Thomas White lives in Tennessee, where he runs the historic Miner’s Rest Bed and Breakfast. He is a member of the Tennessee Writers Alliance and the Appalachian Writers Association. You can find his work in Southern Hum, Write Side Up, The Dead Mule, and Muscadine Lines: A Southern Journal. He also has a story forthcoming in Birmingham Arts Journal.

First, tell everyone about the precious pup in this picture.

It’s me. I’m really a dog genius. Just kidding, the dog was smarter that I am. (That would make a good game show–”Are You Smarter Than Your Dog?”.) He had me well-trained.

It’s Randy. He was our Westie. He lived to the ripe old age of 11 (that’s 71 going by the chart) despite having Addison’s Disease and Pancreatitis. I thought it would be nice to give him a few minutes of immortality here.

Recently, you turned your focus to Appalachian fiction. What exactly is Appalachian fiction? Is it work from writers living in the region, or is it a distinct style? Or both?

Any work about or from the Appalachian mountains can fall under the heading. Because the mountains stretch from New York to Georgia, this covers a lot of terrain. I can tell you about my experiences living in Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky, but it’s just a small part of what it means to be from the Appalachian mountains. Think about this: Thomas Wolfe, Carl Sandburg, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and O. Henry all lived and worked in and around Asheville, North Carolina. Each is famous for a different kind of work. What joins them together is the region. It’s interesting to study how this finds its way into their work.

Many of the great contemporary Appalachian writers aren’t known outside the region. This is a sad reflection of the mentality that the only real literature comes from New York City. Try reading Ann Patchett, Rick Bass, Ron Rash, William Gay, ZZ Packer, or Tim Gautreaux and not be moved.

I read everything that catches my attention. If it doesn’t appeal to me, I try to find the reason it appealed to someone and found its way onto the page or the screen. I believe there is value in all things written. There is something to be learned no matter what.

What were you into before Appalachian fiction?

I was adrift. By late 2007, my reading standards had drifted dangerously close to defending PARADE magazine as great writing. I used to read certain books on an annual basis, but I stopped when I became angry that books I loved weren’t getting the attention and respect they deserve. To Kill A Mockingbird is a good example. Current novels like it didn’t fit the “New York” mould (I should say “mold”) for literature, so they didn’t make the cut. Who says New York gets to hold the scissors? That realization brought me back. I stopped looking at failures and started digging for successes. They’re out there.

What’s on the annual list?

New Stories from the South (Current year and rotating through past years)
Best American Short Stories (Current year and rotating through past years)
Charles Dickens (At least one novel)
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Cormac McCarthy (At least one novel)
The Dollmaker by Harriet Arnow

Are you a “Southern” writer?

I don’t have any other choice. If I try not to be, it shows in the work. My few publishing credits have come from observations and experiences close to home. One has to be true to the talent and voice from inside. The hard part is to accept this graciously, recognize the strengths in it, and work from there.

How has living in the South shaped you as a person?

There are many great places in the world, but I doubt I could survive outside of a Southern environment. I’m like a dishtowel saturated with sweet tea. You might be able to wring me out, but I’d still be stained. “Stains” are the experiences that shape our identity. The process begins at birth and never ends. Of course, this is different for every writer. You could say there’s an awful lot of dirty towels out there and none of them match. (My mother-in-law is grabbing her bleach and yellow rubber gloves right now.)

You attend many writer conferences and readings in your area. What do you get out of them?

It’s not so much the conference as it is the people. Writing conferences in the South are like family reunions. You develop relationships with other writers that you only see a few times a year. People often work on the same writing project throughout the year and work on it at the conferences. A great deal can be learned by being witness to the changes other writers make in their short stories, poems, and novels.

You also develop relationships with the Lecturers and Presenters. They hold you accountable. I learned quickly that if you take more than one class by the same person in a year that you need to be ready. Everyone remembers a good line and expects a follow-up that’s even better. It makes you think “what made this line of a poem or dialog the star of the class?”

In college, you studied 20th century American literature. Who are your favorite 20th century authors? How does contemporary literature differ?

From college: Eudora Welty, Shirley Jackson, Harriet Arnow, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Gunter Grass, John Steinbeck, Willa Cather, and Jack Kerouac.

I find literature to be fluid. Every new thing written draws on the past, so it’s more of an evolution than a difference. Comparing any two points in time, or even contrasting multiple points, would make a great thesis, but I’m not going to do it. The important thing is to be smart enough to recognize the direction of the river and paddle downstream, not up.

I’m not saying this to be lazy, but to be smart. Look at how your work fits in with what is being published and dive in. The day will come when you’re so famous that you can publish anything. That’s when you pull out the “salmon swimming upstream” novel and change the direction of the river.

