AD: What were your reservations, if any, when writing Narcisa? Was there anything holding you back?
JS: No, nothing. Absolutely nothing… It’s almost the opposite in fact. It’s as if I was being compelled to write this thing so strongly that once it started rolliing, there was no holding it back, there was just never any question about any choice or premeditated thought process or plan or plot or whatever. It’s really almost as if this book just kinda wrote itself. On some level I never really saw myself being involved in it other than the instrument by which it chose to manifest itself into the world. I know that may sound sort of new-agey or whatever, but that’s exactly how it went down, right from the start. A very painful process for me, not just as a writer, but as a human being. Gut wrenchingly painful… but ultimately effortless too, completely without any personal forethought or afterthought or any of that kinda thing. It was just… compelling and obsessive and compulsive and spontaneous and essential from start to finish. Like channeling something a lot bigger and more important than my own little ideas and experiences and all that kinda stuff. A very very powerful process… I highly recommend it! (Laughs)…