Keith Rawson's Shelves

The real deal-Keith's shelfie

What books are currently on your nightstand?

For pure pleasure: Kill Fee By Owen Laukkanen and The Heart Does Not Grow Back By Fred Venturi. For book review: Find Me By Laura and den Berg and A Head Full Of Ghosts By Paul Tremblay.

Who is your all-time favorite novelist?

This seems to change month-to-month, but right now it’s James Ellroy, Roberto Bolano, and Denis Johnson.

What book might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I have a small mountain of Anne Rule true crime paperbacks. True crime is kind of like my sleazy romance novels aka my guilty pleasure.

Who is your favorite fictional hero?

Big Pete Bondurant from James Ellroy’s Underworld USA trilogy.

What book do you most often return to?

The Ecstasy Of Influence By Jonathan Lethem. I’m not a huge fan of Lethem’s novels, but his short fiction and his critical essays knock me on my ass. Whenever I’m having a little difficulty getting myself writing, I usually pop open The Ecstasy Of Influence, read an essay, and then I’m usually good to go.

Keith Rawson is the author of hundreds of short stories, essays, interviews, and articles. He is a regular contributor to LitReactor.com. He lives in southern Arizona with his wife and daughter, and you can find him at his website: http://lifeinmetropolis.com/