An Interview with Jack Daley

To start this off, why don't you give an idea of what the book is about?

   Tasting on one level is a story about white water rafting adventures on three California Rivers. On another level it is about an examination of dreams and the unconscious that leads to a moment of awakening.

Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life?

     I grew up in Philadelphia and Yardley PA. I didn¹t really start reading until after I finished high school. A friend and I open a beat coffee house, The Trivia in 1961. It was at this time that my love for reading began.

Who were your earliest influences and why?

Henry Miller was the first author to really influence me. He had a window on truth and he shared it in a way that was very easy to understand.

What would a typical day be like for a writer?

    For me it is up a six A.M and right on the computer. I write in my dream journal for a half hour or so. Then, I start on the work that I am concentrating on and write until 11:A.M. or so. After that I am pretty much finished with writing for the day, though I do come back for hours at a time at different times of the day when something strikes me.

How long have you been writing and in what capacities?

   I began writing in 1967. I have been writing journals and have completed four novels and a dozen or so short stories. I keep a writing and a dream journal going all the time.

Which is more difficult to write - Fiction or nonfiction and why?

  I find that at times fiction is more difficult at other times nonfiction. It all depends on the inspiration, whether it is there or not.

Has there ever been a time when you wanted to throw in the towel and give up? And if so, how did you defeat those instincts?

    I have felt like given up several times, but found that there is nothing else that I would rather do.

What is the hardest part about being a writer?

  The hardest part is finding time to write when there or so many distractions in a day.

Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

   My hobbies are hiking and reading. Reading, of course, gives one inspiration, and so does hiking outdoors. Being in nature is sometimes more inspiring than any book.

Articles and media alike make it sound as though the only way to rise to the top is to sacrifice. What do you find to be good sacrifices?

    You have to sacrifice your time. You have to force yourself to go beyond your normal limitations and that is a good sacrifice.

What question do you get asked more than any other?

    How did you get started?

What is the coolest thing a reader has said to you?

   A reader of Seeing the Dragon, a chapter in my unpublished novel, Sunday Mornings, said that he got lost in my story. He said that it gave him a literary high.

What has been your feedback from readers? What do they say to you about their interpretations of your book?

  So far I have had very limited feedback.

Do you think that as a writer you are more prone to watching what goes on around you and observing behaviors than most people are?

    Yea, I am more prone to watching. And, I find that I spend a lot of time in self-observation.

Who are some of the authors you consider to be "don't miss"?

  Henry Miller, Saroyan, Gurdjieff, Krishnamurti.  Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac, Doesotevesky, are among the authors that I feel should be read.

If one were looking to start his/her own career as a writer, what would you suggest his/her first step to be?

  The first step is to begin a journal of your every day experiences. Write a dream journal also.

What kind of movies do you enjoy?

  I actually do not get time to go to the movies.

What is your favorite city to visit, but one that you would n¹ot want to live in?

  My very favorite city is San Francisco. I love to go there and walk the streets. I never have gone to San Francisco when I didn¹t have a good time. I might even live there if I could afford it.