Meet the community - Flash Fiction North
John E Caulton is an English ex-coal miner and school teacher.
He is currently the editor of the website ‘Flash Fiction North’.
‘Soles Of Their Feet’ is his latest piece to be published online:
What made you fall in love with books?
I grew up reading British comics, such as the Beano, Dandy and Whizzer
and Chips. As a teenager I progressed onto music papers and magazines – Sounds,
Melody Maker etc. My father used to joke that most of what I knew I’d learnt
from the back of LP covers – he wasn’t far wrong!
I eventually got turned onto fiction because I had a school friend
called Darren who was big into reading sci-fi novels. It impressed me,and made
me quite envious, that he had an alternative universe inside his head! So, I
copied him. First it was sci-fi but then I became interested in all sorts of
novels.
I became interested in poetry when I did an adult access course to
higher education. One of the course books was British poetry from 1900 onwards.
In the book was a short biography of each author and a short critique of each
poem – it was a great introduction into all that amazing verse.
I’ve always been a bit of a natural oral story teller of stories and
jokes, but only began writing short fiction in my early fifties, but I find it
so much easier to write than poetry. Also, I think my exuberant, slightly
surreal style comes out much clearer in my fiction too; I’m much more in my
natural element in fiction, I feel.
Which genres do you prefer to read?
I read across many genres. I have a basket beneath my bed with poetry,
novels, short stories, non-fiction [mostly history, popular science, nature and
music]. I usually have several books going at the same time [at least ten!].
And of course, being the editor of Flash Fiction North, I get to read a lot of
flash fiction!
What are your favourite books you've read so far and why?
That’s a tough question. Many authors can be admired for many different
reasons. But here are two of my recent reads:
Cormac McCarthy – ‘Suttree’ – an engrossing character living on the rough/tough fringes of 1950’s USA society – he reminded me a little of Steinbeck’s Doc in his knowing humanity– a long novel but it never flagged – many memorable and powerful set-pieces – one after another until the very end - awesome
Andrew Graham Dixon – ‘Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane’ – A mad, bad painter, but a great artist – you get the colourful life here and also an expert’s eye into just about every painting he produced – informative, entertaining and educational – a perfect read, as far as I’m concerned
Which characters have you most loved in the books you've read to date and why?
Well, I’ve just mentioned three but it’s hard to beat Billy Casper in
‘Kestrel For A Knave’ by Barry Hines. Billy is growing up in the tough
industrial South Yorkshire of the late 1960s. He looks destined to work at the
local coal mine and become another cog in the machine. But sensitive Billy is a
survivor [a wonderful, natural thief] and won’t be brow-beaten by the bullying
culture he finds himself in.
During the novel, Billy takes a baby kestrel from a nest and trains it.
When the bird takes flight, so does Billy. I grew up in an almost identical
environment [I actually played football at the same school where the movie ‘Kes’
was filmed]. Billy’s story isn’t exactly my story [thank goodness] but I knew
quite a few Billys and can relate to him more than anyone else in fiction.
The book was read to my class when I was about ten or eleven [yes,
really, by a wonderful teacher called Mr Hawkins]. I persuaded my mother to buy
me a copy soon after, but I hadn’t re-read it until recently [more than 40
years later]. I found it to be brilliantly written and it still enthralled me,
perhaps even more so than when I was younger. Barry Hines is definitely a
literary hero of mine.
What made you decide to become a part of our little book based community?
Well, to be honest, I’ve only just discovered it, but I will endeavour
to look further into the book community. Many thanks.
What do you love most about the book community?
Well, to be honest, I’ve only just discovered it, but I will endeavour
to look further into the book community. Many thanks.
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