Aerie InternationaL - Missoula County Public Schools
Aerie InternationaL - Missoula County Public Schools
Aerie InternationaL - Missoula County Public Schools
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jake ross<br />
greenville, south carolina, usa<br />
IntervIeW mAy 2009<br />
Jake Ross was one of those persons who stuck out right from the beginning.<br />
On our first Sunday workday, we lounged around reading piece after<br />
piece of writing when we happened upon Jake’s story “Worker Bee.” At<br />
first, we didn’t quite know what to make of it. Hesitant giggles escaped<br />
our lips as we tentatively read the first few pages. We decided to call in<br />
reinforcements. Katie, the editor, was outside the room at our computer<br />
lab, so we called her into the classroom. She sat on the table, and as her eyes<br />
scanned the pages, a smile spread across her face. She proceeded to read the<br />
whole story aloud. Belly laughs erupted when Katie got to the parts where<br />
the narrator described River’s walk, the way her hips swayed, the narrator’s<br />
quirky descriptions and the truth of being in love with someone who just<br />
doesn’t love you back. River may not deserve it, but we were all just as<br />
smitten with her as that blindly loyal and sexually frustrated narrator. We<br />
found ourselves quoting it in class daily. We knew we had to meet the man<br />
behind the story. So, without further ado, Jake Ross.<br />
-hannah halland, art editor and ryan casas, website editor<br />
AI: We noticed right off the bat that you had a very particular tone of voice in your<br />
writing. Can you give us a little information about how you developed that voice?<br />
Have you always been set in your style and known that was your voice? Or did it take<br />
time to develop?<br />
JR: Everyone likes to talk as if they understand it, but the concept of<br />
“voice” is pretty elusive. My teacher defines it as “a stew of everything a<br />
writer has read.” I have no idea how to describe my voice, but my advice<br />
to anyone trying to develop one would be this: read a lot, but read what<br />
you know is good. When a famous writer says, “I used to read anything<br />
I could get my hands on,” I don’t believe him for a hot second. What was<br />
he reading? Travel brochures? Dr. Seuss? Twilight? If someone stewed<br />
those together and wrote a novel, I wouldn’t want to read it. Surely, to<br />
develop a respectable voice, you have to focus on quality literature.<br />
Tone, in comparison, is simple. When I start writing something, I<br />
think: Would anyone take this situation seriously? If so, I forget about<br />
punch lines and tell the story. If not, I work in some humor. I switch<br />
back and forth, but I do get a kick out of making someone laugh. Besides,<br />
a good joke can make people pay attention. They want another joke.<br />
Even if you don’t give it to them, even if your story or essay ends on a<br />
serious note, at least they’ve paid attention.<br />
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