An Interview about God, Obama, Kurt Vonnegut, Fender Benders, Writers' Block, and Other Literary Nightmares

This is an interview with me from Willamette Week by Aaron Mesh.

Willamette Week is Oregon's most read paper. I'm one of twenty writers who were quizzed about the things that matter and some that don't. Other "victims" were James Ellroy, Chelsea Cain, and Debra Gwartney.

All of us will appear this upcoming weekend at Wordstock, the biggest literary event in the Pacific Northwest. My reading is part of My Pretentious World Tour for The Tsar's Dwarf.





WILLAMETTE WEEK: Probably the only Portland State University professor to devote a novel to a Danish little person sold to Peter the Great, Fogtdal splits time between Oregon and Copenhagen. Wherever he is, he provides regular updates to a blog that considers such diverse subjects as post-religious Europe (“In Denmark God doesn’t even believe in God”) and the softcore movie Dagmar’s Hot Pants. He is a man of many interests, basically.

You can see him at Wordstock (Oregon Convention Center, Portland)): 3 pm Saturday, Oct. 10. at Mountain Writers Stage.

What’s your personal writing ritual, Peter?

I say a prayer and stare stupidly into a wall or preferably a great view. My favorite place to write, by the way, is in Italy. The language and the gelato do great things to my soul. I’m a nomad at heart, so every time I’m at home my muse tells me to get the hell out.

What are your favorite themes to write about (or that you’re most guilty of rehashing)?

Well, I almost always end up writing about spirituality, and often in a “blasphemous” way. I sincerely believe God has a better sense of humor than his followers. In most of my books I examine people’s struggle with the divine, but often in a lighthearted way. I see myself as a tragicomic writer. However, if you don’t have a dark sense of humor, you’re just going to find me tragic.

The most beautiful word in the English language is:

Fender bender.

What authors made you want to pick up a pen in the first place, and why?

You wouldn’t know him. He was Danish like me. His name was Leif Panduro, and he was a satirical writer who had a lot of depth. However, my favorite novel of all time is John Fowles’ The Magus. It’s a masterpiece of great storytelling and postmodern madness.

Fight Club time: If you could fight one author (or critic), who would it be and why?

I once had the runs at a writers’ residence in Costa Rica and picked up the only book in English I could find. It was Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. After that, my stomach got worse.

Name a book you think is highly overrated. Be honest.

I love Kurt Vonnegut’s prose and sense of humor, but I can never get through any of his novels, except for Slaughterhouse 5, which truly is great!

Dream project:

The Tsar’s Dwarf is out in five languages as we speak. I would love that to be 55. And then I would want to tour all those countries while being adored by critics and cheerleaders.

Most recent nightmare:

I’m on at Wordstock at the exact same time Dostoevsky is signing his books at the stage next to mine.

Your cure for writer’s block:

I simply order myself to stay away from the computer for two weeks. It works like a charm because I love to rebel against anything, especially myself. “Don’t you tell me what to do,” my dark side shouts, and then I quickly return to the computer and write like a madman.

Pessimistic question: Will you keep writing even after people stop reading?

Of course. All true writers will. We always get depressed when we don’t have an audience, but how can that stop us from doing what we love?

Cautiously optimistic question: Obama? Discuss.

On a soul level, he is the best that the U.S. could hope for. For a politician, there is very little ego in the man, which pisses people off who have large egos themselves. But none of this means he’ll be a “great” president. He’s way too right-wing for a social democrat like me, but I trust him more than I’ve trusted any politician since Marcus Aurelius.

Share one thing you’ve had to change in your everyday life thanks to our current recession.

I buy less toilet paper.

Please paste a short paragraph from the blog you’re currently working on:

“Please don’t ever visit Acropolis in Athens when 3 cruise ships are in town and Mr. Mrs. Obesity are looking for a snack.”



You can read the paper's excellent January review of The Tsar's Dwarf here:


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