Ryan Lowell is the author of the debut novel, “Freight,” which is set in the world of the trucking business. His fiction has appeared in “Workers Write!” and “Overtime.” He lives in South Portland with his wife and two sons.
Q. Please tell readers about your new book, “Freight.”
“Freight” is a story about several desperate characters caught up in a scheme to steal a semi-truck hauling $10 million worth of pharmaceutical drugs.
Q. Like your protagonist, you worked in the trucking industry. Was that work a comfortable fit for you, or did it sometimes feel like you were there collecting experience for your novel?
Both. It was a very comfortable fit for me – I had worked previously in a stuffy corporate environment, and I craved a workplace that was less rigid and politically correct. I remember walking into this big open office full of dispatchers that first day, and they were all wearing jeans and sweatshirts, screaming dispatch instructions to their drivers over the phone, crude humor mixed with serious business, crisscrossing the room. It was delightful.
I was already writing fiction at the time, and I found the characters and discourse in the trucking industry to be very inspiring. It is really a culture of storytelling, and I started incorporating stories and dialogue from my experience there into my short fiction, and some of that found its way into this novel.
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Q. Do you plan to write more novels set in this world, or do you have other plans?
I’d love to return to this world at some point, for sure. I feel I have enough material – on paper and in my head – for another novel about trucking. But it will not be the next one.
Q. Not all crime novels aim to be well-written, but “Freight” is an excellent, finely constructed book that’s as much about the pressures facing the working poor as it is about boosting a truckful of drugs. How important was it for the book to be thoughtful and well-crafted as well as being a suspenseful crime story?
Thank you for that. I think it’s important to use all appropriate literary tools in the box in any story, no matter the genre. I try to maintain a basic narrative structure, but sometimes a nice rhyme scheme or bit of alliteration or free indirect narration can enhance the reader’s feel for the story or their ability to empathize with certain characters.
I also think ambiguity can be a strong force in storytelling, in that it gets the reader to exercise their imagination to varying degrees throughout the story. And I want to maintain a high level of action or drama in every scene if possible.
Q. Your main character daydreams about being interviewed about his book. Has doing publicity for your work been what you hoped for?
I think most writers can relate to imagining themselves answering interviewer questions, especially when they’re struggling to get published. I certainly did.
And it has been fascinating to read and hear readers’ differing reactions to characters or storylines. They might bring up the significance of a character trait or bit of dialogue that I hadn’t really thought about since the first draft. It’s refreshing.
Q. Can you recall a book that felt like it was written with you in mind (or conversely, one that most definitely wasn’t)?
The title story in Stephen King’s “Hearts in Atlantis.” I could totally see myself in the main character’s shoes. I grew up in Bucksport, Maine, about a half hour outside of Bangor, and I considered attending college at UMO, where the story takes place. And I love to play cards.
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Q. What’s something – a fact, a bit of dialogue or something else – that has stayed with you from a recent reading?
From the short story, “Son of a Jockey, a Journal” by Andrew Platner: “There was a pretty modest crowd over at the grandstand, a few hundred people cheering for the finish. Would I have made a mess out of my life if I’d tried to do too much with it?… Maybe not.”
Q. Is there a genre or type of book you read the most – and what would you like to read more of?
I read mostly literary fiction or nonfiction books on psychology or philosophy. I actually don’t read much crime fiction – I’d like to read more.
Q. Do you read books in translation – or another language? If so, which ones might you recommend?
Dostoevsky translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky, specifically “Notes from Underground” and “The Gambler.”
Q. Which books are you planning to read next?
“Assassin’s Anonymous” by Rob Hart is next. And I’d like to read another book by Per Petterson. “Out Stealing Horses” is a wonderful book.
Q. Do you have a favorite character or quote from a book?
The narrator in “The Quiet American”: “Sometimes she seemed invisible like peace.”
Q. Is there a person who made an impact on your reading life – a teacher, a parent, a librarian or someone else?
My best friend Josh had an enormous impact on my early reading life. Three notable and very different books he recommended were “1984” by Orwell, “Whoreson” by Donald Goines, and “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle.
Q. What’s a memorable book experience – good or bad – you’re willing to share?
I read “Pet Sematary” by Stephen King when I was 14. It was absolutely terrifying, and I loved it.
Q. Is there a book that tapped into an emotion you didn’t expect?
Most recently, “Stella Maris” by Cormac McCarthy. I didn’t expect such a profound mix of sadness and wonder in empathizing with Alicia. And I love reading about people who have a single-minded focus on mathematics or science.
Q. What do you look for in a book?
I want complex characters who are given very little physical description by the narrator, strong narration and realistic dialogue, and lots of action. A plot twist at the very end is a plus.Q. What’s your ideal book?
“A Farewell to Arms.” It’s got all the good ingredients, and very few unnecessary words.Q. What’s the most memorable question or comment you’ve gotten at a book event?
It was this: “Sarah’s narrative is told almost entirely through other characters’ POV. Why did you decide to do that?”
The answer is that I didn’t do it consciously. It seemed a more natural way of advancing her narrative, but I didn’t realize it until after the book was finished. I think it worked well.
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Q. Do you have a favorite bookstore or bookstore experience?
The Strand. I lived in New York for six years after college, and I spent many hours in there perusing and reading.
Q. What’s something about your book that no one knows?
The anecdotes about the moped in Curtis’ narrative were based on my own experience. And yes, I really did get pulled over for cutting through a gas station parking lot at an intersection.
Q. If you could ask your readers something, what would it be?
Did the person or persons you were rooting for change throughout this novel? If so, why?