With the release date of Anthony Neil Smith‘s – MURDERAPOLIS fast approaching, UPP wanted to catch up and ask a few questions with the man himself.
Murderapolis tackles some serious issues, the main focus of this regards Somali/American culture, can you tell us what made you explore this marginalised topic?
I don’t know if I’d use the word “marginalized.” Something about calling people and topics that makes me cringe. In fact, the last time I wrote about Somali-Americans, an editor at a Big 5 imprint wrote back that they don’t think they could sell a story about a “marginalized” community. Wow.
No, I just see stories that get to me and make me say “What if…?”, and the Somali gang violence in Minneapolis felt like it could be an interesting story with fascinating characters. Heartbreaking characters. I lean more towards characters than topics or social issues. And I’ve wanted to write about a teacher for a long while, too. This felt like the right way to do it.
You mentioned in the submission process that this hasn’t been successful with mainstream publishers. I have spent many hours reading over Murderapolis, I think you’ve been respectful to those cultures involved. Can you tell us a bit more in your own words why you think bigger publishers were concerned about taking this on?
I don’t know if it was concern or simply non-interest. And I couldn’t even make it past the agents to reach the editors. We were mired in a time where it felt like politics was deciding things more than individual editors. I guess I’m not supposed to write about the lives of characters who are unlike me in race, gender, sex, culture, etc, according to that movement. But I just write about the characters who move me the most. If I get so interested in a character that I just HAVE to tell his or her story, then I don’t think in terms of “Is this somehow politically incorrect?” I write the stories I want to write.
Have you explored other cultures in your previous works and if so what were they?
I’ve written about Somali culture before in All the Young Warriors when a large number of young men went “missing” from Minneapolis only to show up in Somalia fighting for a terrorist group. I also wrote about a trans character for a couple of novels, although both of those books didn’t end up as successful as I’d hoped, as far as the writing is concerned. But at the time the main character felt like he (as he transitioned to she) had a strong story to tell in the guise of a pulp novel.
Have you had any similar experiences to Roble, the teacher in your book, with gang violence?
I have not. I worked in high schools back in the 90s as a substitute teacher for a couple of years before deciding to go to grad school instead, and some of that involved “Special needs” or “alternative” schooling, but not to the extent of Roble. I’d watched movies like 187 or The Substitute or Dangerous Minds before and always wanted to write something dealing with how a teacher would handle bad situations.
Can you tell us what made you decide to become a writer?
I loved books. When I was a kid and visited the school library, something about the books themselves, as art objects, and storytelling – first with pictures and comics, then words – made a deeper impression on me than nearly anything else. No matter how far I strayed from it to try and start a band or write songs, or take the LSAT test, or consider any other type of vocation, I always came back to stories. And crime novels were the first things in that world to excite me. Sci-fi, too, but that faded.
What is the most controversial book you would save from a burning library?
What kind of question is that? Geez… I don’t know if it’s really controversial anymore, but The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan had a huge impact on me. But that’s thirty years old now.
What writers inspired you?
Flannery O’Connor, Vicki Hendricks, and then all the “Jims” – Ellroy, Lee Burke, Harrison, and especially Crumley. Walter Mosely, too.
How did you hear about Urban Pigs Press?
I’ve been keeping an eye on Jenkins for a long time. Enjoyed his books. So when I heard about Urban Pigs, knowing he was behind it all, I felt like it was worth taking a shot. So far I’ve loved the vibe Urban Pigs has thrown down.
Can you tell us about your other published works?
They were all on small presses which either folded or never got much attention. But most are still for sale. There’s the Billy Lafitte series, probably my most well-known books. Then more recently the Slow Bear trilogy, featuring a supporting character from my book Worm, which I love quite a bit but which never sold very well. There are two Warriors books, some standalones like Psychosomatic (my first), The Drummer, and The Cyclist, and this crazy thing called Choke on Your Lies. And more. All of them are pulpy, exploitation-style novels that should make readers feel dirty and ashamed. Kind of.
Thanks for taking the time to answer these for us. You even answered that burning library one! It has been an absolute pleasure working on MURDERAPOLIS. It is certainly the biggest project we’ve worked on so far coming in at a whopping 500 pages! Readers are in for a treat. Thank you for trusting us with an exceptional example of what noir and crime writing is all about.
Roll on 4th April!
Bio:
Anthony Neil Smith is a novelist (Slow Bear, The Drummer, Yellow Medicine, many more), short story writer (HAD, Bull, Cowboy Jamboree, Maudlin House, Rock and a Hard Place, Dark Yonder, The No Sleep Podcast, Reckon Review, many more), and professor (Southwest Minnesota State University). One of his pieces was chosen for Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023. He was previously an associate editor with Mississippi Review Web, and is now editor of Revolution John. HE likes Mexican food, cheap wine, Italian exploitation flicks, and French noir.
Urban Pigs Press 
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