A.D. Dawson lives in the market town of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. He has regularly contributed to The Dream Zone magazine. and appears in, Sick: An Anthology of Ilness which has just been released by Raw Dog Screaming Press.

As graduate in literature, the writer, A D Dawson is fascinated by the story telling of the Victorian writers. Dark gothic tales, such as Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (1847), fuel his imagination with their foreboding corners and shadows. It is from this world that Dawson draws his inspiration for his own tales...

Q: Your story The Nutter on the Bus is featured in Sick: An Anthology of Ilness. You've said that the inspiration for the story came from your daughter's observations. Can explain how the story came about?

A: From being a child, I have always had a fascination for Nutters — that is people who behave in a way in which we, as a polite society, normally do not expect. Some of the dialogue that I have used in The Nutter on the Bus, is actual dialogue that I have heard during my observations of these sorts. "Pots and pans, man the trenches the Germans are coming you b____d." are words stolen from a famous local Nutter by the name of Snowy, (because of his white hair), who would trawl my hometown streets playing a plastic harmonica very badly.

The Nutter on the Bus came about one evening after an animated discussion with my daughter, Sarah, regarding the strange characters she had observed whilst travelling to college by bus. By way of our conversation, we surmised that The Nutter has a significant public role and that his/her contribution to society is as important as that of anyone else. From this premise I created the character of Top Deck Charlie and set him as custodian to the 7.45 am bus to M____d. The rest, should we say, is carnage!

Q: In interpreting the theme of illness you chose illness of the mind instead of the body. The story excellently portrays the thought process of mentally disturbed people while playing with the idea of subjective realities. As an author of absurd fiction how do you view the societal ideas of 'reality' and 'sanity'?

A: In essence, I would not describe my work as Absurd. I do concede, however, that the characters that I create and their behaviours could be deemed as inappropriate, purposeless and ridiculous — which are all ingredients of the Absurd genre.

Unfortunately the media—driven market forces largely dictate the societal notions of ‘reality’ and ’sanity’ nowadays. Interestingly, post—modernists such as, Baudrillard, have exposed reality as nothing more than a whim of television producers. As for society's fond relationship with 'sanity,' or lack of it—alas, the day of The Village Idiot, a person much revered for their madness, are long gone... unless torn floppy shoes and muddy green tunics are to be considered the vogue once more!

As a writer of short fiction, the idea of 'subjective realities' is a theme that I never tire of exploring. If you consider the characters of Top Deck Charlie and Bus Stop Bertie, they have real life roles which they take very seriously—Charlie is the custodian of the 7.45 and Bertie minds the bus station—"...except Sundays and bank holidays of course." I suggest that their roles, which society as a whole rejects as ludicrous, are no less actual than working in a factory 7 days a week for a pittance. For me it is the Nutters that have a real purpose in life—indeed, where were the ladies from the factory when He climbed aboard the 7.45?

Q: One characteristic that makes your work unique is the use of Victorian phraseology, vocabulary and conventions yet your subjects are very modern. How did you come up with this style?

A: Reading Victorian literature is my passion — especially the work of the 19th Century female writers, such as The Bronte sisters, M.E. Braddon and the obscure Margaret Oliphant. I see language as a control and it was the Victorian female writers, including the likes of Louise May Alcott, who, through the subtext of their work, were first able to challenge the dominant male ideologies of the 19th Century.

I pretentiously call the language that I employ, Neo—Victorian. For if you examine any of my work you will see that my punctuation is very simple. Unlike Victorian text, it consists of no more than commas, full stops and dashes. However, despite my lack of punctuation, my language has been described as decadent.

I instil Victorian—like language into my characters to dislocate the reader from what is considered the normal relationship between language and the user. Even the direst of my characters can articulate well with those who are considered to be the best of them.

It has often been said that I was born 150 years too late... or was I? Read my forthcoming tale, Jane Eyre...Don't You Dare. if you have a care.

Q: At the root of many of your stories is an isolation of the individual and an inability of characters to communicate with each other effectively. Is this an important theme in your life?

A: The role of a writer is indeed that of a lonely one. Unfortunately I am usually surrounded by people that would rather talk about cars, soccer or even their wife's rampant rabbit, than the cherished tale that I have recently completed. Like my characters, ridicule and scorn is usually mine whenever I stray from the security blanket of their banal chatter.

The isolation and despair that each and every one of my characters usually feels, comes straight from my very psyche. 7 years ago my Mother, Janet, died. From that day on, I have felt like an astronaut floating about aimlessly in space because the lifeline to the spaceship has been severed. Freud would probably opine that the lifeline was symbolic of the umbilical cord, which connects Mother and Child and the spaceship the womb — he would be right. With retrospect I would have dedicated my tale, The Nutter on the Bus, to her. Not that she was a Nutter, I quickly add — although she was definitely a little eccentric... no doubt about that. Whereas my daughter, Sarah and I have a fascination for Nutters— Nutters had a fascination for my Mother!

Q: Your website, The Dodsley Pages, has from the beginning been a very inclusive and non—judgemental forum for authors to share their work. What made you decide to create The Dodsley Pages and what do you hope to achieve with it?

A: Ah, The Dodsley Pages — named after Mansfield's most famous townsman, Robert Dodsley (1703—64). Dodsley was a renowned poet, playwright, bookseller, publisher and editor. Before his death, Dodsley had progressed from a stocking weaver's apprentice to be one of the most influential forces in mid—18th Century literary England.

Initially The Pages were created to give voice to the writers/ artists of Mansfield — unfortunately I was unsuccessful in this endeavour. However, after I came up with the Diversity of Darkness initiative, the pages took off. Interest from all parts of the world — including India and America — was to be mine. As all work submitted is posted unedited, many writers who are yet to be published, find their work to be exhibited alongside more established writers for the entire world to see. Most importantly for a writer, there is provision to receive feedback regarding their work.

The Diversity of Darkness is in its final stages now — although I am still taking submissions until the end of February. My next project, which is already underway, has a working title of, Around the World in X Tales (If you are interested contact The Townsman, thetownsman@hotmail.com for details).

As for what I hope to achieve with The Pages... perhaps one day I may be able to tell you. For the now, I haven't got a clue!

Q: As someone interested in communication how do you feel the internet has affected people's ability to express themselves through fiction and sites like The Dodsley Pages? Does the internet bring people together or keep them apart?

A: The Internet, I feel, gives great opportunity to all writers. Splendid websites like Kelly Burton's, Dark Half and polycarps, The New Absurdist, like The Dodsley Pages, gives opportunity for writers to post up their work for comment without the constraints of censorship and without the subjective whim of an editor to be contended with.

For me, personally, the Internet has been a great friend. Without this mighty tool of communication, I should be without the support of many beloved people — John Edward Lawson, satan165 and Justynn Tyme are but a few to mention.

One day, like my tales, I will cross the Atlantic to join you all.

Gus bless,

A.D. Dawson

Read Dawson's story To Crack a Nut from the July issue of The Dream People