Mr. de Lint's handling of ancient folklore to weave an entirely new pattern has never, to my knowledge, been equaled.
- Andre Norton -

Originally from the town of Bussum in the Netherlands, Charles de Lint immigrated to Canada four months after he was born on December 22, 1951. Though born in a time when the "fantasy" wasn't even a genre, de Lint spent most of his earlier years immersing himself into the worlds of legend and myth. This fascination led him to read authors such as Andre Norton, Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and Thomas Burnett Swann (one of his personal favorites even today). He also read retellings of old tales and their origins, looking into the heart of the mythic structure of legend. Though he wrote constantly, he never thought he would follow in the footsteps of his favorite authors. Instead, he wished to make a living as a musician. As luck would have it, de Lint would eventually make a living at doing both and the fantasy genre would be rewarded with an incredible new voice.

The author of more than forty-three published books, in many ways Charles de Lint has helped to reinvent the fantasy genre. His unique tales incorporate the mundane world with myth and folklore, creating urban fantasies. No longer bound by the shackles of imaginary worlds, faeries and elves now sip coffee in cafes while forgotten gods beg for change on the street corner. Though the majority of his stories revolve around the fictional city of Newford, anyone can recognize the streets and alleyways of their hometown in the beautifully written prose.

One of the greatest influences in his career has been his wife of twenty years, MaryAnn. Together for twenty-five years, they met when Charles moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to take care of a friend's apartment. As he once said, "I knew we were meant to be together when she put up with my learning to play the fiddle." An artist and a musician herself, she has helped him expand and grow as a writer. Not only is she the one who convinced him to start, and finish, his first novel, but she provided de Lint with the idea of taking his mythic creations and setting them loose on the city streets of today. In addition to editing and proofing his work, she also supported his decision to become a full-time writer in 1983.

His first novella, The Fane of the Grey Rose, sold in 1979 and was eventually expanded into a full-length novel, The Harp of the Grey Rose. In 1984, he came out with two more novels, The Riddle of the Wren, and Moonheart: A Romance. Moonheart would be one of his first novels to involve "mythic fiction," turning the streets of mundane Ottawa into the stomping grounds for spirits from Celtic and Native American folklore. The Canadian city would be featured again in books like Jack, the Giant-Killer, Drink Down the Moon, and Yarrow: An Autumn Tale.

Prolific, de Lint came out with a new novel or two every year. Never one to limit himself, his writing crossed several genres, including science fiction and horror. He also undertook writing reviews, non-fiction, chapbooks, columns, all in addition to his continuous stream of short stories. During this time he won several awards, including 1988 Canadian SF/Fantasy Award for Jack, the Giant-Killer, the 1992 HOMer Award for Best Fantasy Novel, The Little Country, and the 1998 YALSA Best Books for Young Adults for Trader. In-between his hectic writing schedule, he still has time to speak at national conventions and signings, and always makes time on Thursdays to play the Celtic gig with Maryann down in Ottawa's marketplace.

His latest books, Trader, Someplace To Be Flying, and Moonlight & Vines have been met with great success. His latest Newford novel, is Forests of the Heart, released in June 2000 and available in bookstores. More wonderful stories of 'mythic fiction' are sure to follow. As de Lint says in his own words, "…writing remains my first love and happily I've always been able to maintain my career in the manner that Leonard Cohen once put it when he spoke of art versus commerce: 'I didn't want to write for pay. I wanted to be paid for what I write.'"

We were delighted when he agreed to take a brief time out from his writing deadlines to answer a few questions for The Rose & Thorn.

Rose & Thorn (R&T): A great number of your protagonists are intriguing and unique women. As a male writer, what do you draw upon to help you create such three-dimensional characters?

Charles de Lint (de Lint): It's my belief that first and foremost a character needs to be human, whether they're a man or a woman. We share the same emotions, often the same hopes and dreams. Then it's a matter of putting the particular gender spin on how the character would deal with such things. I get that from lots of research--everything from listening/talking with MaryAnn and her/our women friends, to paying attention to what women have to say in fiction, nonfiction, the arts, magazines, etc. I like writing from different cultural/gender points of view because I like learning things and to do it properly requires a lot of research and learning.

R&T:  Many of your short stories from Moonlight & Vines, The Ivory & the Horn, and Dreams Underfoot revolve around the themes of transformation, loss, and rebirth. Why do these themes call to you so deeply and appear repeatedly in your work?

de Lint:  These are themes that are part of all our lives--and they're some of the major ones we have to deal with. Because of that, they make good material for a story. It's also informative--both as a reader and a writer--to vicariously experience these elements in other people's lives (even if they're only fictional people) because it teaches us how to deal with it in our own lives.

