“If I were stranded on a deserted island, I’d want to have The Norton Anthology of American Literature. I’d have such a variety of creative voices to keep me company.”
-Chip Dameron
A member of the Writers’ League for 3 years and a current Writers’ League Board Member, Chip Dameron lives in Brownsville, TX.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Chip Dameron: Primarily poetry, though I’m in the middle of drafting a novel.
Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them?
CD: I’d enjoy clinking glasses of raki with novelists Orhan Pamuk and Elif Shafak and asking them about the challenges of depicting life in modern Turkey without triggering censorship and possible imprisonment.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
CD: If I were stranded on a deserted island, I’d want to have The Norton Anthology of American Literature. I’d have such a variety of creative voices to keep me company.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
CD: That there is a great thirst across the state for interacting with other aspiring and practicing writers, for learning more about the craft through short courses from accomplished writers, and for pursuing avenues to publication. The Writers’ League serves as catalyst in creating opportunities for all these activities to happen. I’m extremely impressed with the dedication of the staff of the Writers’ League and the board members I have the privilege to serve with.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
CD: While I continue to write poems, I’m currently immersed in, and (mostly) enjoying, the process of spinning out a novel. I still have a long way to go.
Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?
CD: I’ve just finished Amy Gentry’s Good as Gone, a fast-paced novel with memorable characters and a plot full of twists.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
CD: I invite everyone to check out my recent book of travel poems, China Sketchbook, published by Purple Flag and available online from Powell’s Books, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
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Thanks, Chip!
If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on! Please also email us, at the same address, if you’d like to learn more about WLT board service.
