Chapter Member
Spotlight Profile
January 1999
Chapter MemberSpotlight Profile
January 1999
Sand Magnuson,
Mailing list coordinator
Sand Magnuson, an early SinC-IC member and mistress of the mailing list, is an adventurer. She's been that way since childhood. At the same time, she doesn't mind being alone--as long as she's in an urban setting. Writing, reading, and traveling the internet. An avid reader since childhood, she knows what she likes and she likes mysteries. Would we expect anything less of a SinC-IC member? A private person, Sand nonetheless comes across as a free spirit who has a reverence and enthusiasm for the creative realm. The passage she selected for us sets the tone. Read on.
A work of art is the unique result of a unique temperament. Its beauty comes from the fact that the author is what he is. It has nothing to do with the fact that other people want what they want. Indeed, the moment that an artist takes notice of what other people want, and tries to supply the demand, he ceases to be an artist, and becomes a dull or an amusing craftsman, an honest or dishonest tradesman.
IC
Can we presume by the Tennessee Williams quote that you strive not to be a
craftsman or tradesman, but rather an artist?
Sand
Actually, in context, Williams was referring to the McCarthy hearings, when his livelihood was being threatened. He was adamant that no one could influence his work. But, yes, I feel strongly about writing for the market.
IC
In what way did he feel threatened?
Sand
He was asked to change some of his works by using a strong patriotic slant. He felt that would be terrible, and considered himself a citizen of the world.
IC
Are you a historian or just an admirer of Williams?
Sand
Williams lived a block or so from my house, here in the Quarter. I never met him but I knew some of his friends.
IC
Can you expand on what you see as current market pressure?
Sand
I've been thinking about this lately because DorothyL has had a big thread on switching genres to make more money. I hate to think that anyone writes for the market. In a way I would much rather be a painter. They seem more comfortable with themselves and their work than writers. Writers need readers but I don't think painters necessarily need viewers.
IC
Are you comfortable with your writing or do you also feel somewhat dependent upon another's approval--enjoyment?
Sand
Actually, I mostly write for me. I can't decide if I'm lazy or scared or just too smug to send out my novel.
IC
It's time to try to please others with your work, Sand. Send it out.Tennessee Williams might be considered a "serious" writer in today's lingo. Do you consider yourself a serious writer?
Sand
I'm serious in that I work at it (and rework it) a great deal. But I'm certainly not serious about the response from others. (See what I mean about smug? It's my greatest fault.)
IC
Well, I was using the term "serious" in the same sense it is used by the literati--those who critique non-genre works. So let me ask--do you write genre or mainstream or both?
Sand
I prefer mystery novels, because the form is so clean and pure.
IC
A purist! Have you always been a mystery fan?
Sand
Oh yes. I grew up in a New York tenement with no siblings, so reading has always been dear. My mother signed me up with the Book-of-the-Month Club when I was seven because the library always hassled me over my choices.
IC
A mother to be admired. When you read mystery or crime fiction, what do you look for?
Sand
Character. No matter how intricate the plot, I either care about the characters in a book or I don't. I really think that's what is wrong with a lot of the thrillers and mysteries coming out now. Many of the characters are generic.
IC
Is that a fault of the publisher, the buying public, or the writers themselves?
Sand
It's safe. Writers get into ruts. And I think writers of series fall in love with their characters and can't bear for them to have nasty antisocial streaks. That's why I love Jeff Deaver's The Bone Collector. His hero is so nasty and aggravating and, at the same time, terribly brave.
IC
Sounds like a character who tends to be more hardboiled than cozy. How about characters found in a cozy (more genteel) style book?
Sand
I like cozies, if they are based on some sort of reality. Most seem to deal with very nice people who would never deliberately wish anyone harm. Nothing wrong with that, but I don't know anyone like that. Now Joan Hess's books are probably labeled cozies, but both of her series deal with complex characters. The kids are bratty. The neighbors are piggish and obese or Christian hypocrites. Now these are folks I want to read about. I like them. Hell, I'm surrounded by them.
IC
Have you been published yet and if so where might one find something of yours?
