Interview with Brett Moore

Tales of Brother Goose
Brett Nicholas Moore
Wasteland Press (2006)
ISBN 1600470211
Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (7/06)

Reader Views is talking with Brett Nicholas Moore, author of the humorous, satirical collection of short stories “Tales of Brother Goose.” Brett is being interviewed by Juanita Watson, Assistant Editor of Reader Views.

Juanita:  Thanks for talking with us today Brett.  You have penned a very interesting collection of short stories in your new book “Tales of Brother Goose.”  Please tell readers what your book is about.

Brett: Thanks Juanita. The book is a collection of fairy tales and they vary in subject matter. I wrote versions of Cinderella, Rumplestiltskin, and Puss in Boots, as well as, original stories which somewhat follow the fairy tale or fable format. They all share a common thread in that Brother Goose is the one telling the stories.

Juanita: What inspired you to write this collection?

Brett:I got started on this collection when I was still in college. I felt frustrated in my literature classes because it seemed the endless analysis was taking away from my enjoyment of reading the books. I got the feeling that I had to write in a similar way to the great writers in order to be good. I felt inadequate as a writer because of this, and I believe these stories were borne out of that frustration.

Juanita:  How did you come up with the idea of using Brother Goose as a character?

Brett: The idea came later in the process of writing the book. I realized that there was an active voice in the writing. So, I thought the narrator might need an identity as well. Brother Goose, the son of Mother Goose, seemed like a good idea because I was writing fairy tales loosely based on Mother Goose stories. I liked the idea of Brother Goose because he is younger and the stories are mischievous, so it was a good fit.

Juanita:  What was your history with the original Mother Goose stories?

Brett: My mom used to read me those stories when I was a kid. I remember being frightened by them along with the pictures. Some of the characters were very mean which disturbed me. Sure, they had happy endings, but I was still thinking about what happened earlier in the story. When I read them later in life, I found them to be interesting, fun, and primal.

Juanita: Is there a little of you in Brother Goose?

Brett: I am Brother Goose really. Before I even attached that identity to these stories, I was writing them as myself. As I have gotten older and changed somewhat, I find that I am less and less like Brother Goose.

Juanita:  Was there any specific Mother Goose story that impacted you more than others?

Brett: I think all the Mother Goose stories are similar. They all have the basic rags-to-riches story line. I don’t think one impacted me more than another. Cinderella is a good story and I hated to ruin it. There have been probably hundreds of versions of that story, so I figured one more couldn’t hurt. I also like Puss in Boots, which does not follow the typical story pattern. The conflict happens at the very beginning and the rest of the story has Puss correcting the situation with his cleverness until all is well at the end. In the Brother Goose version, Puss is not all that clever and seems to have terrible luck. Hence, he turns into a serial killer.

Juanita: How do you weave current issues into the original stories we’ve all heard as children?

Brett: As far as current issues, I think the only thing current I have implanted in these stories is just a more modern attitude.  I did not stray very much from the original plots. The Mother Goose stories are timeless which is why they survive today. I wanted my satire of them to be the same. I think I was incorporating the stuff we see in movies into these tales. For instance, the modern age is not really shocked by much. Therefore, some elements of the book are more upfront than they had been in the original tales.

Juanita:  The cover of “Tales of Brother Goose” is a black and white illustration of Brother Goose smoking a cigarette.  That in itself gives a strong impression of your book.  Now, without labeling anyone, would I be correct in assuming that “Tales” is an indie/counter-culture book? 

Brett: The cover, created by my friend Mike Howard, is a good indicator of the stories inside, which I guess could be considered anti-authority on some level. Counter-culture might be too strong a description in that the book on the whole does not take itself that seriously.

Juanita:  Would you give us an idea of some of the stories you have written in “Tales of Brother Goose”?

Brett: One of the stories is about an angel accidentally inviting the devil to a party, which leads to a broken heart. There is a very short Shakespearean play about a queen who kills the king because of his long monologues. There is a minister who gets sent to hell by accident and can’t seem to get out due to heaven’s bureaucratic process. The stories are short in length, ranging from a page to five pages.

Juanita:  How many stories are in “Tales of Brother Goose”?

Brett: There are twenty-three stories in the book altogether.

Juanita:  What are some of your personal statements regarding the world today that subtly make their way into the minds of readers through your stories?

Brett: The reader will probably pick up on my cynicism the most, although I didn’t want to beat the reader over the head with it. I am most cynical about concepts and ideas, and I used the world as I see it to try and make those concepts look silly.  I had fun writing these stories and I hope that shows as well.

Juanita:  Who would be the reading audience for “Tales of Brother Goose”?

Brett: I hope that my audience would be anybody, but I think those with a tolerance for some silliness in their reading material would be ideal.

Juanita:  What has been your writing background?

Brett: I have an English degree and have been writing since I was about sixteen or seventeen. At that time, I was writing cheesy love poems, but I guess you have to start somewhere. I switched to writing stories about a couple of years later. My first experiences with writing fiction weren’t very good. I felt that I was trying so hard to write like those I had read, that I didn’t realize that you have to be yourself when you write.

Juanita:  How long have you been writing the stories that eventually became your book “Tales of Brother Goose”?

Brett:I started these stories at twenty-two years of age, and continued until I was about thirty or so. I am thirty-three now.

Juanita:  What is your career aside from your writing pursuits?

Brett: I do real estate appraisal currently. Writing appraisal reports is quite different from writing fairy tales, although there are some similarities.

Juanita:  Do you have any other book ideas in the works?

Brett: I haven’t settled on anything yet. However, I think I would like to try something completely different. I think I have outgrown the fairy tale thing.

Juanita:  How can readers find out more about you and your endeavors?

Brett: You can go to www.wastelandpress.net, which has a synopsis of the book. You can also go to www.jazzlock.com. This website contains the writings of my friends Johnny Appleseed and Lance Mallette, as well as my own. However, my writings are listed under the name Dewey Goodblood. I have yet to change it to Brother Goose.

Juanita:  Thanks for talking with us today Brett.  We wish you much luck with “Tales of Brother Goose.”  Do you have any last thoughts for readers?

Brett: Thank you Juanita. I enjoyed talking with you. I hope readers out there will be entertained by the book.

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