Nissue #47: Toby Barlow, Author.
If you know me, you might know that I have had an abnormal obsession with Detroit. The city has been on a comeback in recent years and there’s something so American about that. It did not take a lot to convince Jane to fly out there with me a few months ago (that’s why I married her) to check out Shinola (we stayed at their hotel), Jack White’s Third Man Records, Buddy’s Pizza (went twice), and The Heidelberg Project.
On one afternoon, we stumbled upon a fantastic home accessories store called Nora, yet another example of modern Detroit. In the reading section (which included copies of Racquet Magazine!) were a few copies of Sharp Teeth, a novel written in verse form about werewolves, which I had read and loved some years back. That seemed pretty random to have in stock, so I mentioned it to Liz Boone, the owner of the shop, and she said that’s cool, the author is my husband Toby Barlow!
This is when Jane — acting like my agent — stepped in and said we should get Toby to do an interview for In Search Of Lost Answers. Liz loved the idea and convinced him, and there you have it. Here’s to talking to strangers and striking up conversations.
Nish: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Toby: Knowing that everyone I love feels safe, loved and content, and I’m off to play tennis.
Nish: What was your worst job ever?
Toby: I once had an absolutely wonderful job, it was like being in a Hollywood musical, and then a brand new boss showed up and suddenly the whole thing was horrible. She sprayed green toxic acid everywhere and brought conspiracies, lies and backstabbing back into fashion. She was a blonde Chernobyl.
Nish: What was your first job ever?
Toby: Working at an auto body shop in a small town in upstate New York. I spent a lot of days picking deer guts out of the grillwork of smashed-up pickup trucks. I got paid minimum wage. My boss’ name was Flip. I was happy, I had no complaints.
Nish: What was your best job ever?
Toby: Getting paid good money for the epic poem [Sharp Teeth] I wrote was the weirdest, best thing that ever happened to me. All the Hollywood “lunch with the agents, calls with the producers” stuff that followed was a lot of great indulgent fun. Seeing it advertised with billboards in the London tube and stacked up in airport bookstores made me swoon. I mean, it was only a year or so earlier when I was standing around backyard barbecues saying “I’m working on an epic poem,” and sounding like I was making some very dry, droll joke. So, I was really happy and amused with the way it all played out.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Toby: Looking at my phone.
Nish: What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Toby: Whatever feeds homophobia, xenophobia, and racism. Also, whatever makes people think it’s okay to throw garbage out of their cars. I suppose it’s all tied to the same fundamental blindness.
Nish: What’s some advice you’d give to yourself at 23?
Toby: Seriously, why would I bother? 23 year old me wouldn’t listen. Or rather, I would listen, wide-eyed and absolutely agog, nodding along with a pathetic, obsequious enthusiasm, but then a week or so later I’d just be up to my old tricks.
Nish: What is your greatest extravagance?
I sure do like tacos.
Nish: You have exclusive dinner reservations for 4 excluding family and close friends, who are the 3 people (alive, dead or imaginary) you’d invite?
Toby: Harriet Tubman, Studs Terkel, and the poet Airea D. Matthews. Really, the other two other people are just there to listen to Harriet Tubman’s stories with me.
Nish: What is the theme song of your professional life?
Toby: Bright Future in Sales, by Fountains of Wayne.
Nish: What is your motto?
Toby: Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
Nish: What is something you’re really excited about right now?
Toby: I’m really excited about what Yuval Sharon is doing with the Opera here in Detroit. Do you know his work? It manages to be both reverential and revolutionary at the same time. Opera, I mean, come on, who cares, right? But then someone like Yuval comes along and - ka-bam - suddenly opera’s the most important thing in the world.
End Interview.
I really enjoyed reading Toby’s second book Babayaga as well. You can buy it online, of course, but they also have a few copies at Nora, just another reason to visit Detroit!