Spotlight On Writers
Leslie Rider
@writer317537
- Where do you originate from?
I’m originally from Rochester, NY. My mother’s family has lived there for at least a century. But my father’s from Colombia. He has a huge family in Bogota, but I’ve only met a fraction of its members. I can’t say I’m from that area of the world, but the culture that my dad brought with him has definitely influenced me and my writing. Most of my main characters in my novels and some of my characters in my short stories have some sort of dual ethnicity and/or struggle with their identity. I think it’s because I grapple with these same things.
- What do you cherish most about the place you call home?
There are a lot of things I love about my home, but I truly cherish my family. I’ve moved around a lot and lived in places that were very different from my original home. But the one constant I have is that my spouse and my kid live with me. And as long as I have them with me, it doesn’t matter where we live. It always feels like home when they’re around.
- What ignites your creativity?
The products of painters or writers who create unique things inspire me to do the same. I like reimagined fairy tales because they remind me that I can break the rules of tropes and look at something from a completely different angle. I also like learning about art history and the artists who deviated from the expected.
The other thing that inspires me is crummy situations. I know it sounds strange, but when I experience a situation that upsets me, I start to dig to understand the experience and my reaction to it. As I dig, I write and eventually turn it into fiction. This helps me process what I experienced, and it helps me to understand it better.
- Do you have a favorite word and could you incorporate it into a poetic phrase?
I don’t know if I have a favorite word. There are words I like, such as flabbergasted, nightingale, or insurmountable. For some reason, I like words with three or more syllables. That said, I have a favorite phrase I try to use, not so much in my short stories, but in my novels, and that is “he’s/she’s/they’ve got, like, fifty.” Sometimes the character has fifty pencils. Other times, they have fifty toy train cars. The things themselves aren’t important. But the expression in general is something I like to add. You know how some famous designers or artists have a signature look? That’s my signature expression; when you see it in my novel, you know I wrote it.
My poetic phrase: Princess faire, canst thou lendeth me one of thine many writing quills? Thou hast got, like, fifty.
- What is your pet peeve?
I was originally going to say ‘people’, since, as an autistic person, I often find human beings difficult to understand. I don’t always get what they’re trying to say, especially if it’s a nonverbal thing. But I think what really bothers me is the fakeness that people sometimes present. Their insincerity is the problem. It pops up when someone tells me, “hey, let’s get together for lunch,” but she never follows up on it. Or when someone says to me, “you look great,” but I just finished exercising, and my hair’s a hot mess. I’d rather hear the truth than something disingenuous. It’s easier for me to process honesty than understand lies.
- How would you describe the essence of Leslie Rider?
The question sounds a little like a smell I’d give off after not showering for a few days, but I understand what you mean. There are several things that make me who I am. One is a willingness to self-discover, even if it means I don’t like what I find. Another is a choice to dig and process difficult experiences, even if it’s painful. A third is shamelessly embracing the risk of trying something new, even if I fail. And a fourth is telling the truth within a work of fiction, even if nobody wants to hear it. Even if it’s not pretty or somehow puts me in a negative light. I’m not sure if doing these things means I’m completely fearless or just incredibly stubborn, but that’s who I am.
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