Currents, an Interview Series with Brian Alan Ellis (Episode 10: Claire Hopple)

Claire Hopple

CLAIRE HOPPLE lives in Asheville, North Carolina, and is the author of It’s Hard to Say (word west, 2021), Tell Me How You Really Feel (Maudlin House, 2020), Tired People Seeing America (Dostoevsky Wannabe, 2019), and Too Much of the Wrong Thing (Truth Serum Press, 2017). Her fiction has appeared in Hobart, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, New World Writing, Timber, and other places. She’s just a steel town girl on a Saturday night.

My current favorite author is: Amelia Gray (always at the top of my list.) And Tao Lin. And Renee Gladman, Scott McClanahan, Nicolette Polek, Sam Pink, Nicole Rivas… pretty much everything from Dorothy, a publishing project.

My current favorite film is: The Conversation.

My current favorite film director is: Aki Kaurismäki.

My current favorite actor is: Frances McDormand.

My current favorite television show is: Patriot. I’ve never laughed so hard.

My current favorite musical genre is: …lately I’ve been listening to a lot of funk (primarily James Brown) just so that I’m motivated enough to do normal life things. Dad rock/yacht rock is always welcome here too.

My current state of mind is: like somebody picking up a mirror and smashing it on the ground, then working with all the little shiny fragments as best they can.

My current chemical romance involves: sparkling water, crossword puzzles, processed sugar, deep cleaning, hibernation, and turning invisible.

My current favorite quote is: “Uhhnnnngh…”—me, trying to stand up

My current mode of transportation is: …wait, people are being transported to places?

My current favorite fast food item is: a Whole Foods vegan chocolate doughnut.

My current workout routine consists of: hiking… or wandering around my neighborhood four times per week.

My current regrettable decision involves: wearing sweatpants every day. How can I ever go back now?

My current hopes and dreams are: to bear-hug everyone. And maybe that before I die, somebody would make a movie based on one of my stories or books.

My current hobbies/projects include: writing, reading, crying over Alex Trebek, consuming more chocolate than anyone who’s ever lived, hiking, and practicing how to socialize in case I need to do that again.

 

Claire Hopple is online at clairehopple.com.

Brian Alan Ellis runs House of Vlad Press, and is the author of several books, including Sad Laughter (Civil Coping Mechanisms, 2018). His writing has appeared at Juked, Hobart, Fanzine, Monkeybicycle, Electric Literature, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, Funhouse, Heavy Feather Review, and Yes Poetry, among other places. He lives in Florida.

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