(Another!) Interview with Author Matthew F. Amati

We aren't quite sure what weird, creative planet author Matthew F. Amati hails from, but we'd really like to visit. "The Word Blindness Repeated Endlessly by a Mechanical Bird," his third work selected for publication in Weird Lit, is lyrical, melancholic and full of unexpected turns of phrases. Much like the fun interview we did with him below. Read on for some entertaining info on the author!

What makes you keep writing, even when it's hard?

I always stop when it gets hard. That's why I hardly ever do it. I only write when the rain is coming sideways and the traffic is nothing but ambulances and the microwave is full of beer. 

Advice on creating that you’ve learned by trial and error.

Make lots of errors. If all you can do is make errors, publish those. Literature needs more errors.

What's your favorite underappreciated novel or short story (a work you never hear anyone else talking about)?

"The Fan Man" by William Kotzwinkle. 

Do you have a favorite book on writing or creating that's been a helpful resource?

Nah. Whenever I read books like that, I start thinking I'm required to do everything they say. "Create relatable characters. Consider your audience. Spell things correctly." Who has time for that?

If you were a cryptid, what would your name be and where would you dwell?

I'd be Bog Face, and there'd be fuzzy photos of me riffling through record bins at Goodwill muttering "Do I need more Engelbert Humperdink?"

What’s your most recent “I was today years old when I realized …” moment?

It appears that Greenland is not very large, and my plans to conquer it are somewhat pointless.

One sentence soapbox: 

Basketball—what the hell is going on?

What is your writing strategy? Do you write every day with a rigid schedule, or are you more flexible with your practice?

Yes. 

If you weren’t a writer, what other type of creative would you be?

"Writer" isn't the word for me to begin with. You could say I'm a word-pervert and I rejoice in making words do unspeakable things. 

Which fictional world would you want to live in (from a book, story, or film)? 

Certainly not the world we're in! Who came up with this dumb idea? "An infestation of apes fight over a rocky wet ball which is racing around a sustained nuclear explosion, also they're all going to die, and at least one of them doesn't understand basketball."

When did you realize you were weird?

I wish I were weird but I am mundane as a tuna sandwich.  

Unpopular opinion, go: 

I love Mondays, hate lasagna.

What’s the point of all this, really?

Life is a leathery orange sphere that flies out of bounds and clunks you on the head. 

Matthew F. Amati drives to work in the mornings, returns in the evenings, contemplates the mysteries of the snail's digestive system, and sleeps little. He has a website: www.mattamati.com.