Steven Meloan has written for Wired, Rolling Stone, the Huffington Post, Los Angeles, BUZZ, the San Francisco Chronicle, and SF Weekly. His fiction has appeared in SOMA Magazine, the Sonoma Valley Sun, Lummox Press, Newington Blue Press, and Roadside Press, as well as at Litquake, Quiet Lightning, Library Girl, and other literary events. His short fiction collection, St. James Infirmary, was released in 2023 on Roadside Press. He is a recovered software developer, co-author of the novel The Shroud with his brother Michael, and a former busker in London, Paris, and Berlin.
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Would you call yourself a born writer?
Actually, no. In younger days, I saw myself as more of a science person than an arts person. That was greatly due to parental influences. I have a degree in Biology from a major university, briefly worked in a cancer research lab after graduating, and was a software programmer for over 15 years. But even back in college days I loved writing and the arts, taking whatever cinema and writing classes that I could squeeze into my busy schedule. And most of my friends were from those more artistic disciplines. In my sophomore Shakespeare class during college, the professor wrote on my Hamlet paper—“If you’re not a Comp. Lit. major, you should be!”
But I arrived at writing in a slow and roundabout fashion. I came of age during the 1970s, arguably a golden era of popular music. I distinctly remember marveling at the lyricism of the music from that time, and wondering whether I could ever write such things. It wasn’t until I was in my early 20’s that I first took a stab at songwriting—ultimately recording songs that found their way onto the biggest LA radio station, some television, and even a movie.
Later, a friend of mine from that time wrote me a letter and said how much he loved my descriptive postcards, suggesting that I “try writing.” And so I did—but only after taking some dedicated time to study the short story form. Even so, the second story I ever wrote found its way into a San Francisco monthly magazine. Since that time, I have co-written a novel with my brother. And now this collection.
What was your inspiration for St. James Infirmary?
Many of the stories were spawned by semi-annual literary events in my town—raucous, coffeehouse-style readings often set to acoustic live music. The group just celebrated its ten-year anniversary at the same location. After several years of such gatherings, one of the co-founders of the events suggested that I put my stories together into a collection. The picture below was taken at one such gathering, and is on the back cover of St. James Infirmary.
In the process of assembling the book, I came to see that the stories often centered around “wounded people in need of care.” And since the title story makes mention of an old folk-blues standard, “St. James Infirmary,” it seemed the perfect encompassing title.
What themes do you like to explore in your writing?
With most of the stories, I began with the germ of some event or experience that was important or memorable to me, and then let the underlying meaning of the experience reveal itself during the writing. The book’s jacket blurbs note that the stories take readers on “a dark and uncanny journey through everyday life,” exploring “complex human relationships and the often-mysterious forces that shape them,” and then “throwing a column of light into the underground of the ordinary.”
The collection’s title story centers around a wild cocktail party thrown by my parents during my teen years. The cover image of the book—featuring a cocktail glass and ‘60s/’70s Pop Art colors—is visually celebrative. But the title text hints at darker undercurrents.
How long did it take you to complete the book?
The stories developed over the course of several years. And then came the process of finding a publisher
Are you disciplined? Describe a typical writing day.
When given the opportunity, I can be quite disciplined and focused. In my songwriting days, I followed the mantra of an almost daily dedicated period (after work) of doing nothing but that for several hours. As is often said—don’t wait for inspiration to strike, set the stage and hope that it does. And the same was true during the writing of my novel—setting all other tasks and demands aside for several hours a day, spanning many years. I have always remembered advice from the Pulitzer Prize winning San Francisco Chronicle columnist, Herb Caen. He said that he spent only two hours a day actually writing his column, with the rest of his workday spent absorbing potential material and simply living life. As Caen noted, one can get an amazing amount of work done in just a few focused/dedicated hours.
The development of these stories came about in a less than daily routine, given work and family demands. (The St. James Infirmary title is a partial commentary on such things.) But even when not sitting down at the laptop, there is still a subconscious percolation process. An idea or new slant on a developing story can arise at totally unexpected moments. Thank goodness for iPhone memos to capture germinating ideas for later development.
What did you find most challenging about writing this book?
I don’t know that it was challenging, per se, but since many of the stories were written to be read aloud, that was an essential part of the writing process—ensuring the proper timing and phrasing of the words.
What do you love most about being an author?
Perhaps most satisfying is the process of discovering the underlying meaning of the story being told, and watching it unfold in ways that can even surprise oneself. And then later getting feedback from those that enjoyed hearing/reading the story.
Did you go with a traditional publisher, small press, or did you self publish? What was the process like and are you happy with your decision?
I’d had a previous collection of song lyrics published out of an indie press in Germany. Through them, I connected and became friends with Westley Heine, a wonderful musician, poet, and memoirist, with a book on the same German press. Westley ultimately found his way to Roadside Press, and Michele McDannold. Roadside published Wes’ Busking Blues, a wild memoir of his days as a Chicago squatter and street musician. Through that connection, St. James Infirmary also found a Roadside home. McDannold is a true publishing force of nature—with over 100 recent books of poetry, prose, and memoir. And she is a brilliant poet in her own right. I couldn’t be happier with that Roadside decision.
Where can we find your book on the web?
Roadside Press Online Store:
https://www.magicaljeep.com/product/james/129
Amazon:
IndieBound:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/st-james-infirmary-steven-meloan/20014539
The book is also available on Apple Books, Barnes and Noble, and through any brick-and-mortar store (via Ingram).
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