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Who is David S. Grant?

I am an author currently promoting my double novel, Bleach|Blackout, a double novel about living life to the fullest. 

How did your writing career begin?

Silverthought Press published my first book, Corporate Porn in 2005.  Earlier this year Brown Paper Publishing published my short story collection Emotionless Souls and novella The Last Breakfast.  Bleach|Blackout is my latest work, a double novel through Offense Mechanisms, an imprint of Silverthought Press.

Tell us about Bleach/Blackout.

Bleach opens during the last 60 seconds of 2003 in a bathroom where a girl lay dying and a jaded 30-year-old named Jeremy, who navigates the reader through the endless repulsiveness of the world, watches. The entire story builds up to the climax of the “The Party” on New Year’s Eve where all the men are dressed as prostitutes, all the women look like pimps and decadence and debauchery dictate the rules. Everything seems to be spiraling out of control, and Jeremy realizes there are no guarantees for him or anyone else.

Blackout picks up two years after Bleach in Las Vegas where Stoner and friends are celebrating his bachelor party complete with strippers and crack cocaine.  The ride home is blurry and the next morning in Los Angeles brings a surprise when Stoner’s friends, Chip and Jeremy, wake to find police officers and a dead body they are allegedly responsible for, but neither can recall.

What compelled you to write it?

Bleach is somewhat autobiographical in terms of the main character (Jeremy) going back to the Midwest for the holidays.  The stories within are a mix of actual events, stories from friends, and fiction.  I’ll let the reader guess which areas are embellished.  Blackout, written three years later, was more my curiosity of where these characters would be.  Bleach ends on a somewhat sour note and I was curious to see where they were three years later and how they had changed, if any.  As I wrote Blackout the story was less jaded than Bleach; however, I believe I stayed true to the rule that people never totally change.

Your work is considered transgression fiction, a genre connected to the work of William Burroughs.  What is it that draws you to this genre?

Trangression fiction is a lot of things to different people.  To me it’s more reality based.  It searches the story beneath the story, the dark areas.  This is an area I’ve seen in movies for many years, but is now just starting to appear more in print, at least categorized as its own genre now.  Personally I enjoy reading all genres of fiction, but this is the only type of story I can write.  My writing consists of the “reality”, but with a level of humor and light social commentary beneath.  Some transgression fiction does not have this humor as part of their stories.  To me, this changes the context somewhat and is hopefully a unique experience for the reader.

What knowledge do you think is gained by viewing the human experience the way you write it?

Honestly, probably not much outside the overall process of writing.  Bleach being a little more autobiographical definitely made me look back on a few years of my life.  Blackout was me more curious in the fictional characters I had written about and where they ended up.

Are there other genres you would be interested in writing?

Again, I don’t know that I fully represent one genre.  I could see writing a little to the left or right, but never straying too far of what I define as transgression fiction.

Who is your greatest champion?

My publishers.  Silverthought Press turns my stories into books.  The cover work for Bleach|Blackout was a simple concept that was taken to another level (there are two covers and no back).  Brown Paper Publishing has also been very generous in our partnership.  I look forward to ongoing relationships with both.

What are you reading?

A Clockwork Orange & The Heroin Diaries

What’s next for you?

I am currently promoting Bleach|Blackout.  In November my novella, Hollywood Ending will be published by Brown Paper Publishing.  I have just finished a novel and am working to complete a second collection of short stories.

Where can we find you on the Web?

http://www.davidsgrant.com