Marc Acito’s book How I Paid For College was the winner of the 2006 Ken Kesey Award for the Novel. The sequel, Attack of the Theater People, was published last spring. Armistead Maupin called it, “as sweet and nutty and irresistible as a bag of M & M’s”, which some of us think is an apt description of Marc himself. Marc is a frequent contributor to NPR, and maintains a lively blog, The Gospel According to Marc.

What is Marc currently working on?
“Typically I write with the door open, blabbing to everyone about my
work as I go. But lately I’ve seen the value of keeping my energy
more focused and only talking about it when I need help. So all I
will say is that I’m stirring the pot on a lot of different ideas.
And am actively seeking to stimulate my thinking. I’m intrigued by
the notion that Buckminster Fuller took two whole years just to
think. I don’t have that luxury, but I find myself clearing excess
from my life so that I can concentrate on improving my brain.”

How would Marc describe a good writing day?
“A Good Writing Day is a productive one, a day where the words come
easily and plentifully. So often my prose is swiss cheese—hard,
stiff, full of holes—which I labor over until it’s alpine lace and
finally a creamy camembert. I relish those days when I don’t
struggle, when my thoughts come like dictation. But only if the
result has substance. An original metaphor, an unexpected plot twist,
a joke that makes someone laugh out loud—these make my effort
worthwhile.”