Richard Melo

Books by Richard Melo

Jokerman 8

by Richard Melo

Soft Skull Press, 2004.

Happy Talk: A Novel

by Richard Melo

Red Lemonade, 2013.

About Me

I'm the author of two novels -- Jokerman 8, a novel of eco-rads, published by Soft Skull Press, and Happy Talk, just published by Red Lemonade.

I made mediabistro's list of Best Online Fiction Writers. I also write book reviews with more than 100 appearing in Publishers Weekly, The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and The Believer. College was San Francisco State University & Portland, OR is my home. I'm working on a third novel.

I've been developing a narrative style that involves storytelling through quick-moving imagery and long, uninterrupted spells of dialogue. I will never know whether or not it works until you tell me.

Any favorite authors? Books?

One novel was a mess until I read Tristram Shandy. Second book was written in a style combining William Gaddis & Virginia Woolf with content inspired by Maya Deren & Ismael Reed & dialogue straight out of Abbot & Costello. My current work in progress has a bit of Sam Shepard thrown in for good measure. My favorite books include The Recognitions, by William Gaddis (which used to be obscure) & Miss MacIntosh, My Darling, by Marguerite Young (which will always be obscure). The improvised feeling of Robert Altman's films inspires my approach to writing fiction.