I’ve known Jeremy since I was in college—we’re talking over 20 years ago now. Eep! I was pretty sheltered and naive, and I had all these ideas about what I wanted college to be, but for some reason, it never turned out the way I wanted. The cool thing was having a friend like Jeremy who was so creative and so artsy. He went to the much bigger university in our area, and I felt like he was able to share a bit of that with me. It was awesome to have someone to be creative with, and all these years later, I really admire how he’s still firmly grounded in that creative life.

“Create All the Things!”

Emily: We’ve known each other for over 20 years now. It seems a bit silly for me to ask what your dreams and aspirations were, but at the same time we haven’t seen each other in forever—since a Dreamscapes show, maybe? So what have you been up to? What are your current projects, both writing and otherwise?

Jeremy: It has been over 20 years! One of us has aged better than the other, though.

Emily: HAHA! My bones might say otherwise. Oh, wait, you were talking about you…

Jeremy: My dreams back then were amorphous and hazy. I was spending so much time trying to experience the world that I didn't give much thought to what I would add. Since then, the mantra of "Create All The Things!" has become a battle cry. Since that band disbanded, I put myself out there as a songwriter, recorded some solo albums, contributed to a few more bands, and now I have my own band with one album under our belt and another in progress. It took me over 20 years to return to something that I was doing in college (and in fact, for a play you wrote way back when) which was composing.

I love nothing more now than the feeling of making something up and realizing that this new thing I made wouldn't have existed in the universe if it hadn't been for me.

I appreciate that existential fact more than any accolade or review, good or bad. It's very freeing and it gave me the confidence to try my hand at writing books. After that, I decided to try my hand at game design.

So to sum up, many albums as a songwriter, bassist, producer, etc, 4 books self-published (the Alan Perth series of Gretchen, Hagar, and Isaiah, plus a book of poems about creepy kids called The Namers), a dice game based on research for one of those books, and an almost finished card game.

One other thing about the Alan Perth series that you might find interesting is that each book was written with the discography of a musical group in the back of my mind for the duration of that book. It helped add spice and inspiration. So, for example, there are references to song titles, lyrics, and even band members of the prog metal group King's X all through Gretchen. Bjork was my muse for Hagar, and Pink Floyd for Isaiah. I tried not to make them too obvious, but if you are a fan of those artists, you start to pick up on the references.

Emily: Oh my gosh. I love it. That definitely adds another layer to the reading experience.

Jeremy: It made the writing process a lot of fun, trying to sneak in those Easter eggs.

Emily: Well, you’ve been busy. If you keep this up, I won’t have time to catch up with everything you’re doing. I have your books (still on my TBR!), but the dice game and card game…are those available to the public?

Jeremy: The dice game, called Holmgang, is available for sale at our shows. I also put the newest rule set up on my website. With the proper dice and some coins or discs, anybody could make their own set. I am hoping to eventually find a manufacturer and/or distributor. I also hope to one day remove the mathematics and rules from the violent Norse grudge matches that it was originally designed to emulate, and try to sell a version for kids. It is great at teaching counting, addition and subtraction.

The card game is still in the play test phase. The game itself is based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Eventually I will need a graphic designer to refine the card designs, and then I will get decks printed and packaged to sell at shows.

Emily: And you have another book coming, right?

Jeremy: I have a book finished and waiting on artwork that should be published early next year, if not sooner. It is called The Hereafter of Susan Thomas. I have to give a shout out to my patient editing team for the last few books including my better half, Lani Urreta, my dramaturge Marie Andrews and my eagle-eyed stepmother Joy Rodgers. The artist for this upcoming book, Kasha, is doing a full cover illustration and chapter head drawings. It's going to be amazing.

Emily: You bring back some memories with that play back in college. It was some silly little thing I wrote, and looking back it seems so small and naive. At the same time, it’s one of those steps I feel like you have to take as an artist—to put yourself out there. I was just so thankful to have a friend who believed in me and said, “you know what this needs? MUSIC!” I mean, it’s not everyone who has a friend who can write the musical accompaniment to one’s playwriting debut.

Gothic Folk

Emily: Tell me about your music projects!

