Interview with Francis Powell - Flight of Destiny

Please welcome Francis Powell author of the book of short stories Flight of Destiny and enjoy our interview.

ISBN-13:9780988664098
Publisher: Savant Books & Publications LLC
Release Date: 04/07/2105
Length:360pp
Buy It: B&N/Amazon/IndieBound

OVERVIEW:

FLIGHT OF DESTINY IS A COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES ABOUT MISFORTUNE. THEY ARE CHARACTERIZED BY UNEXPECTED FINAL TWISTS, THAT COME AT THE END OF EACH TALE. THEY ARE DARK AND SURREAL TALES, SET AROUND THE WORLD, AT DIFFERENT TIME PERIODS. THEY SHOW A WORLD IN WHICH ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. IT IS HARD TO DETERMINE REALITY AND WHAT IS GOING ON A DISTURBED MIND. PEOPLE'S CONCEPTIONS ABOUT MORALITY ARE TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. A GOOD PERSON CAN BE TRANSFORMED BY AN UNEXPECTED EVENT INTO A BAD PERSON AND THEN BACK AGAIN TO THEIR FORMER STATE. THE HIGH AND MIGHTY OFTEN DELIVER FLAWED ARGUMENTS, THOSE CONSIDERED WICKED MAKE GOOD REPRESENTATIONS OF THEMSELVES. REVENGE IS OFTEN A SUBJECT EXPLORED. 

Hi Francis. Welcome to The Reading Frenzy.
Tell my readers about your book.

Flight of Destiny is a book of 22 short stories with illustrations for each short story.  They are dark surreal stories, which start with a strong opening sentence (for example Black Widow begins with “Mercedes Schwartz had just had the most incredible orgasm, but her pleasure was still incomplete. While the man on top of her was still pumping away, she stretched an arm over to her bedside table and grasped the small sharp-pointed hat-pin she kept there. Rather than let him reach fulfillment, she plunged the pin into his back and killed him”). The stories equally end with a dramatic twist.  The stories are often filled with freaks, oddballs and outsiders.  There are often also despicable characters, tyrants, pious preachers. There is a circus owner who is forced to sell his daughter on account of the debts his circus has accumulated.  His name is Maggot and he is an oaf, as well as violent man.  The final story is “Cast from Hell” the story is about a reject from Hell, who returns down to earth to wreak havoc.  

Francis coming from middle-class Midwest US Its hard for me to fathom years at a boarding school.
Is this still a custom today in the UK?

Yes I have to say it is.  Something might have changed, for example when I was at school, one of the punishments was to be caned…I think the children are permitted more time with their parents, whereas when I was at school, the only lengthy time was during the summer holidays.

From your author bio I also take it that it wasn’t a particularly happy time for you.
Do you think if you had been a product of the local schools your writing would be different?

Perhaps, it would have meant an element which is contained in my stories, would not have surfaced.  Our childhood experiences leave a deep impression on us.

Francis you’ve had a very eclectic career path, teacher, songwriter, poet, etc…
Do you think your writing reflects this?

Yes I am sure.  I went to Art College, I think influenced my way of thinking.  One of my stories “Slashed” is about a genius artist and the subject of painting features strongly.  There are a few other references to the art world. 

Keeping on this subject you said in your bio when asked about your inspiration to write “ .. I caught this writing virus and felt compelled to write these stories, which were swirling about in my head. Maybe a lot of my deep anxieties came to the fore I liked the format of a short story and the idea of having stories which are set in different places and different periods of time.”
Do you think you’ll only write short stories or do you see a full-length novel in your future?

I would love to do at least two more books of short stories.  I have some stories which are fairly long.  It would be very satisfying to have a full- length novel published.  At the moment I am very happy to write in the format I am working in.

Francis I think many people feel like they’re underdogs and so would respond well to your tales.
What’s the best response you’ve gotten from a reader about your body of work?

I would love it if somebody living in a dingy bedsit, with no job, little hope, who feels a real underdog, contacted me and said that my book meant something to them personally…but so far this has not happened.  Something like this would make it really worthwhile and perhaps better than being compared to another well-known writer.

Lets talk about your muse, if you call your inspiration that.
How does she/he/it contact you about a new idea?

A new idea can pop into my head at any time…I could be on public transport, watching a documentary on TV, eavesdropping somebody’s conversation.  Sometimes the name of a character pops into my head.  For example for some unknown reason I came up with the character name “Little Mite”. So I had to work out who this “Little Mite “ is.  This gave me the idea that she is the younger sister bitch from Hell…In the story I came up with, she ruins her elder sister’s dream wedding

Francis you’re an English expat living in France.
Will you ever go home? Or is home where you hang your hat at the moment?

I can’t really see myself going back to the UK, in the foreseeable future, I have my life here.  I moved to France in 1999, it has offered me a lot.  I have had a reasonable teaching career, I have done exhibitions and concerts and Paris has a lot to offer culturally.  I married in France and my son was born here.  It is also relatively easy to go back to the UK.

We’ve about covered all the bases Francis, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Good luck with the collection of short stories!
What are you working on now?

Mostly a lot of promotion…

Thanks for dong the interview with me…

 Connect with Francis- Website-Twitter

Meet Francis:

Born in 1961, in Reading, England Francis H Powell attended Art Schools, receiving a degree in painting and an MA in printmaking. In 1995, Powell moved to Austria, teaching English as a foreign language while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. He currently lives in Paris, songwriting, doing concerts, writing both prose and poetry. Powell has published short stories in the magazine, “Rat Mort” and other works on the internet site "Multi-dimensions."

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