NUNUM's Interview with Jesse Mardian

Meet NUNUM's Contributor: Jesse Mardian

8/29/2021

NUNUM

Blending Flash Fiction & Art

NUNUM's Interview with Jesse Mardian

The Summer 2021 issue was all about questioning and Jesse Mardian got that going with his story 'Communion' in a way that left us smiling but with something to think about. Jesse was kind enough to give us a bit of time for a little Q & A, and of course you know how we got that started ...

Jesse Mardian

What was the first book you remember picking and reading by yourself?

The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien.

Nice, a classic. Let's get a touch more recent, what was the last book you read that made you say damn that was a good book?

The Nix by Nathan Hill.

Ah, a new one for me, thank you. Who are your go-to writers when you need something to read on holiday?

I usually like a good short story collection when I’m on holiday. Last one I read was George Saunders’s CivilWarLand in Bad Decline… what a dark and strange collection.

What writer(s) or which book(s) influenced your decision to become a writer?

Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle.

Which contemporary writer do you most admire?

Stephen King… dude is a master storyteller.

Is there a writing craft book that you would recommend to new writers?

Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.

So not a real surprise there, this one might make it a triple, is there a writer who has influenced your current writing style?

I’d say any writer who has brought me to laughter and tears: Vonnegut, Tom Robbins, Christopher Moore, John Kennedy Toole are some writers top of mind. I’d give my left arm to have an ounce of their wit. I am right handed.

Why write?

We all need an escape from reality.

Fair enough, then why write flash fiction?

Flash fiction forces the writer to focus on the moment, and sometimes the moment is all that is needed.

What advice would you give someone who is just starting to send their work out to journals?

Never give up on a story. 15-20 rejections may tell you it needs tinkering, but if you really believe in it you’ll find a home for it in the end.

What book was better than its screen adaptation and vice versa?

Ready Player One was a much better book than its film adaptation. The television series Dexter was more enjoyable than the book series.

I can completely agree with the first one, but Dexter I'm not familiar with, although you are right, it can go both ways. Science fiction or fantasy?

Science Fiction.

What came first the chicken or the egg?

The egg.

Jesse Mardian earned his MFA degree at San José State University.

His works have been featured in The Surfer's Journal, Gambling the Aisle, The Rumpus, and Three: An Anthology of Flash Nonfiction. Currently, he is working as an educator in Long Beach, California.

You can keep up with Jesse on Instagram @jessy_mardyan Twitter @JesseMardian, or visit jessemardian.com