Jeremy: Since The Dreamscapes Project, which was a folk-rock-pop band in NoVa, Lani and I moved out to the Shenandoah Valley, and I fell in with a lot of country, folk, and bluegrass musicians. My own writing is what I like to call Gothic folk. Even when it's upbeat, it deals more with murders, death, and existential questions than most. I released two solo albums, Darkest Hour and Ugly Old Suit, and then I put together the Helltown Riffraff, which released Dismal Hollow Rd this past year. I already have songs written for the next album that we are slowly arranging for full band.

Outside of my own projects, I play occasionally with Chelsea McBee up in WV, and I have a trio called Slow Creek with Sandra Lyerly and Joe Martin. I have done producing and studio work with other local songwriters. I also semi-secretly do some electronic music on the side. I also have plans to do a metal album side project at some point.

Emily: I have your two solo albums, which I prefer to listen to in the Fall and Winter just because of the way they feel. The “gothic folk” is really no surprise to me. Haha! I need to make it out to one of your shows, and I’ve been wanting to attend one of your “Creepy Lovefests” that you do with Lani. One day!

Life Past 30

Emily: Looking back 20 years ago up to now, are you where you want to be in life?

Jeremy: To be honest, I'm surprised I lived past 30, so the past decade has felt like icing on an increasingly sweet cake. I knew 20 years ago that I was not cut out for a normal 9 to 5, and I'm happy I have found a way to avoid that. I feel that, at minimum, I have justified my continued existence. I still have things I want to accomplish, though. For instance, I would love to write a musical. Maybe also write a full fantasy epic like you have, with proper world building and everything. Maybe someday I will get over my aversion to doing visual art. Who knows.

Emily: What’s the aversion? I feel like you’d probably be really good at it.

Jeremy: So far, any attempts I have made at visual art were...underwhelming. My dream is to get into wood sculpting. Maybe painting. But I have so many close friends who excel at creating visual art that it has never been a necessity. I am good with music, and by extension, words. Maybe visual art will be a thing for me later in life. And don't get me started on dance...

Emily: Dance party at Emily’s house!

Back to Books

Emily: What have you read from middle school or high school—or any time—that just stuck with you?

Jeremy: I like science fiction and humor a lot, so Douglas Adams books are always high on my list. I don't necessarily want to write like him, but I loved the way he dealt with fairly heavy subjects, like humanity's place in the universe, with such careless absurdity and a shrug. He wrote intelligently about how little any of us know or understand about life.

Emily: I love his books. Here’s how intelligent I am: Agrajag is probably one of the funniest characters I have ever read. Then, there’s that scene in the Italian restaurant with the Bistromathics…hahaha oh my gosh…now I want to read them all again.

Jeremy: The very first thing that comes to mind is Arthur learning to fly. The idea of falling to the ground and missing it, and to ignore the naysayers telling you it's impossible, always struck a chord with me. It's the perfect mix of Zen optimism and British absurdity. And I really wish I could do it.

Emily: British absurdity is the best. What are you currently reading?

Jeremy: I have a stack of non-fiction that I am working through very slowly. A lot of science, history, and theology. I have a stack right next to it of fiction that I want to read, which includes some book about uniting the skies or something... I can't remember. ;)

Emily: I’ve heard it called Untying the Heaves. Whatever that nonsense is. A manga I’m writing maybe? What are you reading next?

Jeremy: Since I’m researching for an upcoming book, I think it might be something about the Dust Bowl in the 1930's. Very vague spoilers?

Emily: Non-fiction, science, history, theology, and “dust bowl in the 1930s”. This sounds like it’s going to be interesting…I don’t think I can ask you to elaborate. It might be best to just wait, right? So, what did you read last?

Jeremy: I believe the last one I finished was Things to Make and Do in the 4th Dimension by Matt Parker. He is a funny mathematician, which really do exist.

Emily: Adding to TBR on Goodreads now…based on:

Tie your shoes faster than ever before, saving literally seconds of your life!
Use those extra seconds to contemplate the diminishing returns of an exclamation-point at the end of every bullet-point!

Emily: Do you have a preferred genre?

Jeremy: For non-fiction, the broader the scope the better. I like to read about the big ideas more than the minute details. For fiction, I tend toward science fiction and fantasy. I have a soft spot for Orson Scott Card, Neil Gaiman, and Christopher Moore.

All about Writing:

Emily: Which of your books should we read first?

