Q&A with Robert Steven Goldstein

 

 

 

Robert Steven Goldstein is the author of the new novel Golda's Hutch. His other books include Will's Surreal Period. He lives in San Francisco.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Golda’s Hutch, and how did you create your character Craig?

 

A: I love the notion of inspiration! To be suddenly possessed by a seductive and compelling blast of creativity. As beautiful as the idea is, though, I wonder how many working writers actually experience these bolts from beyond on any kind of regular basis?

 

I’ve had these sorts of experiences a few times in my life, especially when I was younger, and they’ve been splendid. But the vast majority of the time, the idea for my next novel pretty much materializes in the same workmanlike manner:

 

I find myself thinking about how I finished writing and rewriting my last novel some time ago—how I’ve spent the months since then working with editors, cover designers, proofreaders, layout artists, publishers, and publicists to get that work released.

 

And I become reconciled to the fact that the book is now out in the world, like a son or daughter who’s grown and vacated the premises, to find their own way.

 

And for the first time in a while, I realize I don’t have any pressing deadlines or deliverables weighing on me, so I say to myself, I guess it’s time to write another novel.

 

That thought is immediately followed by a surge of panic as I wonder: “What the hell am I going to write about this time?”

 

And because I have no idea, I start with characters. I try to recall people I’ve known, combine the interesting traits of two or three of them, toss in a sliver of myself and a huge chunk of imagination, and after a bit of cerebral kneading and manipulating, I have a character.

 

That character often suggests to me what sorts of other characters would make for intriguing compatriots. And a week or so later, when what feels like the right number of characters have materialized, they as a group pretty much take over—they make it quite clear where the novel needs to be set—and then the plot starts oozing slowly from their collective fictional pores.

 

For my latest novel, Golda’s Hutch, more characters materialized than I usually come up with. There were three couples, a single woman, and a remarkable rabbit named Golda (her full name is actually “Golda My Hare,” a comic mangling of the name of a former Israeli prime minister and a genus similar to bunnies).

 

All three of the male characters, as well as the single woman, are corporate executives of one rank or another, so clearly much of the action would be set in a business workplace.

 

And this was especially interesting for me, because although I’ve been a working writer for about 17 years now, prior to that I was, myself, a corporate vice president. But I had never felt sufficiently comfortable to write about my experiences. It was a relief to finally be ready to explore that world in a work of fiction.

 

Craig, the vice president in Golda’s Hutch, is not your typical executive. He believes that honesty, integrity, trust, and compassion not only make for a more humane workplace, but that in the long run, that approach engenders superior productivity and quality, because staff feels loyal and engaged.

 

But Craig also hides a secret. His sexual orientation involves BDSM—he is a heterosexual submissive male, actively involved in San Francisco’s clandestine BDSM community.

 

And although some people close to him at work have met his charming wife, Shoshana, none of those coworkers suspect that she makes her living as a professional dominatrix.

 

When an envious and ambitious member of his team stumbles upon Craig’s secret, the tension in the novel begins to boil.

Q: As you mentioned, the novel is set in San Francisco--how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: I believe setting is integral to a story. The unique ambiance of a place contributes to how the people there act and think, and what sorts of things are available for them to do.

 

San Francisco seemed to me the perfect setting for Golda’s Hutch. I’ve lived here for 50 years, and know it well. It’s a serious corporate hub, perfect for the storyline about executives. But it’s also a very progressive city both politically and sexually, evidenced by a thriving (though predominantly clandestine) BDSM community.

 

The Bay Area also has wonderful restaurants and wineries, and many scenes in the novel are set in these sorts of places as well.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I never know. I’d have no fun writing if I did. And my characters would cease to be vibrant voices telling me where the story needs to go.

 

To give you an example of how very true this is—Golda’s Hutch is the second novel I’ve written where one character contemplates murdering another. But in both instances, I honestly had no idea whether the murder would actually take place until it came time in the book for the character to decide.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: It sounds like a cliché, but the first responsibility of a writer is to entertain—so I hope readers enjoy the book, and feel engaged and excited each time they return to it as they read.

 

Beyond that, I do think the novel offers many areas for reflection and conjecture, such as alternate paths to spirituality, the profound intelligence of animals, and morals and ethics in the corporate workplace.

 

And probably the biggest area for reflection is whether BDSM is a sexual orientation, and if it is, why, despite societal acceptance of many other orientations, does this one remains taboo?

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve started work on my sixth novel. But it’s far too inchoate for me to say anything about it.

 

Also—and I acknowledge that this might just be pure superstition on my part—it feels to me as if talking about a novel before it’s complete saps energy from the process of writing it, which is where it that energy needs to be focused. Once a novel’s complete, however, I’ll talk about it ad nauseam—that is if anyone’s willing to listen.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: This is the third novel you’ve interviewed me about, Deborah. It’s always an honor, and I thank you so much for helping to make my works known to a broader audience.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Robert Steven Goldstein.