Photo by Milo Boyle, Santa Barbara CA, 2003

In the latest issue of the online magazine Wag's Revue, the editor talks with author T.C. Boyle, recent inductee into the Arts Academy and Iowa Writers' Workshop alum, about his writing influences, his relationship with Raymond Carver and his sartorial flair. Boyle discusses the process behind his work and connections between his writing and music:

"I was a student at Iowa when I wrote 'Stones in my Passway, Hellhound on my Trail.' The entirety of the research consisted of listening to the [Robert Johnson] album twelve million times, reading the liner notes twice, and deciding—seeing, knowing—the true version of Robert Johnson’s death. For period detail I went down to Gabe & Walker’s [now The Picador in Iowa City] where my friend Blue Phil Ajioka was taking a break between sets and asked, 'Phil, what kind of guitar did Robert Johnson play?' Phil said, in his bluesman’s basso, 'That’d be a Harmony Sovereign.' Story over."

Read the full interview here: Wag's Revue

T. C. Boyle is the author of 20 books of fiction. Among numerous honors, he has received the PEN/Faulkner award for his novel World's End and six O. Henry Awards for short fiction. He corresponded with Wag's Revue fiction editor Will Litton via email.