Rebel Press had the pleasure of interviewing Susan DiPlacido, author of American Cool, a new collection of short stories, published by Rebel Press and iUniverse.

Susan is the author of three novels: 24/7, Trattoria, and Mutual Holdings. Her short story, “I, Candy” won the Spirit Award at the 2005 Moondance International Film Festival ("I, Candy" is included in American Cool). Her novel Trattoria was nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Small Press Romance. Her short fiction has appeared in Best American Erotica 2007, Mammoth Book of Best New Erotica vol. 6, Caramel Flava, and Rebellion: New Voices of Fiction. Visit her online at susandiplacido.com and susandiplacido.blogspot.com.


Who or what is your definition of American Cool?

I guess for most people it's kind of synonymous with being "in fashion," whether that be a matter of style, taste, or attitude.

But to me, being cool is not dictated by what the accepted notion is. It's a conviction in your own tastes and beliefs and acting accordingly and being relaxed and comfortable about it. And American cool would specifically contain a factor of those ideas, tastes, and ideals going against the current status quo. Not just as a knee-jerk rebellious stance for the sake of it, but because you have either a fundamental disagreement with something or even a trivial difference in viewpoint. You find a different, potentially better, way of doing things. And, often, you fail, because it turns out you were wrong. But then you try again, because you're cool with it all.

This collection is available as print-on-demand and as an e-book. Is this the future of publishing? Is this a leading question?

Ha ha, yes it's a leading question, but yes I do think it's the future of publishing. Kind of like mp3 players. When someone can eventually have something that's the size of one book but which contains 100 books they can choose from, and the overall price will be cheaper, not to mention so much less tangible paper waste, how can it not eventually move there? There's been problems in universalizing the format, but that'll eventually gel. And there's going to be incredible resistance from the big publishers and bookstores, because it'll really screw up their profit margins. But as soon as they figure out how to effectively control it and squeeze the dollars out, it'll happen.

Which story in this collection is your favorite? (And you're not allowed to say that they are all your favorites, like children.)

Oh, I definitely have some that I like more than others. And I'm strange, because I don't have that emotional attachment to my work. At least, not until someone tries to change one of them. Many times, I've gotten good suggestions and feedback and been thrilled and made the changes, and I've been grateful for the help. But if it's a suggestion that I don't like, I'll act like I wrote the fucking thing in my own blood and I'd have to do the edits with actual brain matter. I swear, I act like a Spanish soap opera with my carrying on about it. Ridiculous, really.

For a favorite, I guess I'd say "Neon Nights." Not because it's the best story of them all, because frankly, it could use a little more punch of humor in it, but because overall it was a nice snapshot of a place, time, and character. And it ended up giving me ideas for other stories and eventually another book. It's got one of my favorite characters, because she's not really a "good" person, but not quite a villain either.

If your stories were made into short films for a weekly HBO series, who would you pick to be the director and why?

Why are you asking that? Have you heard something? Do you know someone who can make this happen?

This is an interesting question, and a really good one, because it allows me to prattle on about my stories without sounding like I'm self-obsessed because you turned it around and let me marry it with examples from other people. Seriously clever and great interview question.

So, here goes. You happen to know me personally and I bet I'll surprise you with this answer. I love and am amazed by nearly everything that Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and Robert Rodriguez create. However, if I'm being honest, my body of work lacks the gravitas to interest Scorsese, it's too romantic for Tarantino, and it's not bloody enough for Rodriguez. Also, I'd probably have romantic notions about Rodriguez and I'd end up in a catfight with Rose McGowen, so scratch him altogether.

I'd want someone who's not just the best, but who'd be the best to interpret what I'm trying to say. Richard Curtis is probably the current king of romantic comedy, and he's terrific, but he's got a decidedly British bent and he'd most likely be squeamish about the grittier stuff. Gary Marshall has done some fine work, but he, along with plenty other rom com directors, are just waayyy too sentimental for my style, and they'd leach the bit of gravitas I do have going. Also, they're all just too goofy-clean or uptight about graphic sex.

Maybe I'm stupid, but I don't even really know what exact genre my writing fits. My stories are erratic, in that one will be a romantic comedy, another will be about thieving gangsters, and another will be about thieves falling in love, with graphic sex scenes. There are definitely common themes and threads to my stuff, and the tone isn't as buckshot random as I'm making it sound here. (the graphic sex tends to be recurrent in tying it all together.) But when I try to match it up with someone else's body of work and what they successfully bring to life, I don't have an answer off the top of my head.

The closest match I can come up with is Wayne Kramer, who directed "The Cooler," which is really a magnificent picture. I'm not saying my work is on par with that gem, but it does have common elements to my stuff and also has the style and tone that I'd want to go for. But he's done other stuff that's totally different in style/tone/content to that flick.

So I'd either leave it to the professionals to decide, and then go all Spanish soap opera dramatic if it seemed like a poor match, or I'd hope that Keanu Reeves is looking to start directing and try to get him to do it. Because, you know, he's hot and single, (again, with the graphic sex theme) and my superficiality goes frighteningly deep.

What novel have you read and thought, Shit, I wish I had written that?

Pretty much every book I've ever read except that one by Nicholas Sparks that someone forced me to read.

You're going to live in the Space Station for one year alone, to test the effects of zero gravity on the creative process as you begin work on a new novel. Due to the cost of space shuttle fuel--to keep the weight of the shuttle down--you're only allowed to bring one book, CD, and DVD. What would you bring?

First off, if there's no vodka in this space station, forget it. The CD is "The Very Best of Frank Sinatra" because I love it. The book is "War and Peace" because I've never read it and I guess that'd be my opportunity. But, really, what a drag, huh? Screw that. I'd end up taking something by Jackie Collins! And the DVD is a hard call. I'm tempted to grab "Ocean's Eleven" because all those cute guys would be good to look at. But, ultimately, I'd still go with "Goodfellas" because I love it and Ray Liotta is the hot in it.

Does writers' block really exist, or is it an excuse, the adult version of "The dog ate my homework"?

I'm not going to go all "Tom Cruise on postpartum depression" on this one, because I don't know exactly how my own mind works, let alone other people's. So I'm sure that it is a very real thing. I've never had it yet, though.

I know you love Chuck Palahniuk, but try to be objective for the following question: If Chuck Palahniuk and a young Elmore Leonard fought in a Fight Club bare knuckle setting, who would win?

Charles Bukowski. (Don't you just hate people who refuse to answer a question directly? And they think they're being so cute about it by coming up with that alternative answer? Me too. I fucking hate them. So instead of letting it lie, I'll answer: Palahniuk. Because he's definitely brawled a lot before and doesn't mind if his face gets messed up. I don't know how Elmore would react to potentially permanent facial scars.)

Las Vegas is the setting for many of your stories. What is the fascination?

Anything is possible in Vegas. That makes it ripe for drama.

Also, it can polarize or distill a personality quickly. That makes it ideal for character arcs.

Lastly, I love it. So I like to write about it.

Tell us about American Cool, and what is next for Susan DiPlacido.

What's next? I have one more novel, it's called House Money, and it's my version of a crime caper. It ties my other three books together and closes them out, and the main character in it is one who you'll meet a couple of times in American Cool. So hopefully that'll be available before long. In the meantime I'll probably hang out in Vegas and abuse vodka and try to meet Keanu Reeves. Guess why.