Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

The first leg of my journey has brought me to Austin, TX where I have gotten a chance to spend some time with the amazing human being and fellow author William Terry. William is one of our first authors ever showcased within An Honest Lie with his amazing tale of self awareness in the story “Situational Dyslexia.”

Yesterday William and his lovely girlfriend Molly Bryant (and amazing artist in her own right, and smart enough to hook up with our dear Will) met me at the Amtrak and together we piled into Will’s battle weary silver Civic and headed towards the place I would be staying for the next couple of days.

I was lucky enough to meet William and Molly when I was here last summer, and I am thankful that not only did I have the opportunity to publish such an amazing story I hear through the grapevine that I may be able to get that opportunity again in Volume 3 of An Honest Lie; Justifiable Hypocrisy.

So who exactly is William Terry?

William Terry is a courageous young man who is currently pursuing a Bachelors Degree in social work, where hopes to not only work within the geriatric community but also plans of developing a private practice which focuses on individuals who need guidance within their recovery programs.
Unlike many individuals who find that social work calls to them as a profession, William is himself a man who has made a paradigm shift and has found that through his own recovery he has guidance and empathy that enable him to offer care and assistance to those in need.

After offering this weary publisher a place to rest in his modest apartment close to the Greenbelt in West Austin, he went one better in proving what a kind man he is by deciding to feed me tacos from a great place not far from his home the next morning (The Taco Deli, off of Spyglass road) and over those deliciously crafted tacos I got to find more about this man who is able to capture the madness that resides inside of us all.

D: So Will tell me a bit more about yourself?

W: Well I go to school full time at St. Edwards University in Austin Texas, and I am pursuing a degree in Social Work. I am a recovering Heroin addict and I have been sober now for 2.5 years.

D: Whoa, you were riding the Horse?

W: No dude, the horse was definitely riding me.

D: Ok I am no saint, and I must confess some of the greats had dances with the needle, and strawberry fields dotted their arms. But what in the hell made you even go down that road in the first place?

W: Would you believe me if I told you it was a case of artistic mimicry?

D: Ummm, ok?

W: I didn’t say it was a smart move. I wouldn’t recommend anyone to do what I have done… but wow it really made me feel like I was connecting to a deeper level of creativity. Burroughs, Welsh, Lou Reed they all made the experience alive and I felt a desire to feel what they were experiencing that I had yet to do. There was some peer pressure, but in truth that was the mild influence.

5 years of addiction and 5 stints in rehab later I found that being an addict was definitely not for me.

D: Wow, I am glad to hear that you not only got clean but that you are maintaining yourself well enough to stay that way. How do you do it?

W: Well, I follow a 12 step program, and when temptations arise I use my support systems to remind me that there are places I choose not to return too. There are a lot of excellent programs out there to assist people who have addictions of all kinds, and I am lucky enough to have the support of friends and family who helped to see me through those dark times.

D: Will, I know how creative you are. Your story Situational Dyslexia is such an amazing piece of work; it pulls the reader into a comfortable madness that though alien still fits the reader like a glove. Besides writing you also have amazing musical prowess and the album you gave me “Dolls on Fire” was astounding. I can hear some deep Depeche Mode influences in many of the pieces. I guess my point is with all of this talent, why are you pursuing a degree in Social Work?

W: I love creativity. Music, literature, movies… but after fighting my own demons in the areas of addiction and learning how our social systems for helping others was so deeply in need of assistance I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing. I make music, I still write (on a traditional typewriter), and I plan to continue pursuing all of my creative outlets.

William Terry is not only an amazing author that catapults the reader into a deeply disturbing and fascinating landscape… his stories capture the reader in such a way that you can identify with the most outlandish of circumstances that make absolute sense while you read each and every line.
Keep your eyes open for the next short story from William Terry in the next Volume of An Honest Lie Vol 3.

Show your support of this amazing author and purchase a copy of An Honest Lie Volume 1: Encouraging the Delinquency of Your Inner Child
By clicking HERE