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"Hidden Optimism, DIY Publishing, and the Killer Deep Inside: The Turi Interview"
By Mike E. PurfieldJohn Turi is a talented new voice in horror fiction, but not because of this book, "Sorrow." He is also the driving power of one of the rising new small presses in horror fiction, Medium Rare Books.
Why did you start MEDIUM RARE BOOKS?
Because I am crazy and I love spending all of my money on authors that bitch and complain and hate themselves. Also I love books, designing books, dealing with the behind the scene world of publishing. MRB first started out as a rare book company. I had an amazing collection of books; I say had, because I have sold most of them to fund the publishing company. But to answer your real question, I started MRB because everyone seemed to have given up on the horror genre and I thought it needed my help. So far, it has been an excellent experience. I have very motivated authors that are hungry for success and that helps all of us in the long run.
Your book, "Sorrow", was published under your own company. That could be considered self-publishing. In this day and age there is a lot of grief given to those who self-publish and publish under POD, especially from unpublished authors who deal with rejection on a regular basis. What is your reaction to that and why did you publish your own book?
I rejected my book twice. When I sent it back to myself and asked for the changes, it became a conflict. I didn’t want to add anymore stories to it, but I listened to what I had to say and it all worked out. I consider my book a business card more than a MRB title. I have given away 497 copies and sold 3 of them. It just went into a second edition with 50+ pages added. MRB is nothing like a P.O.D., even in the case of publishing my own work; first off, we have backlists and do full print runs of titles. My office is filled with books. Strangely enough my favorite book last year was a P.O.D. "Punch," by Louis Maistros. One more thing on this matter, I am a lazy author and publishing my own work is easier than dealing with other publishing houses. I actually have a novel that I will be shopping around to one of the big houses next year, but that is what agents are for.
Anything you can tell us about the new novel?
The book is titled “This is Not an Exit”, it is a story of a twenty-something guy who just can’t seem to find the right kind of love. The protagonist is extremely introverted, has an I.Q. nearly off the charts and has dropped out of medical school to become a writer; to the dismay of his affluent parents. When you read the first page, you realize it is his journal you are reading after his death, after his suicide. From the opening journal entry to the last you become this character, feel his loss and by the time it is all said and done, you want to scream “Don’t Die” You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll never be the same after reading it. The target audience is 18 - 35, the anguish years.
What is the biggest pain the ass about publishing, running your own?
It’s like any business that involves entertainment; looking for the next superstar. The young J.D. Salinger, the new Sylvia Plath, that one book that moves the world. It’s a pain in the ass sloshing through pages of poop in order to find the diamond in the pile. But when I get something I like, it makes it all worth it.
One thing I noticed about MRB is that there are a lot of short story collections. Why is that, especially since short story collections and anthologies are considered unsuccessful?
I see it the other way around. I am so damn busy with my life, marriage, career and what have you that I do not have time to invest in a novel. I come from the MTV generation, and all that quick to the point and in your face editing. Plus when I see an author I’ve never heard of I prefer to pick up a collection they have done than waste my time on a possible novel that is crap, which makes me feel ripped off and wanting my money back. In a collection, if I don’t like a story I can move onto the next one. I also prefer short-film festivals for that very reason. When I pick up an anthology I can get a glimpse of the authors potential. I have found so many great writers in anthologies and short collections. The guys who wrote 4x4 last year for example; I have read Brian Keene’s work, but not Coops or Mike and Mikes’. By sampling their work, I am now ready to read a novel by each of them.
The marketing for "Sorrow" claims that the book is very dark, and it is, but there is also an equal amount of spirituality in it. For example, "Jizo" and "A Warm, Dry Place." Are you a closet optimist?
Deep down I have an optimistic outlook on life, but it is hidden behind alcohol and sin. In truth, I do not really write horror. What horror I do write is more psychological than scary. It’s all a mind fuck in my book and I like driving a reader crazy. Mental terror is more devastating than psychical in many ways. Having been depressed most of my life; I understand the internal shit that my characters go through. In "Jizo" I tried recreating a feeling of ultimate fear and anxiety that I have experienced in my life. I still find it hard to read that story, but the ending is so powerful that I visit it from time to time just to remember that no matter what I am feeling, it shall pass.
The serial killer genre is flooding literature. There are a few serial killer stories in "Sorrow." What makes your so different?
My serial killer characters are me. The evil that lurks in me comes out in my work. The problem I have with intimacy, my Oedipal complex, anger, and fear all that which haunts me. Being in therapy for ten years brings this crap out. I’m not saying I’m a freaking lunatic, but the thoughts are there. When you read ‘The Killer Inside’ or ‘Damaged Little Fucker’, you get the feeling that you know these psychos, almost like you know yourself. When they kill, it is on such a narcissistic level that humor unfortunately plays a big roll in the writing. So, I don’t write serial killer stories I write stories and characters from experience. That is also the only types of books I’ll read. If the author is not in touch with his/her character, why should I be? Formula writing means it is time to retire. I won’t mention names, just look on the best seller list and what ever horror author is there, they should have retired fifteen years ago.
In the world of horror fiction, big and small, do you feel that there is a large amount of homophobia and racism brewing under the surface among the writers and readers?
Maybe I’m blind, but I don’t see that anywhere. Even in the hundreds of submissions that MRB gets, I do not think I have ever seen prejudice play a part in the writing. Even the bad writing that is submitted to MRB doesn’t have it. But if it is there, it won’t last; this country is getting to smart for the bigots and uneducated to thrive. Besides conformists and right wing assholes don’t read horror, they read their own interpretation of Gideon.
What is next for MRB and John Turi the author?
MRB will keep on kicking ass. Our 2003 line-up is the best yet and the projects that I have in the works for 2004 will move us up from small press to mainstream publishing. We are working on a noir-mystery line, a movie company, and a possible magazine. The future of MRB is wide open. And as far as myself as an author, when I can find time to finish the second draft of my novel the world will be reading a painful tale of a young man who just wants to be understood and loved. Yes, it semi-autobiographical.
Thanks for talking with us.
Do I get lunch?
Not on my salary.
For more information on the work of John Turi just head to any of the following sites.
Critical Raves for Mike Purfield's "Dirty Boots."
"If you're looking for a good read, something you've never experienced before, then this is the book for you." Paul Kane of Terror Tales.
Rated 3 out of 4 by Unhinged Magazine.
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