Sand
No, and I'm not sure I'm going to try. We'll see.
IC
Where would you be found on a spectrum that runs from introvert to extrovert?
Sand
I've never been able to answer this question. I can be real mouthy and abrasive. But I'm also pretty much a loner. I love movies and bars and plays when I am able to get away by myself. Go figure.
IC
If you were given a trip to Fantasy Island, what fantasy would you want realized?
Sand
I have always had the dream of being a little black girl, living in New York during the Harlem Renaissance. It was such an exciting and fertile time. Unfortunately, I was born too late and of the wrong color.
IC
Fertile and exciting in what respect?
Sand
As a child, Harlem was one of my favorite haunts. I thought nothing of getting on the subway and investigating any of the five boroughs by myself. Of course, it had lost a lot of its majesty by then. But right after World War I it had been a place filled with artists. Especially, writers and musicians who imbued the small piece of real estate with an aura of vitality and a sense that anything was possible.
IC
What historical figure would you most like to spend a day with?
Sand
Eleanor Roosevelt. I think that all of us owe her a great debt. She had a beautiful soul.
IC
What are your thoughts on writers' conventions?
Sand
I went to Bouchercon a while back, and had a great time. It was fun and informative. But I think the finest tool for learning and networking is the computer.
IC
What would terrify you most: being stranded in an isolated woods at night; being lost in Brooklyn, NY, on a deserted wharf at 2 A.M.; or being locked in a room full of tarantulas?
Sand
Give me Brooklyn any time. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, one of my children was conceived under just such a pier. I shudder at the other two, especially the isolated woods. I don't even feel at ease in the suburbs, let alone the woods.
IC
Ah, under the pier? Was this a dry dock pier?
Sand
Dry? Yes, I think so. Then again, it could have been under the boardwalk at Coney Island.
IC
Why did you join SinC and what have you gained from your membership?
Sand
When I got my first computer, I felt as if I had discovered Paradise. All those wonderful places to go. All those great and talented and welcoming writers that I met. And I never had to put on makeup. Then when I joined DorothyL, folks there kept talking up SinC. How could I resist?
IC
What is the biggest hurdle you see facing writers today?
Sand
I don't know about biggest, but certainly the problem with wearing too many hats is enormous. I hate the idea that a writer must also be editor, publicist, and oftentimes agent. I'd really like to see good certified editors freelance. Unfortunately, the term 'book doctor' has taken on a negative connotation. I'd like to see a new industry arise where specialists would deal with all of the parts of the writing business and leave the hard and consuming work of creating to the author.
IC
Any thoughts on e-books?
Sand
My mother-in-law can't read most paperbacks because the print is too small. She has a hard time with hardbacks because of her arthritis. I find glare a problem with certain types of paper. So yes, I think an e-book read from a paperback sized monitor, where the print and background could be adjusted to the readers' eyes, would be beneficial.
IC
Do you see value in writing courses, MFA, or otherwise?
Sand
Depends on the person taking the course and on the instructor.
IC
Do you listen to music when you write and if so what?
Sand
No, I never listen to music, except for the poetry. I'm pretty much tone deaf.
IC
What was your favorite toy as a child?
Sand
Someone gave me an ordinary wooden spool with all of the thread removed. On one end 5 tiny nails had been partially pounded in. Maybe there's a name for this thing, but I never heard it. To start, I would weave yarn or string around the nails and then over the top. Eventually I'd have this long snake coming out the hole on the other end of the spool. Out of this stuff I made pot holders and throw rugs. Every house in my tenement had several of my creations. People were kinder then, I remember that they actually thanked me for them.
IC
When you daydreamed as a child, what did you daydream about?
Sand
It depends on what movie I had been to last. I do remember spending a lot of time in the bathtub being Esther Williams.
IC
In closing, what would you like to say to our readers?
Sand
Oh Lord, I have no encouraging words. Keep reading. Keep writing. I guess that's it.
Good advice. Thanks, Sand! This interview was conducted on December 11, 1998, by Louise Guardino.
Sand Magnuson Louise Guardino
Read an earlier Spotlight Profile.
