Chinese Gucci: The Interview, Part 4

Fourth-quarter "crunch time" for our Chinese Gucci interview, but Hosho McCreesh has what it takes to send us home triumphant. Enjoy!

AK: Do you have other novels in progress, or books that lay dormant in bottom drawers (or files on your laptop)? HM: I do, but I don't know if there's an idea that's good enough to see through in any of them. They all have their virtues, but I can't see any of them as finished projects yet. Maybe a couple can survive deep cuts and work as novellas. I don't know yet. I did love writing the novel though—it was rewarding in a completely new and different way than all of my other writing so far, so I'd love to do that again. Bukowski had 5 novels. Portis had 5 or 6, I think. For now, maybe that's the goal? I'd need a lot more time than I have to fit in everything that I still really want to do. So who's to say if even 5 or 6 is possible? Seems unlikely. . . unless that dump truck of money shows up somehow.
AK: How is quarantine working out for you? What does the mood feel like where you are right now? HM: We're on the edge of yet another idiotic cliff, about to step off. America, by and large, refuses to save itself. Most of the rest of the world doesn't have the same trouble with basic facts as we've decided to indulge. We're like those tubby little pandas that won't fuck to save ourselves! To entertain some quasi-serious "discussion" about who is worth saving and who should die just so some assholes can go eat at Cracker Barrel is insane to the point of heartbreaking satire. And yet, here we are. We've been locked down for 2 months, and despite doing lots of creative stuff, I'd say we're as sick of it as everyone else. We miss all our people, miss our fun stuff, going places, being together. But it's not over just because we want it to be. But try telling that to the beaches in Jacksonville, to spring breakers, or nutjobs with bazookas at fucking Subway though. Ugh. We're going to keep doing our part because, at this point, that's the safest option. . . but I'm not optimistic. We forgot how to care about each other because America made doing that a sucker's bet. This "us-or-them" mentality has everyone picking sides as if scoring some ridiculous point or being "right" matters at all. The reality is, it does not matter who is "right" or "wrong." Now it's only a question of game-theory to me: what do you win if you're "right" and what do you lose if you're "wrong." If the left is "wrong" in believing the science and using that as a guide—what is lost? Well, sustained economic impacts over some imaginary boogeyman. If the right is "wrong" about this whole thing being a hoax—what is lost? Their lives, and possibly the lives of their loved ones, and others. To me, that's a bad bet.
But no matter who you ask, half the country is making their own bad bet. . . and they're willing to carelessly destroy something rather than truly considering the idea that they might be wrong. On and on with the folderol. . . here on our pale blue goddamned dot. AK: What are your current writing or art projects? And what’s next for Hosho McCreesh living in “the gypsum and caliche badlands of the American Southwest”? HM: I'm putting the finishing touches on the A DEEP & GORGEOUS THIRST—UNABRIDGED AUDIO project. . . and have my first true series of paintings started. I'd like to make an audio version of Chinese Gucci, I've got a book about the art/collage of it in the works too. I think I might try to adapt it to a screenplay too. There's a short story collection, and a couple of poetry projects. . . an animation idea. . . like I said, I need more time than I probably have. And as each pay nothing, none are more pressing than the others!

AK: Please do check out Hosho's new audio project or purchase Chinese Gucci from your favorite independent bookseller!