This interview appeared on Pageonelit.com in July, 07

PageOneLit.com: Who were your earliest influences and why?

Guy Jacobs: It is difficult to choose one writer over another. Henry Miller, Charles Bukowski and Fredrick Exley are all amazing writers whose honesty drips through the pages of their works. Reading these guys taught me one simple rule about writing fiction, if you are going to hold anything back, don’t bother in the first place.



PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?

Guy Jacobs: I guess we all write because we are not brave enough to talk about it.



PageOneLit.com: In 10 words or less describe your new book "HARD-BOILED MEN."

Guy Jacobs: An honest depiction of the thoughts and experiences of a single man



PageOneLit.com: "HARD-BOILED MEN" is sharp, tight, funny and honest. You pull no punches -- How would you describe your style/voice?

Guy Jacobs: I think you did a pretty good job answering that question just now.



PageOneLit.com: Your novel is set against the background of New York City. To a large extent it almost feels like the city is one of the main characters in the novel. Why did you select to emphasize NYC so much in your novel?

Guy Jacobs: One of the main issues that my novel deals with is single life for a man in his mid-thirties. Single life can at times feel exciting and at times lonely, at times enthralling and at times cold. I believe that no city better represents these emotions better than New York. I could not think of a better place to live but then again, I would not bring this city home to meet my mother.



PageOneLit.com: Who is Benjamin Wise? How much of the author is in this character?

Guy Jacobs: Benjamin Wise is myself, my best friend, the guy I borrowed twenty bucks from and never paid back as well as a few other people that I ran across in my times. I do not think that anyone can write a novel that doesn’t have some biographical elements in it but I would not admit to anything I wrote down.



PageOneLit.com: "HARD-BOILED MEN" has been well reviewed/received. It won runner up awards for best works of fiction in book festivals in New York and Los Angeles. For a first novel are you just warming up? How important are the accolades?

Guy Jacobs: Any award is gratifying but I was most excited by a couple of letters that I received from readers who connected to my novel. It is amazing how many people related to Ben Wise who much like them left the love of their life behind and ended up marrying somebody else.



PageOneLit.com: Plot or Character - Which do you feel is more important and why?

Guy Jacobs: I have read some great books that had no plot but had great characters. By the same token, I enjoyed the opposite as well. A good book makes you think about it a few weeks after you finished reading it.



PageOneLit.com: What did you learn from writing "HARD-BOILED MEN"?

Guy Jacobs: I learned that four years are not enough to write a single novel. While I am happy with the book, I could easily spend a few more years on it.



PageOneLit.com: What's next?

Guy Jacobs: I am writing a new novel, something completely different than Hard-Boiled Men. You probably want to know what the book is about, but hey, ask me again in about four years.



PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?



Guy Jacobs: I recently reread the Paint Bird by Jerzy Kosinski, one of the best novels ever written. Kosinski paints a daunting picture of what could happen if you took away food, sleep and water from any of us for more than a couple of days. The book reminds me of a Tom Waits lyric that claimed that “If there is one thing you can say about mankind is that there is nothing kind about man.”

The Painted Bird is a nothing short of a masterpiece. It is a bit depressing but it is definitely thought provoking.



PageOneLit.com: What do you think is the most important element of writing good fiction?

Guy Jacobs: Good fiction writers pay close attention to the details of real life.