Jeremy: Well, the first three books are a series. I have been told that they stand on their own as stories, but I do recommend starting with Gretchen. I've even thought of republishing them all as one big book. But, if your readers are reading this after my next book is released, I would say start there. Much like with albums, I always think my next project is the best yet.

Emily: What's Gretchen about?

Jeremy: Gretchen is about the protagonist, Alan Perth, as he gets a job helping at a strange institute, meets a strange patient named Gretchen, and goes on increasingly strange adventures to save her from forces neither of them understands. They end up in Nebraska. Ancient Greek gods are involved.

Emily: There’s something about the thought of Ancient Greek gods in Nebraska that cracks me up. What genre is it?

Jeremy: When I wrote Gretchen, I termed it Magical Realism. But as the books have gone on, it became more science fiction. Dealing with multiple dimensions is cheating, though. As Arthur C. Clarke posited, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

Emily: When I save tons of seconds tying my shoes, that’ll be magic. So which of your characters (and from what book) should I interview?

Jeremy: The books are written in first person, so the easy route would be to say Alan Perth, since I have thought as that character the most. However, since he is more of a reader (and writer) stand-in, I am going with Gretchen. She is one of the only other characters that is in all three books, and I have a sketch that my dramaturge did before she became my dramaturge. It will be a challenge for me to answer questions as her, but it should be fun.

Emily: I feel like I need a dramaturge of my own now. Are you doing NaNoWriMo 2019? Any tips, tricks, advice?

Jeremy: Every one of my novels so far has been written during NaNoWriMo, edited the following January, and released in spring or summer. Except the newest one, which took a little more time editing because I needed to expand the book a bit. I am absolutely doing another book this November, and I'm taking a break from research for it to do this interview.

Emily: I appreciate it!!!

Jeremy: I have done books that were made up as I wrote and ones that I outlined and planned chapter by chapter. Both ways work. The best advice I can give is to try to end a writing session with an unknown. The excitement of answering that unknown will keep you going through the tough third week.

Emily: For the record, I never made it through a single NaNoWriMo. I keep wanting to, but I’m not very disciplined. Also, I jump around the story when I write. Makes it very difficult to complete. One of these days, though. Maybe if I had a dramaturge…

Just for Fun…More Ravenclaw

Emily: What are you binge-watching?

Jeremy: The last thing I binge watched was The Good Place. Definitely looking forward to the last season.

Emily: Which pony do you identify with?

Jeremy: Lani is a bit of a brony. I never watched any, though.

Lani: Of the main crew, I would probably merge two to make FlutterPie. A personality that leans toward the quiet side and helpful side, but with that helplessly positive outlook on things and a HUGE appreciation for delicious snacks.

Emily: Oh my gosh. FlutterPie. That’s what I’ve been missing in my life. Which Hogwarts House are you in?

Jeremy: According to Pottermore, I am Ravenclaw. I was hoping for Slytherin, but Ravenclaw is acceptable. It probably makes more sense.

Emily: It kind of does. Also, Ravenclaws seem to be the majority on my site right now. What's the last movie you watched?

Jeremy: In theaters, Rocketman. At home, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Both great movies.

Emily: What's your karaoke song go to?

Jeremy: If there is a Tom Waits song, I always pick that. But there is never a Tom Waits song.

Emily: My new mission in life is to find a karaoke place with a Tom Waits song. Who's your Doctor?

Jeremy: Doctor Horrible. Lani is more of the Whovian than I am.

Lani: The Ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston, was my first and still remains my favorite!

Emily: I like that I can reach out to Lani to fill in these points of interest. What's your gaming class?

Jeremy: Like in DnD? I used to be a rogue. Now I am the crazy hermit NPC who used to be a powerful wizard, and I spend my days writing silly songs and pranking any adventuring parties that pass by.

Emily: You know, that does not surprise me in the least, and I’m really happy about that!

Interview with Gretchen from Another Dimension

It’s another late night for me, and the last several months have been rough. Wake up, go to work, work late, have some family time, write until the wee hours, go to bed, repeat. I keep telling myself that I can’t keep this up, and that I need to get some rest, but I want to—need to—finish writing this book. I set aside my laptop for a moment, just to rest my eyes. I’m so very tired…

But I know I need to keep writing, so I sit up, stretch, and relish the warmth baking the stones on the expansive patio. There’s a girl approaching me from the west with the Selienne Hills in the background, and I wonder how she got past the roses and glass. I’m not sure who she is, but she doesn’t look lost. I, on the other hand, realize I’m no longer in my living room.

