Authors Electric

In the riveting collection, Periscope City: Where the Lonely Go to Live Alone , debut author Benjamin Talbot introduces readers to a fictional city full of complex characters navigating isolation, desire, and disconnection. In this exclusive interview, Ben opens up about the origins of the collection, the surprising characters that emerged, and how his own experiences helped shape this strange, eerie world. If you’ve ever felt alone in a crowded room—or sought solitude in a noisy one—this interview might speak to you. Start off with the book trailer, which will provide you the general Periscope City feel:   Dianne Pearce (Dianne):  Hey Ben, I really appreciate you taking the time to let me quiz you about your book. I loved the book the minute I read the first story, which for me, was a story about a very strange ice cream shop. I have a similar one near my house, very unusual flavors, so it intrigued me. And I admit to being very surprised by where it went. The book has so muc...

  Tom Robbins died.  Oh, I didn't have any easy way to say it because there is no easy way to tell the world that your favorite author of all time has left you here without another book.  News Report Oh, don't even speak to me. I don't care if I am being dramatic. I cannot tell you how many rough patches in my life this odd man's odd books got me through. Nor can I adequately describe how he made me want to be a writer. I keep my laptop on a stand now, at the behest of my chiropractor, and I have Tom's photo on the stand, looking up at me from under my laptop. Telling me to be laid back, but to also write the thing. You can see me talking about his book Still Life With Woodpecker here . I've met some cool authors in my life: Ken Kesey, Kinky Friedman, Walter Mosley, Juan Felipe Herrera, but never Tom, my #1. And never my #2, which would have to be Raymond Chandler, but I think he was gone before I got here. If you haven't read Tom Robbins try what is probab...

 Just before the pandemic (the 2020s, to clarify for when I beocme nothing but a blip in history), we sought a better situation for our daughter and enrolled her in a private school. Moving from a class of 30 to one of 12 transformed her academics, though it strained our finances. Among her new classmates was an unexpected addition—a guinea pig named Miss Addie. The school asked for volunteers to care for Addie over Christmas break, and we eagerly stepped in. Addie and I bonded instantly (I’m a self-proclaimed pet whisperer), and when it came time to return her, I delayed by almost a week, because I just couldn't! I mean, look at those lovely, soulful, pink eyes! Pink! When the pandemic closed the school in March, they asked me to take her in again. By May, the school announced its closure (lack of funds... and at 1500/month, in a rural farm area, I understood why), and Addie became a permanent part of our family. During lockdown, my daughter discovered, through taking a guinea pig...