| Lightning Rod Captures Bill Ectric |
Clay "Lightning Rod" January is a writer, musician,
singer, and poet. He and sometimes collaborator
Doreen Peri have released a wonderfully atmospheric
CD of music, spoken word, and song called Oral Sets.
This interview first appeared on Studio Eight web site
in 2003.
Left to right: Caryn Thurman, Ronnie Klemple, Bill Ectric, Levi
Asher, and Clay "Lightning Rod" January, in the living room of
Doreen Peri, rehearsing for the first Cabaradio show in 2004.
singer, and poet. He and sometimes collaborator
Doreen Peri have released a wonderfully atmospheric
CD of music, spoken word, and song called Oral Sets.
This interview first appeared on Studio Eight web site
in 2003.
Left to right: Caryn Thurman, Ronnie Klemple, Bill Ectric, Levi
Asher, and Clay "Lightning Rod" January, in the living room of
Doreen Peri, rehearsing for the first Cabaradio show in 2004.
Clay: I can see by your work and your autobiographical material that
you have been bitten by the writing bug for some time. Tell me about
your first intrigue with the addiction.
Bill: When I was about eight years old my father brought home a dusty
Royal manual typewriter. I watched him clean it up, back to its shiny, jet
black beauty. It was fascinating! He removed the ribbon, and the little
glass window panels from each side, and sprayed soapy liquid all over
it. After a thorough rinsing, he put the typewriter in the oven, ,just long
enough to dry it, so it wouldn't rust. Then he placed it proudly on a
stand beside his desk.
My dad's job was to repair adding machines, typewriters, and such.
Somebody gave him this typewriter instead of cash. Because of
computers, that job almost doesn't exist anymore. These days they just
replace a circuit board. Back then, typewriters had all these moving
parts, springs and levers and so forth.
Dad was a big letter writer to the newspaper. If something happened in
town that he didn't like, man, he'd be writing a letter to the newspaper,
just typing away on that Royal, like, "I wish the Mayor could explain to
me how he justifies spending tax payers' money to fund police bothering
kids on bicycles just because they take up one parking space with three
bicycles in front of the Rexall drug store where they spend their money
on comic books, cokes and French fries" and things like that.
My father let me use the typewriter all the time. I came with up ideas for
stories and typed them for my friends and family to read, often asking
my mother how to spell words and stuff. If I asked my dad, he'd say,
"Look it up in the dictionary." I also wrote fan letters to comic books and
monster magazines. A DC comic called The Doom Patrol published one
of my letters.
I made my own comic books, too. I stapled about ten sheets of blank
typing paper together and drew the comic book panels and everything. I
created a character named "Igneous Man" who was a cross between DC
Comic's Metamorpho and Marvel's The Thing from The Fantastic Four.
Igneous Man could turn into scorching lava, or make himself shiny to
reflect light into an assassin's eyes so they couldn't aim their gun -
anything that had to do with volcanic rock. Back then, you could learn
about science from comic books; like, The Flash could vibrate his atoms
so fast, he could run through walls. There was a villain called "Mr. 103"
because, at that time, there were 103 known elements, and he could
change into all of them.
you have been bitten by the writing bug for some time. Tell me about
your first intrigue with the addiction.
Bill: When I was about eight years old my father brought home a dusty
Royal manual typewriter. I watched him clean it up, back to its shiny, jet
black beauty. It was fascinating! He removed the ribbon, and the little
glass window panels from each side, and sprayed soapy liquid all over
it. After a thorough rinsing, he put the typewriter in the oven, ,just long
enough to dry it, so it wouldn't rust. Then he placed it proudly on a
stand beside his desk.
My dad's job was to repair adding machines, typewriters, and such.
Somebody gave him this typewriter instead of cash. Because of
computers, that job almost doesn't exist anymore. These days they just
replace a circuit board. Back then, typewriters had all these moving
parts, springs and levers and so forth.
