An Interview with Rodney Nelsestuen

I have been a writer and avid reader for several decades. I have an MFA from Hamline University (2008) and have taught at The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis, am a member of The Loft and several other literary organizations. I’ve published fifteen works of fiction and nonfiction in a variety of literary journals in addition to two novels published in 2024. Both novels have received an IndieReader review with an IR approved rating of 4.0 for Quiet Desperation and Indie’s highest rating of 5.0 for Too Many Stones. In addition, Quiet Desperation received high praise from Kirkus Reviews. I have won or been recognized as finalist, semifinalist, or honorable mention in numerous literary contests and have had one of my short stories nominated for a Pushcart Award. For 7 years I wrote professional research publications for a technology analyst firm.

For seven years I served as a judge in the Minnesota Book Awards Contest in either novel and short story, or memoir and creative nonfiction and at both the preliminary and finalist levels. I have been a perennial judge in the Northwest Pacific Writers’ Association contest for the past decade in historical fiction and three years in literary fiction. Finally, I’ve been a judge in the national Eric Hoffer Contest for nine years in fiction. I am continuing as a judge in both of those latter contests again in 2024.

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

The material itself led me to the title. The concept of someone so deeply trapped in what he believed was the wrong life, and now with that life passing middle age, the reactive formulation of the title came naturally.

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

I felt that a long-term effort had come to fruition. I had worked on this book for over a decade and only sought to publish it once I had enough confidence (and had enough reviewers) to feel it would be an addition, if only a few drops, to the ocean of good literature.

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

I began writing as a seventh grader and my first story was a short science fiction piece about the earth coming to an end as humans destroyed the ozone layer (luckily, we survived.) Then I pretty much stopped until college where I tried a few poems. Off and on over five decades I’ve picked up the bug and written something—a story, an essay, and even a novel—but didn’t fully embrace writing until I turned fifty when I went back to college for an MFA and began to have some success publishing in various literary journals. At this point, my focus is on the literary novel as a genre.

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

I have been a high school teacher, a financial services CEO and CIO, and a global IT consultant over fifty years. My main hobby is preparing for and climbing mountains and I’ve done twenty-two climbs since 2010.

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

Feeling that the book has been verified as a worthy addition to any bookshelf.

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

I hope readers who may find themselves dissatisfied with their lives may see that, if you look deeper, you may find you are truly in the right life after all.

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

I have two more novels nearing completion that will be published either end of 2024 or first quarter of 2025. I’ve started a new novel with an historical base, from 1917 to 1977 about a blacksmith, but more about him. We’ll see his marriage proposal, a 1920 motorcycle trip across the US on Route 66, and return often to the two chestnut trees his father planted in a rural Midwestern village. Hoping that will be published sometime in 2026.

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

It was a very good experience working with Atmosphere Press. This is a people and expertise business and they have both. It was great.

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