Micah Thorp is a physician, writer, and lifelong Oregonian. His literary works have appeared in Blind Corner, Cleaver Magazine, and The Write Launch. He is the author of three novels, including: Uncle Joe’s Muse, Uncle Joe’s Senpai, and his latest, IPPY Award-winning novel, Aegolius Creek.
Aegolius Creek plot summary
After a new species of vole is discovered in Don Karlsson’s trees, he must protect his homestead, his family, and his livelihood in a courtroom fight that engulfs his community and spills over into protests and riots, while dealing with the conflicting interests of his children and their lingering grief after the loss of their mother.
The interview
Why do you write in the genre that you do?
When I write, I don’t write to a specific genre, I simply go where the story takes me and try not to follow any specific pattern.
My first two novels could best be classified as “humor,” though I like to think of them as more than just funny. My latest, Aegolius Creek, is probably best described as “literary,” which is the genre we ascribe to books with lots of meaning that don’t fit anywhere else.
Do you keep a notebook of ideas?
If you consider a Google Docs file full of half written pages a notebook.
Do you have a muse?
Yes, a Manhattan with Four Roses Rye, up.
Are you more of a fan of plot-driven stories or character-driven stories?
In my view the best stories include both. The best characters, Jay Gatsby, Hamlet, Huckleberry Finn, Elizabeth Bennet, are all part of complex, plot driven narratives. Really well-written literature uses one to enhance the other.
Fill in the blank: “People will like your book if they like stories about…”
Morality and meaning. In Aegolius Creek I’ve attempted to dive deeply into the relationship between people and place, humanity and the environment. There aren’t any clear heroes of villains and there are countervailing messages. The best books leave the reader with as many questions as answers. I’ve tried to do that with Aegolius Creek.
What are your thoughts on typewriters?
Not a fan. In the days when I used one, I required buckets of white out.
Would you rather own a bookstore or run a library?
A bookstore with a coffee shop during the day and a bar at night. It’s cliché but “Books and Brews” has a nice ring to it.
How do you name your characters?
I primarily write fiction so I can use whatever I want, though I usually end up using whatever pops into my head first. On occasion, I have been more intentional.
In my novel Uncle Joe’s Muse, there is a scene with a bunch of twelve-year-old girls, and I happen to have a handful of teen and preteen nieces, so I named the characters after them. I incorrectly assumed they’d be excited to be named in a book, but to date I’m pretty sure none of them have ever read it.
If Hollywood bought the rights to your book, would you want it to be turned into a movie or series?
Probably a movie, though it could be made to work as either.
Who is your dream audiobook narrator?
Like the rest of the known universe – Morgan Freeman.
Do you try to hit a certain page or word count with each writing session?
Not only do I not aim for a certain quantity of writing when I write, I’m not sure I even have regular sessions. I tend to write at odd moments here and there. Some last for a few minutes, others for hours.
Do you have any writing rituals?
No. As you probably figured out by the last question, I am a highly undisciplined writer. I write primarily for my own creative satisfaction, which means at times I’m highly productive and other times I write very little. The only exception is when I’m on an airplane or in a train. For some reason traveling seems to necessitate writing.
What are your passions/obsessions outside of writing?
Nephrology. I’ve had a great career as a nephrologist, one which I don’t intend to leave anytime soon.
Have you made any public appearances to promote your book?
Not yet, but there will be. Stay tuned.
Who would you most want to read your book, living or dead?
Ken Kesey. His novel Sometimes a Great Notion is a kind of starting point for Aegolius Creek. It describes a culture in Oregon during the middle of the twentieth century – big timber, fiercely independent – which began to disappear in the 1980s and 1990s during the timber wars. Aegolius Creek is about the impact those changes left on the people and the land.
What is your favorite bookish possession?
I have my great grand aunt’s books from the 1909 Chautauqua School of Nursing correspondence program. She became a practical Nurse through the school sometime around 1910.
Inside the booklets are a series of her handwritten notes. They include things like a recipe for “The Wonder Lindement” that includes four drams of Chloroform, Spirits of Ammonia and one pint of alcohol. Someday I intend to try it.
What is the most unique way that an idea for a piece of writing has come to you.
In the 1990s I was a Nephrology Fellow at Oregon Health and Sciences University. I worked in a large research setting, mostly with data. Across the street was a rat lab – literally – where rats were domiciled for various experiments.
One night an animal rights group broke into the facility and released the rats (which initially seemed a somewhat noble act). A few weeks later the City of Portland announced a special week where their vector control department was going to rid the city of as many rats as possible.
It led me to wonder how the OHSU rats felt about their escape, being freed by activists only to be hunted down by the city. I wrote a story “Vector Control” – a very Portlandia narrative.
Are you a big reader? Do you own a large collection of books, or are you more of a borrower?
I don’t read nearly as much as I’d like to. I don’t borrow a lot, mostly for fear of failing to return them. I’m a nightmare for libraries.
How do you measure the success of your writing career?
If I like the stuff I write, I feel successful. If other people want to read it too, I feel validated. If someone wants to publish it, I’m thrilled.
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