The Next Big Thing: Rob Yardumian

Ten Interview Questions for Rob Yardumian:

What is your working title of your book (or story)? My novel is called The Sound of Songs Across the Water. It will be published in June, 2013.

Where did the idea come from for the book? When I lived in Los Angeles, I used to run around Silver Lake in the mornings. It’s about three miles around the lake, which is actually a reservoir behind barbed-wire fencing. Anyway, the story for this book came to me on a run around the lake one morning. By the time I got home, I had the whole story, and it never changed very much, thought it did take nine years to finish.

What genre does your book fall under? Literary fiction

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? This is actually an exercise I spend quite a bit of time on, as it helps me imagine characters. But Riley, the main character, has resisted all attempts to pin an actor on him. Weird. Lena would be played by Angela Bassett, back when she was 35. And Will Taylor would be played by a guy I knew the summer I spent weaving hammocks in Nags Head, NC. I don’t remember his name, but everyone called him Big Daddy.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? It’s about melody, lust, and the ghosts we can’t outrun.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Neither. It will be published by MP Publishing, an indie press with offices in San Francisco and the UK.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 2.5 years

Who or what inspired you to write this book? I wouldn’t say there was any particular inspiration for this book. I was looking to move beyond short stories into novels. I had two stories I liked for the novel, and after a lot of whiskey and consideration with my friend Michael Ritterbrown, I chose this one. It was the “easier” of the two to write, which seemed a good idea at the time.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest? There is an album of songs at the core of the book, and those songs exist in real life. I’ll be recording the album this spring with some friends here in Portland, and will have the record to market along with the novel come summer. Come see me read—I’ll play some songs, too!

My next Next Big Thing participants:
Sara Rivara. Sara will be writing about Lake Effect, a chapbook of poems that explore loss and rebirth amidst the harsh and stunning landscapes of Michigan.

Lisa Croneberg. Info to come; stay tuned!