You’ve been an associate editor at SmokeLong Quarterly since the second issue. That’s amazing! How has the journal changed over the years? To what do you attribute its longevity?

I don’t think SLQ has changed a great deal in the way it operates on a day-to-day basis. We’ve tried some things that didn’t work and others that did. We tried to go Bi-Monthly at one point and the journal suffered a little then because we couldn’t keep up.

Changes for the better have always involved the addition of staff. We used to handle interviews as a group until Randall Brown joined SLQ. His focused interviews really brought out the intent of our writer’s work and helped improve the overall quality of SLQ. He’s handed the pad and pencil off to you with great success and I’ve been amazed at how you keep up with SLQ and the work you do here. If you or Randall ever leave, I guess Dave will have to get Barbara Walters under contract.

Randall is handling the “Features” section now and I’m excited by the responses to his first installment. Be sure to check it out and get in on the fun.

The addition, Marty Ison’s artwork has had a huge impact. His vision brings a distinct identity to SLQ. I don’t think the journal could be separated from Marty’s art anymore. It’s that important to what SLQ does.

Joe Young recently joined SLQ. He someone I’ve admired since the very first tiny perfect micro of his that I read. His ability to present a complete vision in the fewest perfect words amazes me. It’s a skill that’s vital to Flash and his insight is invaluable.

I’m letting a cat out of the bag, but another former staffer is returning. Keep your eyes peeled folks because one of the first people who encouraged me in writing and at SLQ is back.

Dave’s vision for what an on-line journal can be is incredible. I hadn’t put much effort into writing on-line until he asked me to join the staff. He’s made SLQ accessible and effortless both for writers and the staff. His magic system for making all submissions immediately available for the entire staff to read blind as soon as they arrive has been one of the big keys to SLQ’s longevity. We can all respond at the same time and the ability to discuss a submission in real time keeps the commitment to quality at the forefront.

The Guest Editors have also been vital to SLQ’s success. Each new editor brings a different perspective and introduces new writers to us and to the world. Unlike other publications, the GE is right in the trenches with us working through the submissions. This makes a big difference because we develop a relationship and everyone learns from it. It shows in the Flash we publish. It also results in the subtle and organic themes that come out in each issue.

The Fish Fellowship has been another great addition. Not only does it honor one of our best “alumni,” it helps a new writer along the way and creates competition allowing folks to be a part of SLQ for a year. The Fellow works on more than just stories for SLQ, and it’s great to see those pieces get accepted at other venues. Both the Fellow and the staff benefit from the relationship and everyone learns something.

What about your own role at SmokeLong? Dave Clapper brought you on board early on, and you’ve been there for him, and the journal, for nearly five years. That means a lot.

Ha! It means Dave puts up with a lot. I’m kidding. I think I’ve only pitched one temper tantrum. Dave is a genius when it comes to running an on-line journal. SmokeLong wouldn’t be what it is without his vision. I’m glad he’s let me run amok as long as he has. I think I also vote against more submissions than any of the other editors. The longer a person reads for a journal, the higher the bar becomes. It can also become stale. This is part of the “river” stuff I talk about in another question. Luckily Dave lets folks come and go as needed. It keeps the quality high and the voices fresh.

Tell us about the beautiful Miner’s Rest Bed and Breakfast you own and operate.

Thank you, but it’s not so beautiful right now. We currently renovating the front porch and adding two bathrooms upstairs. State code requires a private bath for each bedroom (unless the property was an existing B&B prior to the enactment of the code.) We lost one bedroom as a result of turning it into two bathrooms for other rooms. We’ll end up with four bedrooms each with a private bath.

Each bedroom already has its own independent thermostat control so guests will never be too hot or too cold. We’ve also had each room wired for fiber optic cable/internet, but the area provider (there’s only one) has not been reliable, so we’re looking at options.

Once that’s finished, it’s on to the kitchen which is the last major room renovation. State code complicates renovation for the kitchen also. We have to add a separate hand sink, but this is not too complicated as we are adding counters and cabinets including two dishwashers. The big problem is venting the stove because there’s not a sub-space between floors (this has also led to complicated upstairs plumbing.) We will be able to actually open once the kitchen has been finished.

We have a small house on an adjacent property that we operate as a guest cottage. It has been a great way to learn about operating a B&B. We’re already getting repeat stays on it, so we must be doing something right.

My biggest plans are to have Writers’ Retreats at the B&B. I want people to have a place to escape to and talk with other writers.

Writers’ Retreats! That’s a fantastic idea. Do you have any more details?

No firm details yet. My vague plan is to have a guest-speaker to present one or two sessions, some think-tank and discussion time, a side trip or two, and plenty of free time for folks to actually write. And lots of good wine and food!!

