Conversations with Mathieu Cailler

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mathieu Cailler.

Hi Mathieu, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I came to writing in a strange way to be honest. I loved watching old stand-up specials with my grandfather. He would put on Richard Pryor or Rodney Dangerfield, and I would sit on a recliner beside him and watch how hard he would laugh. It was then, even though I didn’t quite realize it, that I fell in love with storytelling. I would go home and do my best to craft jokes as if I were Pryor or Dangerfield. I didn’t quite have the grit necessary to talk about divorce and dating at the age of nine. I tried my best, however. Little by little, like a tropical storm, I realized that I needed to tell all sorts of stories, and for that task, I needed the blank page. Poetry, children’s books, short fiction, and novels allow me to tell stories in a variety of ways. Six books later, it’s fun to reflect on those moments in front of the television with my grandfather. Sometimes the best school is the one far from the classroom.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Writing is filled with challenges, as are all fields. It’s hard to put something you love on the page and hope that it will be appreciated the way you would like. I tell writers all the time that they should strive to receive one hundred rejections per year; that this number means the work is getting in front of editors and publishers, and that the accumulation of these no’s is actually a great step forward. I struggle with doubt, but I love my characters, and I think their stories need to be heard. I’ve been lucky, too, and I think about that almost daily. The struggles are, in a twisted way, sort of fun. Without the pain, the joy would not be as profound. There really is nothing better than something that has lived in your brain for a long time finally gathering shape and coming to life on the page, and later, hearing that a story has touched a reader. I just heard from a woman the other day regarding my most recent book, the novel Heaven and Other Zip Codes, and she stated that it made her want to believe more in “yes,” and those words were something I did not take for granted.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a writer of poetry, essays, short fiction, children’s books, and novels. I love to write stories that could happen. I’m intrigued by people and the choices they make, the losses they suffer, and how they continue to walk despite their pain. Regardless of the genre of my work, I think those themes present themselves. Humans are constantly carrying around an emotional backpack and having to, many times, pretend all is well. It is a tiring affair, and I love diving into a character’s brain and hearing their story. I feel like if we were afforded this chance in real life, we would live in a more beautiful world. Writing, however, can help us recognize this. I think I am most proud of writing the sort of work I set out to write and believing in myself to go for it. I would say that is the advice that I would most like to pass on: a writer needn’t ask for permission. If there is a story in you, go for it.

What’s next?
I am looking forward to being surprised and continuing the writing life. I have some more things on deck: a screenplay, another short-story collection, and a new children’s book. An idea for a novel is also taking up some space in my brain, but it may be some time before I visit it. Currently, I am promoting my new book, Heaven and Other Zip Codes, a contemporary literary fiction novel centering around love, guilt, betrayal, and the song of family. It is also set, like much of my work, in our beloved Los Angeles.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.mathieucailler.com
• Instagram: @writesfromla
• Facebook: @writesfromla
• Twitter: @writesfomla

Image Credits
Michael Collins Erica Liepmann Christine Donlon