I’d been a competitive swimmer since high school, and suddenly I was swimming in long-distance, open-water races, winning medals and setting records. And a friend of mine from the Peace Corps invited me to join him on a trip to Tanzania, where we climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I mention these things because I now feel like a poster child for the phrase “Travel the world teaching English.”

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

Seeing the written responses to my book, especially the highly favorable reviews from Kirkus and similar websites.

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

I’d like a lot of kayagum music, which I learned in Korea. The kayagum is a twelve-stringed instrument, similar to the Japanese koto. The music it produces is deeply emotional, ranging from slow and sorrowful, to fast, furious, and exciting.

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

I’m starting to write a memoir about how my life changed in fourth grade, when my school tried to make me more butch by putting me in a classroom of all boys. Up until then, I had only played with girls. It was a serious error on my school’s part, and it backfired.

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

Because I already came to them with a wealth of completed material, the process was painless and it moved quickly. I’d tell this to other writers who want to publish: Be your own best/worst critic.

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