R&T:  You once said that the 'original spark' for The Little Country came from listening to the stories your friend, Don Flamanck, told about Cornwall. Do you typically find your inspiration comes from outside yourself or from within? Or is it a bit of both?

de Lint:  The inspiration for the stories comes from everything I experience. A bit from here, a bit from there, and when the right bits collide you find you have something you want to write about. I know that sounds vague, but it's a mysterious process to me as well. I do know that rather than look for grand inspiration, I prefer to find ones that allow me to view the familiar in a way that makes it new again. Which is part of the job of the writer.

R&T:  What environment do you find it easiest to write in? Are there any steps you take or things you require to write comfortably?

de Lint:  I can write anywhere, but I prefer doing so sitting in my office, good instrumental music playing, a coffee at hand, reference materials nearby, watching the crows go around in the trees outside my window when I look out. I don't write at a particular time of day, though it's usually in the afternoon. Mostly I just make sure I get X amount of work done everyday, so if I don't get it done early, I'll be sitting there at midnight to get it done.

R&T:  Recently, your stories have begun to revolve around the fictional city of Newford. The city is so detailed and 'alive', it has become more of a character rather than a setting. How did you go about creating Newford and making that word so incredibly real?

de Lint:  Newford came about by accident. I wanted to write some stories in a larger urban environment than the one I was living in and decided to make a city up for the stories. One thing led to another and suddenly I found I had this repertory company of characters that I liked to visit and a city that became more real and more interesting to me with every piece I write. I believe the first rule of writing is to write something that interests you. Something that you'd like to read, but no one else has written yet, so you have to do it yourself. I find myself following that rule with the Newford material and I haven't got bored or jaded with it yet.

R&T:  Out of all your novels, which one is your personal favorite and why?

de Lint:  That's asking which of your children is your favorite. I'm particularly fond of lots of my books and stories for different reasons. For example "Moonheart," because it's where I discovered that mythic fiction could work in a contemporary setting. "Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair" where I finally figured out how to write shorter fiction. I'm always particularly taken with whatever the current project is--at the moment, May 2000, it's a novel called "The Onion Girl." But pressed, I'd say my favorite books are the three Newford short story collections and probably "Someplace to Be Flying" because it was such a joy to write.

R&T:  In your personal opinion, what are the three most important traits a writer must possess to be successful in their work? What does the 'writing life' mean to you?

R&T:  Writer's block can cripple a writer. Have you ever experienced it and do you have any way of overcoming it?

de Lint:  I don't get it very severely. When I get a little stuck on one project, I go on to another for a while, or to a different part of the same project (as in a novel; you can always jump a few chapters and write that bit). The one time I had it bad I started a novel about a writer who had writer's block (Yarrow) and gave it a fantastical reason and got so caught up in it that I forgot I was blocked.

R&T:  Finally, do you have anything else you'd like to share with our readers that might help them with their writing careers?

de Lint:  Read as much as possible, not simply in the genre, or what you think you're interested in, but other things as well. And then write as much as possible. Writing requires practice, just as does everything from painting and music, to dancing and other skills. There are muscles that need exercising--don't ever think otherwise.

Visit Charles de Lint's website at:  http://www.cyberus.ca/~cdl/

Read an excerpt of Forests Of The Heart.

A Canadian, Jason Fryer, was born during one of Edmonton, Alberta’s worst thunderstorms in the summer of 1970. Perhaps that’s why he is so fascinated with the darker side of life.

In his youth he traveled throughout Canada, but returned to his hometown to attend college in the late 80’s. Once there, he received diplomas in both Journalism and Marketing. Since then he has kept himself busy with freelance writing assignments for a variety of magazines, newspapers, and entertainment companies. Jason has also spent time traveling through Australia, America, Greece, and Japan. Currently, he has moved to Texas to be an Editorial Assistant for a scholarly medical journal.

He spends most of his time writing, but he also studies folklore, draws, reads anything he can get his hands on, and enjoys listening to a wide variety of music.

Bibliography:

“Silent Music”, short story for Miscellaneous magazine (99’).
“An Owl’s Tears,” short story for Shadowfeast magazine (98’).
“Kult: Second Edition,” several flash-fiction stories for the main rulebook (97’).
“Purgatory,” supplement for Target Games AB (96’).

Jason Fryer is the Content Producer for The Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine.