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The Nature of Artistic Inspiration
Seren follows an art dealer whose pursuit of a dead painter’s final work leads him into a surreal spiral of obsession, identity, and the dangerous power of the muse. What was the inspiration for the set-up of your story?
SEREN is a follow-on to the short story, “Deadfall”, which appeared in the New Guard anthology published a few years ago. Four of the major characters in “Deadfall”—Moss, Seren, Bainbridge, and Haller—are part of the main cast of SEREN. Moss only makes a cameo appearance in the short story but was thrust into a larger role in the novel.
How did your background as a visual artist shape the way you wrote the more surreal or atmospheric passages in the book?
As a painter and Art Professor, I’ve long been intrigued by the nature of artistic inspiration. To personify such a mysterious and elusive element requires the creation of a powerful, and equally mysterious and elusive creature—someone who, through various attributes, can assist artists in transcending themselves. With her, they are able to enter a state of intense limerence where no effort to please is too great.
The muse/artist relationship has generated much interest over the years, by both art critics and social critics. The idea of a deadly muse isn’t original on my part, but the concept of a personification of inspiration/genius always seemed a two-edged sword to me. The fact that history often chooses to diminish or ignore the role of the muse made the job all the more intriguing. The muse’s true story is only hinted at in the novel, but she inhabits the book as much as Moss—just in a different way. The relationship is very much that of lovers.
Margaret Atwood in her essay “MacEwen’s Muse” examines the nature of the muse (this time male) as experienced by Gwendolyn MacEwen the Canadian poet.
“I now know a language so beautiful and lethal
My mouth bleeds when I speak it.
Gwendolyn MacEwen
“You now comprehend your first and final lover
In the dark, receding planets of his eyes
And this is the hour when you know moreover
That the god you have loved always
Will descend and lie with you in paradise.
Gwendolyn MacEwen
I think the ecstasy of the muse could be described as a euphoria so intense it could easily be mistaken as agony.
Fairchild is such a vivid character. Did you always envision him as the protagonist, or did he evolve during the writing?
Moss is composite character loosely based on three individuals I’ve known for a long time. The art world is full of eccentrics, posers, and charlatans, as well as intelligent and talented individuals who are willing to sacrifice much of normal life for their calling. Moss is a flawed and failed human being who hopes to find meaning for his life. Selling the work of creators, but not able to create yourself is a heavy burden. Through Claudine he finds purpose, and connection. With Seren the last vestiges of his middleclass vanities are burned away.
What is the next book you’re working on, and when will it become available?
I’m currently in the middle of a follow-on novel to SEREN—working title AIX—which follows Moss and Claudine to Aix-en-Provence, France, where they pick up the trail of the muse. Given the verities of the publishing process, I’m guessing it will be released in 2026-27.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Instagram
SEREN
After reading Peter Gooch’s Seren, I find myself marveling at a novel that weaves a murder mystery into the messy fabric of artistic obsession, identity, and legacy. At its center is Fairchild Moss, a once-promising painter turned weary art dealer, who becomes captivated by the final painting of a deceased, reclusive genius, Norris Bainbridge. The titular Seren, model, muse, maybe something more, appears as both a literal woman and a haunting symbol, driving Moss to unravel the truth behind the painting’s strange power. The book shifts between boozy lunches, high-art pretensions, urban decay, and moments of surreal introspection, all with a painterly eye for mood and detail.
What stood out to me most was the writing. It’s deft, sardonic, and at times almost hallucinatory. Gooch has a knack for painting with words, which fits, given his background as a visual artist. The prose rolls like jazz, sometimes smooth and stylish, other times jarring. Characters pop with distinctive quirks, and the dialogue hits that tricky sweet spot of sounding real without being mundane. Moss’s ruminations and side quests, though full of voice, sometimes slow the story. Still, I couldn’t help but be drawn into Moss’s unraveling, both in his investigation and in his own midlife malaise.
The real kicker, though, is the way Seren plays with the idea of the muse, not as a passive, dreamy figure, but as a living force that might inspire or destroy. Seren’s presence is slippery, both ethereal and grounded in flesh and snow and paint. The book doesn’t spell her out, and that ambiguity works. It makes you lean forward, ask questions, and doubt your own reading. I loved how it blurred the line between inspiration and possession, between art and madness. It feels like a meditation on how far someone might go to touch something real in a world of reproductions and sales tags.
I’d recommend Seren to readers who like their mysteries with layers, who don’t mind a story that flirts with the surreal and doesn’t tie every thread into a tidy bow. Artists and art lovers will find plenty to chew on, but even if you’ve never set foot in a gallery, the book’s humanity and humor are what really shine.
Pages: 378 | ASIN: B0DZBLG3Q8
LITERARY TITAN 