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Inspiration Isn’t So Straightforward
Thief of Laughter is an intimate and evocative collection of poetry that lays bare the fragility of identity, memory, and family while embodying faith in humanity that struggles to make sense of everyday carnage, yet manages to find solace in spite of it. What inspired you to write this particular collection of poems?
I wish I could answer this question the way Rachmanioff did about what inspired him to write one of his piano concertos: “I wanted to buy a car.” But for me, inspiration isn’t so straightforward (or humorous), partly because I don’t really need inspiration to write. I need time, early mornings, when everyone is asleep, when there are no interruptions. These poems were written over 50 years. Many are short narratives – some autobiographical, some not, and some a blending of the two. Sometimes I can’t avoid writing about something seen or experienced. It can be a single word, a casual remark, or an event that hounds me until I have to sit down and work on it and find out why.
How did you decide on the themes that run throughout your poetry book?
No decision was ever made. The various themes of the book arrived on their own, and told me where to go with them.
Were there any poets or other writers who influenced your work on this collection?
Dozens of them. I was very fortunate to have great teachers and colleagues along the way. A lot of generosity, kindness, humor and smarts. I think all of these people come through in these poems. If there were one book though that guided me through all these years, it was Nabokov’s SPEAK MEMORY.
How has this poetry book changed you as a writer, or what did you learn about yourself through writing it?
I learned why it’s necessary to be a good person. That you don’t really have a choice, because living the alternative is a form of self-destruction. By writing, you begin to see things more clearly – it documents perception, understanding, and temperament. Over years, you not only see who you were, but how you got to where you are now.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Thief of Laughter
Jim Frazee’s Thief of Laughter is an intimate and evocative collection of poetry that scrapes raw nerves and lays bare the fragility of identity, memory, and family. The book weaves through a lifetime of emotional collisions. Fathers and sons, adolescent cruelty, war and its ghosts, spiritual betrayals, and fleeting moments of tenderness. Frazee captures these with a poet’s sharp eye and a survivor’s haunted voice, his language pulling no punches and never hiding behind pretense.
Frazee’s style is straightforward, sure-footed, but packed with layers. What struck me hardest was how many of the poems felt like emotional snapshots. The kind you can’t put back in the album once you’ve touched them. The violence of silence in “My Father’s Lesson,” the unspeakable grief tucked into “Elegy for E,” or the nearly unbearable self-loathing and regret that pulses through “Jell-O,” these pieces didn’t ask for sympathy. They earned it.
And yet, Frazee doesn’t let the darkness smother you. There’s a strange grace to his honesty. The title poem, “Thief of Laughter,” might be one of the most potent explorations of intergenerational pain I’ve read in a long time. It’s unflinching. Still, there’s beauty in the precision of his images and a kind of quiet rebellion in his insistence on remembering. Even when he writes about cruelty towards himself, others, or from the world at large, there’s a current of compassion, sometimes bitter, sometimes soft, running beneath it all.
If you’ve ever grappled with your past, questioned the people who raised you, or wondered what ghosts still rattle around in your own head, this book might sting, but it’ll also speak to you. I’d recommend Thief of Laughter to anyone who’s lived long enough to lose something important.
Pages: 156 | ASIN : B0F3KNLJ3P
Untangling the Lies
Anemone follows a sixteen-year-old boy living in the mid-60s who is unable to rescue his brother from a burning house fire and must find the real arsonist or be charged with homicide. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
In the mid-60s, a friend in my class, whom I knew had abuse issues at home, supposedly burned down his house and was never seen again. The mystery of his disappearance has stayed with me, and I wanted to use it as a starting point. After much back and forth, I also wanted ANEMONE to blur the lines between the personal and the elemental, to weave the inner turmoil of its characters with the larger forces of nature, creating an almost mystical connection between the two. Russell’s journey toward uncovering the truth about the fire—and, by extension, the truth about himself—mirrors the unpredictable, sometimes violent forces of the sea that surrounds him.
A lot of time was spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?