How long have you owned the B&B? How did you get into the business?

We purchased the house in July 2003. The original plan was to begin looking and buy something in about 5 years. It happened in 5 months. And this was even with seeing a lot of really bad properties.

What’s tucked away in the nooks and crannies of your home, your bed and breakfast?

Unfortunately just spider skeletons. The house was in foreclosure and had been stripped clean. We’ve found one miner’s ID tag, one lamp, two Civil War bullets, and a few tools.

Contact Thomas: twhite AT smokelong DOT com

Read:

Trailer Trash
published in The Dead Mule

The Train
published in A Southern Journal

Before I read this interview in The Rambler, I had no idea who Warren Zevon was. Never heard of him either? Well, he’s the guy who wrote the song “Werewolves of London.” Ah ha, you say. And I said that too. But if you read this interview between The Rambler’s Dave Korzon and the late Zevon’s ex-wife Crystal, you’ll discover a complicated and contradictory man, a man who, by the end of the interview, you wish you’d known, but in some ways, you’re glad you didn’t. This is one of the best interviews I’ve ever read. I urge you to go read it. Here’s the link. It’s free. You have no excuses.

Michelle Tandoc-Pichereau grew up in Manila, lived for a time in Los Angeles, and now resides in Bretagne, France. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in GUD Magazine, The Humanist, Eclectica, SmokeLong Quarterly, elimae, Word Riot, Brink Magazine, Raving Dove, flashquake, and other magazines. In addition, Michelle was a finalist for SmokeLong Quarterly’s 2008 Kathy Fish Fellowship. Visit her newly launched website.

I would describe much of your work as writing with a social conscience. Is that a fair assessment?

I hope so. I hope to capture what is happening around us and make a stand. If I were not writing, I’d probably be standing in a picket line or in front of a tank–although of course, one could do both.

What social issues have you tackled in your work?

It’s a mixed bag—the rape of women and children in Darfur, illegal immigration, sexual and domestic abuse, women’s rights, abortion, war, the Cambodian crisis, discrimination on different levels, and religious intolerance. I read the news every day, and when the Muse is kind, I write.

In fact, aren’t you putting together a collection of fiction based on humanitarian themes?

That’s the dream! “Brevitas” is a flash fiction anthology divided into three main sections that all together speak to what’s happening in society today and attempt, or at least that’s my hope, to make readers think, spark an exchange of views, and inspire them to action. The first, “Gravitas,” is tragedy, the darker underbelly, the ills that plague us. “Levitas” is both life’s comedy and farce. “Veritas” is the interpretation of our beliefs, or what we see as truth.

Is there a particular part of the world you’re more interested in, or find yourself writing about more often?

There’s so much to discover that if I could learn and write about every inch of it, I would. I do hope I can someday write about my home country, the Philippines. I’ve actually met people who equate being Filipino with being a nurse, accountant, house help or nanny. I hope to correct and expand that picture, and to share what I love and admire about our culture.

I think Filipinos are incredibly hardworking and resourceful, for example. We make excellent chameleons and entertainers. And we’re quite paradoxical. Family ties are incredibly important and yet most parents would sacrifice not watching their children grow up in order to work abroad and provide them with a better future.

Having lived in three countries, you’ve been exposed to different ways of life and different governments. Will you compare and contrast each culture from your own experience? What are your personal “politics”?

The more I experience different places, the more I’m convinced there’s no promised land. Every place has its shiny and screwed-up side, methinks. I really miss the sense of community and family in the Philippines, and how people respect their elders. I think it’s easier to earn a living in the U.S. As for France, I really admire how they’re uber-protective of their history, and of nature.

But you know, I also think cultures are slowly merging together, osmosis-like, which may be good or bad depending on your point of view.

As for my personal “politics,” can kindness be a political strategy? I’m so jaded when it comes to politics. It’s not an easy animal, trying to lead nations and solve issues. Everybody has conflicts of interest. All I ask is for elected leaders to be honest and kind. Oh, and to not impose their religious beliefs on the country as a whole.

Do you find it difficult to express yourself in a culture different from your native Philippines?

Sometimes. Some expressions don’t really have an equivalent in another language. What’s more, finding the right words doesn’t necessarily mean those words will carry the same weight for non-native readers. But as any writer or editor would say, that should never be an excuse for sloppy writing.

You currently have three novels “running in your head.” Can you tell us anything about them?

Wish I could, but I’m still coaxing them out of the shadows. I’m afraid that if I talk about them too soon, the need to write about them will disappear.

You actually think of yourself as more of a poet than a writer, however, so why do you focus on short stories and novels?

