The Hot Chicago Writer Blog

October’s Hot Writer: Michael McCauley

My genre: I write short stories, or long jokes. I try to be funny and occasionally succeed; I dont try to be bleak but typically succeed.

My literary influences: Nikolai Gogol, Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Evelyn Waugh, George Carlin, David Lynch, Diane Arbus

My favorite literary quote: “Literature should not disappear up its own asshole, so to speak.Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

My favorite book of all time: The Overcoat and Other Short Stories, by Nikolai Gogol. Im referring to the Dover Thrift Editions publication that actually fits in your overcoat.

Im currently reading: Revisiting Anton Chekhovs Short Stories, Norton Critical Edition.

My guilty pleasure book: Whatever the person Im standing over is reading on the train to work.

I cant write without: Time, ear plugs, 40 mg of Vyvanse.

Worst line I ever wrote: My writing is usually terrible and sometimes good enough, so its not like I have to dig to find the worst line ever. Here is a line from the piece Im revising now, highlighted for either revision or execution: The chilly wind that breathed fire into the trees seemed to rekindle within Gary that terrible lust for the unknown he had successfully repressed over the summer.

I feel awful now but I deserve it.

Brief Bio: Michael McCauley is a graduate of the University of Alabama’s MFA Program in Creative Writing. His stories have appeared in Eleven Eleven, The Clackamas Literary Review, DIAGRAM, and Painted Bride Quarterly.

A writer with an MFA in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Sarah Terez Rosenblum freelances for a number of web sites and print publications. Her debut novel, Herself When Shes Missing,” (Soft Skull press) is available for pre-order here. She is also a figure model, Spinning instructor and teacher at Chicagos StoryStudio. Inevitably one day she will find herself lecturing naked on a spinning bike. She’s kind of looking forward to it actually.

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