Probably the innocent naivete of the main characters, what these people were really like. Too many 16-year-olds in books over the years seem to have a social intelligence, maturity, and a use of language that betrays their youth. Yes, there are moments in my characters when they demonstrate a certain cleverness and knowledge, but I find that most of the time they are guided by their lack of experience and gut feelings – they make terrible mistakes, they see through things without even knowing it, and they have a directness and level of honesty that I think is refreshing, and I hope, moving.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Abuse, friendship/loyalty, loneliness, and forced isolation, the need to find out the truth, and the fact that we all have to spend a considerable part of our lives untangling the lies we are told.
What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?
My book of poems, THIEF OF LAUGHTER, will be published in early 2025.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
After his failed rescue of his brother Wyatt in a suspicious house fire, sixteen-year-old Russell Cobb wakes up from a coma, strangely mistaken for him and thrust into the middle of an arson investigation. Russell’s only hope, before his bandages come off, is to deduce the likeliest suspect in his troubled past or risk being charged with homicide. In view of his brother’s death, he begins to see his family, Wyatt’s enigmatic girlfriend Edie, and a school gang in a darker light, colored by deceit and possibly his own paranoia, until Edie turns the tables, tying his brother to an unimaginable crime.
Set against the idyllic backdrop of Aqua Verde, a mid-60s California beach town, ANEMONE addresses society at a moral crossroads when what went on behind closed doors was nobody’s business. Russell flees to a condemned seaside hotel where he joins a draft-dodging surfer, and later, a fugitive Edie, with whom he falls in love. Through a tangle of twists and traumatic revelations, and mentored by the surfer, Russell discovers more than he could have bargained for about her, his family, and the real target of the fire.
Brutal, gripping, and tragic, ANEMONE is a coming-of-age tale that deals with issues still relevant today. At its core is betrayal, emotional survival, and revenge within two ordinary families whose misdeeds bring about a reckoning from which no one emerges unscathed.
Anemone
Anemone is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of 1960s Southern California, weaving together themes of family, sibling rivalry, and the consequences of hidden truths. The novel follows two brothers, Russell and Wyatt, as they navigate a volatile home life dominated by their stern, military father, Frank. The story picks up when Russell begins to unravel dark secrets surrounding the disappearance of his brother’s girlfriend, Edie, and the mystery of a fire that changes their lives forever. At its core, the novel explores identity, guilt, and the complex dynamics of sibling relationships, all while keeping the reader hooked with a slow-burning suspense.
One thing I appreciated was Frazee’s ability to build tension from everyday moments. The opening chapter, where Frank is casually briefing his sons at breakfast about naval maneuvers, is subtle yet packed with an undercurrent of foreboding. It’s as if the family’s entire life is simmering just under the surface, waiting for something to erupt. I was drawn to how the novel lingers in the uncomfortable silences and exchanges between Russell and Wyatt, like when Wyatt callously dismisses Russell’s concerns about Edie’s absence. This emotional distance between the brothers, especially in moments like when Wyatt takes Russell’s watch, feels real and painful.
Frazee’s writing shines most in the way he handles the emotional and psychological complexities of his characters. The relationship between Russell and his father is especially poignant. Frank’s stern demeanor and military pride permeate the household, and Russell’s attempts to seek his approval make for some emotional moments. The scene where Russell, eager for his father’s recognition, cleans and polishes the family car only for Frank to give a dismissive acknowledgment is heartbreaking. It’s a simple moment, but it speaks volumes about how children can feel invisible in their parents’ eyes.
The novel spends a great deal of time building the atmosphere and setting the stage. While I loved the character development and backstory, there were moments when I felt a little lost in the details, particularly when the narrative would drift into flashbacks of Frank’s military past. Though these moments were important to the overall story, I sometimes found myself eager to get back to the central mystery and the unraveling of the fire incident.
Anemone is a haunting and thoughtful exploration of family dynamics, guilt, and the struggle to come to terms with the past. I recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven stories with a touch of suspense. It’s not a fast-paced thriller but rather a novel that rewards patience and emotional investment.
Pages: 420 | ASIN : B0CW1M2GBM
LITERARY TITAN 