Dad was a big letter writer to the newspaper. If something happened in
town that he didn't like, man, he'd be writing a letter to the newspaper,
just typing away on that Royal, like, "I wish the Mayor could explain to
me how he justifies spending tax payers' money to fund police bothering
kids on bicycles just because they take up one parking space with three
bicycles in front of the Rexall drug store where they spend their money
on comic books, cokes and French fries" and things like that.
My father let me use the typewriter all the time. I came with up ideas for
stories and typed them for my friends and family to read, often asking
my mother how to spell words and stuff. If I asked my dad, he'd say,
"Look it up in the dictionary." I also wrote fan letters to comic books and
monster magazines. A DC comic called The Doom Patrol published one
of my letters.
I made my own comic books, too. I stapled about ten sheets of blank
typing paper together and drew the comic book panels and everything. I
created a character named "Igneous Man" who was a cross between DC
Comic's Metamorpho and Marvel's The Thing from The Fantastic Four.
Igneous Man could turn into scorching lava, or make himself shiny to
reflect light into an assassin's eyes so they couldn't aim their gun -
anything that had to do with volcanic rock. Back then, you could learn
about science from comic books; like, The Flash could vibrate his atoms
so fast, he could run through walls. There was a villain called "Mr. 103"
because, at that time, there were 103 known elements, and he could
change into all of them.
As for why I liked to write, I don't know, it was just naturally what I liked.
Some kids found they were good at baseball or math. It wasn't anything I
can explain, I was just naturally drawn to writing. I sensed early on that
there was a whole world of writers and film makers and TV shows and
that it was a legitimate pastime. People thought I was weird, that I lived
in my own dream world. I felt I had to defend myself for wanting to make
up stories and people. And maybe I am weird, but now I don't care.
Sometime around the 9th grade, I read about a circle of writers who
always hung out together in the 1930's. They were called the
"Algonquin Round Table" and included such writers as Dorothy Parker,
Robert Sherwood, George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber, Robert Benchley,
and others. I thought, how cool would that be, to be a part of a group of
writers who could respond to each other in print, sometimes sparring,
sometimes praising, sometimes sharing in each other's work. How some
kids might imagine playing for the Yankees, I saw myself as someday
belonging to a group of writers. In high school I was very impressed with
Henry David Thoreau. At one point I asked my parents if they could buy
me a cabin in the woods. They knew better. I'm not much of an
outdoorsman and I'm very fond of electricity. I would have probably
frozen or starved to death.I got sidetracked from writing for many
reasons. Self-doubt, the need to earn a living in a "practical" career, so
many things. To this day I don't know why I joined the Navy as soon as I
graduated from high school, but in the Navy I met people who told me
about Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Carlos Castaneda, Allen
Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, The Firesign Theatre, Pink Floyd, and
all kinds of trippy mind expansion stuff.
Clay: What is your ambition as a writer?
Bill: I would like to be recognized as a writer. I don't know why. The thing
is, I've had many jobs; you have to feed yourself, you know, and I just
think that, wouldn't it be great if I could get paid for writing, which is what
I love to do? Like, if a person loves building stuff out of wood, wouldn't it
be great if they could be paid to be a carpenter or a construction
worker? Or if you love animals, wouldn't it be great to either work at a
zoo or as a veterinarian or an animal trainer?
One side of me wants to do good in the world. Like, if my writing could
help others in some way, to fight poverty and depression and war, that
would be my contribution to society, but on the other hand, I just like it
and I don't know why.
Of course I want people to like what I write. How can anyone say they
don't care what anyone thinks? If someone designs a new car, of course
they hope other people like it. If you're a chef and you cook up a dish,
you hope others will say, "This tastes great!" It's not being
self-centered. Or if it is, Then being self-centered is natural. It's not
wrong.
Clay: Can a writer make a difference in the world? If so, how?
Bill: Well, sure, a writer can make a difference in different ways. If a
writer reveals personal feelings, maybe other people can say, "I'm not
the only one who has felt this way. I'm not alone."
One of the things that defines "Beat" writing is the irreverent search for
truths, not just for shock value, but to speak out. Like, a lot of
conservative Christians will say that homosexuality is a sin, and no one
is born that way, they choose it. Then we see on television that there
are actually some babies born with both sex organs, male and female.
That child didn't choose that. How do the conservatives explain that?
Or, we have people that include marijuana in with much more
dangerous drugs and waste time and money, not to mention ruining
people's lives, for what? For nothing, really. You can have a martini but
you can't smoke a joint. Obviously, some writers make a bigger
difference than others. Henry David Thoreau spoke out against slavery
and war. He is still cited today as an influence on people like Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. But it doesn't have to be major issues. It can be low-key
relief from problems.
Some kids found they were good at baseball or math. It wasn't anything I
can explain, I was just naturally drawn to writing. I sensed early on that
there was a whole world of writers and film makers and TV shows and
that it was a legitimate pastime. People thought I was weird, that I lived
in my own dream world. I felt I had to defend myself for wanting to make
up stories and people. And maybe I am weird, but now I don't care.
Sometime around the 9th grade, I read about a circle of writers who
always hung out together in the 1930's. They were called the
"Algonquin Round Table" and included such writers as Dorothy Parker,
Robert Sherwood, George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber, Robert Benchley,
and others. I thought, how cool would that be, to be a part of a group of
writers who could respond to each other in print, sometimes sparring,
sometimes praising, sometimes sharing in each other's work. How some
kids might imagine playing for the Yankees, I saw myself as someday
belonging to a group of writers. In high school I was very impressed with
Henry David Thoreau. At one point I asked my parents if they could buy
me a cabin in the woods. They knew better. I'm not much of an
outdoorsman and I'm very fond of electricity. I would have probably
frozen or starved to death.I got sidetracked from writing for many
reasons. Self-doubt, the need to earn a living in a "practical" career, so
many things. To this day I don't know why I joined the Navy as soon as I
graduated from high school, but in the Navy I met people who told me
about Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, Carlos Castaneda, Allen
Ginsberg, William S. Burroughs, The Firesign Theatre, Pink Floyd, and
all kinds of trippy mind expansion stuff.
Clay: What is your ambition as a writer?
Bill: I would like to be recognized as a writer. I don't know why. The thing
is, I've had many jobs; you have to feed yourself, you know, and I just
think that, wouldn't it be great if I could get paid for writing, which is what
I love to do? Like, if a person loves building stuff out of wood, wouldn't it
be great if they could be paid to be a carpenter or a construction
worker? Or if you love animals, wouldn't it be great to either work at a
zoo or as a veterinarian or an animal trainer?
One side of me wants to do good in the world. Like, if my writing could
help others in some way, to fight poverty and depression and war, that
would be my contribution to society, but on the other hand, I just like it
and I don't know why.
Of course I want people to like what I write. How can anyone say they
don't care what anyone thinks? If someone designs a new car, of course
they hope other people like it. If you're a chef and you cook up a dish,
you hope others will say, "This tastes great!" It's not being
self-centered. Or if it is, Then being self-centered is natural. It's not
wrong.
Clay: Can a writer make a difference in the world? If so, how?
Bill: Well, sure, a writer can make a difference in different ways. If a
writer reveals personal feelings, maybe other people can say, "I'm not
the only one who has felt this way. I'm not alone."
One of the things that defines "Beat" writing is the irreverent search for
truths, not just for shock value, but to speak out. Like, a lot of
conservative Christians will say that homosexuality is a sin, and no one
is born that way, they choose it. Then we see on television that there
are actually some babies born with both sex organs, male and female.
That child didn't choose that. How do the conservatives explain that?
Or, we have people that include marijuana in with much more
dangerous drugs and waste time and money, not to mention ruining
people's lives, for what? For nothing, really. You can have a martini but
you can't smoke a joint. Obviously, some writers make a bigger
difference than others. Henry David Thoreau spoke out against slavery
and war. He is still cited today as an influence on people like Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. But it doesn't have to be major issues. It can be low-key
relief from problems.
| Bill's father, an Army Air Corps pilot, in Chile, South America, 1940 |
| Above: Bill Ectric in Rota, Spain, 1973 |
Clay: How do you choose your subject matter?
Bill: I write what I would like to read. If I re-read something I wrote, and enjoy it, then I know someone else out there will
enjoy it. I write what is meaningful and interesting to me. Not everybody will like it, no way. But some people will. Hardly
anyone I know personally likes William S. Burroughs as much as I do, or have even heard of him, but that doesn't stop
him from being popular somewhere. The Internet has made it possible to meet others who like what I like. I guess you
have to find your audience. But, back to the question. I write exactly what I would like to read if someone else wrote it.
Clay: Talk to me about the contrast between 'great' literature and 'popular' literature.
Bill: There doesn't have to be a difference. I mean, some great literature is also popular. People sometimes use the
word "pop" as if it's different from "serious" or "classical" or whatever. It's just whatever you enjoy. I guess what makes
something "classic" is, either it's never been done before, or, it is done in a different way that makes it stand out, or it's
just done so well that it would be hard to improve on - it becomes a standard to compare other works to. When Arthur
Conan Doyle was writing the Sherlock Holmes stories, they were extremely popular with the public. You could say they
were pop stories. But they were done so well that they are considered classics.
Clay: How has the Internet influenced you writing? Also, talk about your involvement in the Litkicks community.
Bill: I thrive on the interaction and feedback I get on the Internet. Soon after I got my first computer, I typed "Jack
Kerouac" in the search engine. I've been interested in the beats for some time, and I had read On The Road, and had
seen a couple of documentaries, and I think I had just seen the movie Naked Lunch on video, and I was looking for
something related, and that's how I found Litkicks. It drew me right in. I posted a message in which I mentioned the term
"transcendental" and Levi Asher replied that he would like some articles on the transcendental movement in Concord
in the 1800's - Emerson and Thoreau. Well, it just so happens that when I was in high school I was fascinated by
Thoreau and his book Walden, so I jumped right on the Henry David Thoreau article and really had fun researching it
and writing it. I did a couple more related articles and started reading other people's articles and all the rest.
Clay: Speak to the subject of artists who have spent their lives working day-to-day jobs and at the age of c. fifty they
rediscover their passion. Do they have time?
Bill: You always have time. I mean, if I die tomorrow, it won't matter if I sold a lot of books. It will only matter that I was
doing something I loved doing. Some writers die young after a remarkable output of material. Some live to be very old
and put out relatively few books. It's not even a consideration, age. It just doesn't matter. My wife and son say I act like
a child anyway. I do like to have fun.
Bill: I write what I would like to read. If I re-read something I wrote, and enjoy it, then I know someone else out there will
enjoy it. I write what is meaningful and interesting to me. Not everybody will like it, no way. But some people will. Hardly
anyone I know personally likes William S. Burroughs as much as I do, or have even heard of him, but that doesn't stop
him from being popular somewhere. The Internet has made it possible to meet others who like what I like. I guess you
have to find your audience. But, back to the question. I write exactly what I would like to read if someone else wrote it.
Clay: Talk to me about the contrast between 'great' literature and 'popular' literature.
Bill: There doesn't have to be a difference. I mean, some great literature is also popular. People sometimes use the
word "pop" as if it's different from "serious" or "classical" or whatever. It's just whatever you enjoy. I guess what makes
something "classic" is, either it's never been done before, or, it is done in a different way that makes it stand out, or it's
just done so well that it would be hard to improve on - it becomes a standard to compare other works to. When Arthur
Conan Doyle was writing the Sherlock Holmes stories, they were extremely popular with the public. You could say they
were pop stories. But they were done so well that they are considered classics.
Clay: How has the Internet influenced you writing? Also, talk about your involvement in the Litkicks community.
Bill: I thrive on the interaction and feedback I get on the Internet. Soon after I got my first computer, I typed "Jack
Kerouac" in the search engine. I've been interested in the beats for some time, and I had read On The Road, and had
seen a couple of documentaries, and I think I had just seen the movie Naked Lunch on video, and I was looking for
something related, and that's how I found Litkicks. It drew me right in. I posted a message in which I mentioned the term
"transcendental" and Levi Asher replied that he would like some articles on the transcendental movement in Concord
in the 1800's - Emerson and Thoreau. Well, it just so happens that when I was in high school I was fascinated by
Thoreau and his book Walden, so I jumped right on the Henry David Thoreau article and really had fun researching it
and writing it. I did a couple more related articles and started reading other people's articles and all the rest.
Clay: Speak to the subject of artists who have spent their lives working day-to-day jobs and at the age of c. fifty they
rediscover their passion. Do they have time?
Bill: You always have time. I mean, if I die tomorrow, it won't matter if I sold a lot of books. It will only matter that I was
doing something I loved doing. Some writers die young after a remarkable output of material. Some live to be very old
and put out relatively few books. It's not even a consideration, age. It just doesn't matter. My wife and son say I act like
a child anyway. I do like to have fun.
| Sparks beginning to fly: Ectric in '83 |
| The hard rock band Road Scholars, 1987, Bill: Bass guitar; Joe Rhodes: Drums, vocals; David George: Guitar, vocals |
| With writer Chris Hutson at the Fuel Coffeehouse in Jacksonville, FL, 2005 |
Clay: Besides your roles as wit and sage, how do
you see yourself as a writer?
Bill: There's a dichotomy. On one hand, I really
like the bizarre literary experiments, like William
S. Burroughs' "cut up" writing technique and
Derrida's deconstruction; but on the other hand,
I like the pop escapism of a Quentin Tarrentino
film, or Hannibal Lecter, or even Indiana Jones.
You know, a lot of people are afraid to admit they
like pop. It's all good. If Shakespeare had video
he would have used it. I don't care. Right in the
middle of something commercial there can also
be something profound. That's why, in my story
Cut Up (The Stolen Scroll), I included an
experiment in cutting up a paragraph and
re-arranging it, but I based it around a normal
story about young people involved in murder.
And in my story Time Adjusters, I fool around
with weird, stream of consciousness ramblings,
but I base it on the premise that time and space
are falling apart, and the surreal stuff is just a
part of the story. I wouldn't expect anyone to
read just the crazy ramblings without some
structure to follow.
you see yourself as a writer?
Bill: There's a dichotomy. On one hand, I really
like the bizarre literary experiments, like William
S. Burroughs' "cut up" writing technique and
Derrida's deconstruction; but on the other hand,
I like the pop escapism of a Quentin Tarrentino
film, or Hannibal Lecter, or even Indiana Jones.
You know, a lot of people are afraid to admit they
like pop. It's all good. If Shakespeare had video
he would have used it. I don't care. Right in the
middle of something commercial there can also
be something profound. That's why, in my story
Cut Up (The Stolen Scroll), I included an
experiment in cutting up a paragraph and
re-arranging it, but I based it around a normal
story about young people involved in murder.
And in my story Time Adjusters, I fool around
with weird, stream of consciousness ramblings,
but I base it on the premise that time and space
are falling apart, and the surreal stuff is just a
part of the story. I wouldn't expect anyone to
read just the crazy ramblings without some
structure to follow.
| Right: April 6, 2005, Tallahassee, FL, Bill was invited by civil rights author Stetson Kennedy to attend Kennedy's induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame by the State Division of Cultural Affairs. Photo by Lou Salome |