I don’t really want to label myself as anything—it would be such a blessing if I could write in any form, be it poetry, short stories, novels, plays or even film.

That said, I do have a soft spot for poetry. When I was six, my mom left to work abroad and she sent me a poem in one of her first letters. I remember writing a silly verse in response, something like “one plus one equals two, i love you” and she encouraged me to keep on. That’s how writing first got a hold of me, methinks.

Also, some of my fave authors are poets—Nobel Prize winner Wislawa Szymborska, for one. It’s amazing how she can say so much in so few words! Janet Fitch, another fave, said that poetry plays a great part in her fiction writing. She always reads poetry before she writes, to sensitize herself to the rhythm and music of language. I think that’s great advice.

Did your mother write the poem she sent you? Who else has encouraged you to pursue the craft?

No, but she did write when she was younger, and has always been supportive of my goals. I’m lucky to have people who cheer me on unconditionally—from my mom, to my family in the Philippines and Canada, to my friends, to my husband Bernard, who has been my best editor and critic.

Do you prefer to write, or read, a particular style of poetry?

Long answer is that content matters more to me than form, so as long as the words resonate, I’ll enjoy anything, from haikus to free verse to something more traditional, like sonnets and villanelles.

Short answer is that I love prose poems. I’m a firm believer in midtones, in the multiple sides of an issue. Prose poems, having one foot in prose and the other in poetry, is a fun form for me.

Are you a visual artist as well?

I wish! But I do like taking photos, sketching and playing with images on my Mac. The things you can do with a computer nowadays is just mind-boggling.

Talk about your different writing journeys—from studying in the Philippines, to script reading and grant writing in Los Angeles, to writing fiction full-time in France. Has place determined opportunity in any way?

Ten years ago, right after getting my Communications degree, I moved to L.A., to chase the American dream. Then, last September, my musician hubby and I started a sabbatical in France, to focus on our creative projects. Both times, the decision came quickly, sort of like jumping onto trains as they hurtled past and keeping our eyes wide open.

So did place determine opportunity? Yes. But the inverse is also true. Wherever you are, I think it’s as important to create chances as it is to take them.

When I arrived in L.A., I didn’t have any work experience as a writer, so I did odd jobs and incorporated writing into my responsibilities—volunteering to write brochures, penning articles for the employee newsletter, that sort of thing. I studied fundraising books and was thankfully hired as a grant writer, which I later parlayed into an editorial job at a communications firm. Throughout it all, I took courses, joined writing groups and wrote.

I do think it’s easy to be distracted from one’s goals, however, and to feel undeserving when opportunity calls. Now that I have time to just write, I feel incredibly guilty. How can I help my family if I’m not making money? How can we save up for retirement? With costs of living skyrocketing each day, are we really doing the right thing?

But then I take a deep breath and let gratitude take the place of worry. We’ve been given a gift, even if it’s just for a while. I intend to make the most of it.

That’s an admirable philosophy—”we’ve been given a gift…I intend to make the most of it.” Are you the type of person who thinks deeply about life and its meaning(s)? On a personal note, what do you think “the meaning of life” is?

I have to laugh. My beautiful best friend Emily used to tell me that a chair is just a chair, that there’s no deeper meaning behind it. So yes, I plead guilty. I have the habit of thinking too much.

As for what life personally means to me, I’m still trying to figure that out. The picture is always changing, which is great.

I do know whatever I think or say is just that—personal. Like in John Godfrey Saxe’s poem about the blind men who each perceived the elephant differently depending on what part of it they touched, I think we all travel blind in this elephantine world of ours. I don’t think we’ll ever see the whole picture—but hopefully, by sharing and acknowledging each other’s ideas, we’ll get to see a little further out.

The new issue of the Oxford American is out, and get this—it’s a HOME issue! But not a home issue as in a fancy display of products and projects only a few can afford. Nope, this is a home issue about “the real places we live…and the intimate relationships we have with our domestic spaces.” The editors say: “There is no place like home, especially in a dangerous economy, and our writers specify why, offering perspectives on the homeless and the homesick, the modern masterpieces you’ve not heard about, the highs and lows of home ownership, and the settings the exude our personal histories and innermost secrets.” Sound good? Read some content online, or order this issue, by clicking here. I highly recommend it.

Five Star Literary Stories


This is a new blog that brings together the story, the editor, and the reviewer. Editors nominate a story from their journal, and the website’s “publisher” assigns a reviewer from his accomplished panel of writers. All stories appear on the web, so readers can check out the work for themselves. Pretty neat, right? Stories from Hobart, Vestal Review, The Summerset Review, and Night Train have received reviews thus far. Head on over to the site and browse around. Click here.