An Interview-in-Excerpts with Ravi Mangla

Ravi Mangla lives in Fairport, NY. His stories have appeared in Mid-American Review, American Short Fiction, Wigleaf, matchbook, and Tin House Online. He keeps a blog at ravimangla.com.

An excerpt from his novel, Understudies, appeared in Issue Fifty of The Collagist.

 

Here, Ravi Manngla answers interview questions "in the form of excerpts"--with further excerpts from his book. Enjoy!

What is writing like?

It’s like peeing in a lake or masturbating in a movie theatre.

What isn’t writing like?

Some sloping, decrepit dwelling, the grass overgrown and grounds for dumping, a relic of personal ruin.

When you do it, why?

I’m a Methodist.

When you don’t, why?

I’m not about to appropriate the internal landscape of a mourner just to feel better about myself.