She hands me a dram of amber liquid, and I blink to see if she disappears. She doesn’t. I’m not one to drink whatever someone offers me, and she seems to sense my wariness.

Gretchen: Scotch. Although, if you prefer, I can make it be something else. As long as you are comfortable. I know it can be disconcerting the first time you meet one of my kind in a dream.

Emily: Your kind? You must be Gretchen! I had planned to interview you, but I didn’t realize…am I interviewing you or making this up? Where are you from?

Gretchen: Originally, I was an orphan in New England. I was taken into the Orion Institute, but I don't really know how old I was then. The orphanage had burned down. I don't really want to talk about that though. Alan Perth helped me escape, and then...well, it's hard to explain. I am not human anymore. I don't really exist in the same dimension as you do. That's why we needed to meet here, in your dream.

Emily: For now, I’ll just pretend that this is really happening. How old are you?

Gretchen: Alan still sees me as he met me, a frightening young woman. When I left my physical body behind to join the others, my new sisters, I was probably in my late teens. Now, though, I am ageless and formless in my own dimension. I only appear as a young woman because it is the only appearance in your dimension that I ever knew.

Emily: Well, as someone who used to be in this dimension but now exists in another, what do you do on a daily basis?

Gretchen: Explaining where I exist as a being is hard enough to do on its own. This dimension is filled with its own beings, some good and some bad. Like every other being in every other dimension, I am trying to learn and love and grow. Mostly I interact with my sisters and my new father, Zeus.

Emily: Zeus? Like, big bad lightning bolt thrower Zeus? What’s that like?

Gretchen: Yes, the actual Zeus. He doesn't really deal with humans anymore, so he has been gone a long time. When my new sister found me, they brought me to him. Zeus is just like any dad. Wise, foolish, smart, dumb, emotionally absent and overprotective. He just also happens to be eternal, and not from your dimension.

Emily: Being the daughter of Zeus must come with a unique set of expectations. Do you have your own goals?

Gretchen: To be who I am capable of being. My sisters found me on Earth and knew from my uncontrolled powers that I would take the place of the eldest when she ascended to a different plane.

Emily: That’s a lot to take up. Do you have any friends? A best friend?

Gretchen: Alan Perth is a good man. He helped the sisters to save me, and in return, I helped him on his adventures. He likes whiskey, perhaps too much. Considering what he has been through and how much he needs to know about beings from other dimensions, I understand if he needs it to relax. His life became exceedingly strange when he met Artemis.

Emily: Artemis. I bet that’s an interesting story. This is the stuff of gods, but you were once human. So what irritates you?

Gretchen: When I was human, I had a hard time with my temper. Not knowing who I was, or should be, filled me with such rage. Things would happen around me that I didn't understand, and it made things worse. Things are better now.

Emily: I’m sure we’re all the better for it. So where do you go to be alone in this other dimension?

Gretchen: There is a state of being that is equivalent to sleeping and dreaming. This opens the door to other dimensions, just like it does for humans who know what to do with their dreams. Much of the time, I go to the garden on the hill in Alan's dreams, and wait for him there. It is very peaceful.

Emily: Do you do normal things? Do you have hobbies?

Gretchen: Dreaming. And following Alan on his adventures. Sometimes going into the dreams of those around him to help him out. When I was human, I was an artist. I do something similar in my new dimension, but it would take too long to explain.

Emily: So as a once-human-now-daughter-of-Zeus, what do you want people to know about you?

Gretchen: That my kind are not gods, even though we have that kind of power in your dimension. We are just people, beings like yourself, with our own insecurities and foibles. Don't let anyone, from any dimension, tell you otherwise.

Emily: Gretchen, it was super amazing to meet you, and thank you for the scotch. I’m going to have to drink it now, and I’m going to have another when I wake up.

For more information on Jeremy Rodgers and his books and music, check out the links below:

Web: http://www.jeremyarodgers.com/

Band Web: http://www.helltownriffraff.com/