Aerie InternationaL - Missoula County Public Schools

jake ross
greenville, south carolina, usa
IntervIeW mAy 2009
Jake Ross was one of those persons who stuck out right from the beginning.
On our first Sunday workday, we lounged around reading piece after
piece of writing when we happened upon Jake’s story “Worker Bee.” At
first, we didn’t quite know what to make of it. Hesitant giggles escaped
our lips as we tentatively read the first few pages. We decided to call in
reinforcements. Katie, the editor, was outside the room at our computer
lab, so we called her into the classroom. She sat on the table, and as her eyes
scanned the pages, a smile spread across her face. She proceeded to read the
whole story aloud. Belly laughs erupted when Katie got to the parts where
the narrator described River’s walk, the way her hips swayed, the narrator’s
quirky descriptions and the truth of being in love with someone who just
doesn’t love you back. River may not deserve it, but we were all just as
smitten with her as that blindly loyal and sexually frustrated narrator. We
found ourselves quoting it in class daily. We knew we had to meet the man
behind the story. So, without further ado, Jake Ross.
-hannah halland, art editor and ryan casas, website editor
AI: We noticed right off the bat that you had a very particular tone of voice in your
writing. Can you give us a little information about how you developed that voice?
Have you always been set in your style and known that was your voice? Or did it take
time to develop?
JR: Everyone likes to talk as if they understand it, but the concept of
“voice” is pretty elusive. My teacher defines it as “a stew of everything a
writer has read.” I have no idea how to describe my voice, but my advice
to anyone trying to develop one would be this: read a lot, but read what
you know is good. When a famous writer says, “I used to read anything
I could get my hands on,” I don’t believe him for a hot second. What was
he reading? Travel brochures? Dr. Seuss? Twilight? If someone stewed
those together and wrote a novel, I wouldn’t want to read it. Surely, to
develop a respectable voice, you have to focus on quality literature.
Tone, in comparison, is simple. When I start writing something, I
think: Would anyone take this situation seriously? If so, I forget about
punch lines and tell the story. If not, I work in some humor. I switch
back and forth, but I do get a kick out of making someone laugh. Besides,
a good joke can make people pay attention. They want another joke.
Even if you don’t give it to them, even if your story or essay ends on a
serious note, at least they’ve paid attention.
30