Thirty West Revisited: Joe Sigurdson

On moving to Alaska, publishing a debut novel, and refusing to become an heir.

“Thirty West Revisited” is a series of interviews with past and future authors from Thirty West’s vast catalog. Within, you shall experience inspiration for their writing, the process behind crafting their books, and what projects they are working on next. Conducted by Ollie Shane.

---

Joseph Sigurdson is a Pushcart Prize-winning author and poet from Buffalo, New York. He won the Edwin Markham Award and the Gabriele Rico Challenge from Reed Magazine. His work has appeared in The Buffalo News, South 85, Columbia Journal, and elsewhere. His first chapbook of prose poetry, No Sand, was published by Thirty West Publishing in 2019, followed by his debut novel, Buffalo Dope, in 2021.

Ollie Shane: What got you into writing? Who are some inspirations for you?

Joseph Sigurdson: There was a creek and a powerline field behind my childhood home. I grew up back there. There was always some imaginary war to fight in, each day, no matter the weather. I would go pretty hard too. I'd be dressed in all green and I'd wear my grandpa's helmet from the Army, which was way too big for me. But, you reach an age where that sort of thing starts to become embarrassing and its magic no longer consumes you the way it once did. One time, my friends came back there looking for me. I was so humiliated by my toy gun and hand-me-down army outfit, that I hid in the brush and waited for them to leave. That was the last time I ever played back there.

I think I was ten or maybe eleven. Life felt purposeless after that. I told my mom and she suggested I write about the imaginary worlds I created back there. And that stuck for whatever reason. Ever since then, I've wanted to be a writer.

OS: What was it like getting into and engaging with the writing community? What are its benefits and challenges?

JS: I went to college for creative writing and was initially really intimidated by it all. As I got to know everyone I grew to love it. College put me in a lot of debt, as it did for a lot of us, but I truly don't regret it. There's a lot I don't think I would've ever learned on my own. So for that, I owe a lot to all the professors and students at SUNY Oswego and the University of Southern Mississippi. The challenge of being among the writing community was that sometimes it could get hiveminded, and I would succumb to that hivemind regularly. I think it's both healthy to be a part of the writing community and to take long breaks from it.

OS: Where did you come up with the idea for your novel?

JS: My novel came from a few things. I was horrifically addicted to alcohol for about five to six years. It was so bad I had to bring liquor in a Thermos with me to my college classes to prevent a seizure. I also had a lot of friends who were just getting into a lot of trouble with violence and drugs. What was odd about the whole thing was that me and my friends had nice upbringings. We had good parents, nice homes, plenty of food, and plenty of opportunities to pursue healthy habits such as sports, music, etc. But, we were all getting into these really horrible habits and some of my friends were doing some genuine gangster shit. I had never read a book or seen a movie that portrayed that, you know? When it comes to stories of drugs it's always the really huge players, like Pablo Escobar or something. Or, poverty-stricken drug dealers in the hood. I had never seen a suburban, white, twenty-year-old drug dealer in a book or in a movie. I felt like I could write a book about that.

Furthermore, I was about to finish grad school, and I had attempted to write a book, like, eight-hundred and forty-seven times. That got to me. I started to feel like I was fake. This whole writer thing was just a dream, but I really didn't have it in me to ever actually write a book. It scared me, but that fear was actually good. It gave me the drive to do it. I had a lot of other ideas for novels, but the one I knew I could definitely write was Buffalo Dope, so I did.

OS: How was it working with Thirty West in your work?

JS: It was nice. When you're the little guy, it's hard to find people who believe in your work. Thirty West did, and I'm very grateful for that. They included me in the editing process and the marketing process, too, which was nice.

OS: What has been the reception of your work from the wider writing community?

JS: That I don't really know. It could be insignificant. I will say I regularly get surprised by people who have read it and enjoyed it. Some of my former teachers read excerpts of it to their students. Some of my work is now included in syllabi. I never expected that. It still surprises me.

OS: What upcoming/current projects have you put out?

JS: Oh god, don't ask me that. Here's the problem I'm facing: I've got like two writers in me. The first one is a dark, disturbing, splatter-punk but still literary kind of writer...and the other is a forest-dwelling, nature-inspired, Jack London-esque writer.  The problem is, that these two writers are at odds with each other. In the morning I want to write a novel about a guy who hunts and eats grouse, by night I want to write a novel about a guy who hunts and eats people. It's making it difficult to finish anything. I started a novel about a serial killer in Alaska. It's pretty disturbing and although it has been done before, I think it has enough of an original twist to it. I've written like 20,000 words. I don't know if I'll ever finish it.

OS: What has it been like to move to and from Alaska?

JS: I loved Alaska. I will always miss it. It sounds corny, but I learned a lot about myself up there. Leaving has been hard. There's not enough wilderness in this country anymore and private land is so expensive I don't know if I'll ever own any. I get upset talking about it.

OS: Any advice for the readers of Afterimages?

JS: Don't try to be the heir of your favorite writers. I wasted a lot of time doing that. Try to be you; the influence from your favorite writers will come anyway.

---

Buffalo Dope, the debut novel by Joseph Sigurdson, is out now through Thirty West or your favorite online retailer.