Interview with Chris Mendius on the Story Behind Spoonful
Our client Chris Mendius, a Chicago author, sat down with Now You Know Events at a book signing in Oak Park to talk about Spoonful, his debut novel that went on to earn a Kirkus Star of Remarkable Merit and a spot on Kirkus's Best of 2012 list of Top 25 Indie Books.
The novel follows Michael Lira through the day to day churn of addiction on Chicago's streets, and reviewers have compared its tone to Trainspotting as much as anything set in the city itself. What comes through in the interview is how personal the story really is. Mendius came across as modest and visibly nervous meeting his interviewer, and that same quiet, grateful energy stayed with him through the whole conversation. He talked openly about rebuilding his life in the early 1990s with help from friends and family, and about the moment years later when hearing Willie Dixon's blues classic Spoonful first gave him the pull to start writing the novel, even though it would take him a long time afterward to find the skill to tell the story the way it deserved.
A debut novel that goes from a personal turning point to a Kirkus star is exactly the kind of story we love helping authors tell to the right audience.
You can also read the full interview on Now You Know Events for more from the signing.