Fredrick Soukup, author of Bliss
Novel & Short Story category, sponsored by College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University
Each week leading up to the 33rd annual Minnesota Book Awards announcement, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our 36 finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why? (Sure, it may feel a bit un-Minnesotan to say so, but it’s not boasting if we ask!)
The themes I explored in Bliss are delicate, and I was constantly aware of the importance of handling them with great care. I’m not saying I executed my craft perfectly, but I take solace in the fact that I did the best I could to convey the characters’ struggle in Bliss as compassionately as possible.
Minnesota enjoys a reputation as a place that values literature and reading. If this sentiment rings true for you, what about our home state makes it such a welcoming and conductive place for writers?
Probably the winters we like to tell ourselves we love.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer with an interest in your category?
There will be thousands of reasons to quit if you’re not extremely passionate about the story you’re working on. Be sure to embark on a project about which you can stay consistently excited.
Tell us something about yourself that is not widely known! (It doesn’t have to be about your writing.)
Most people call me Mike, not Fredrick. (Michael is my middle name.)
After receiving a philosophy degree from St. John’s University, Fredrick Soukup worked at a delicatessen, an insurance call center, and as a guard at the Juvenile Detention Center. His work has been published in Fluent Magazine and Sou’wester.