Go Forth (Vol. 29)

Jim Ruland is the author of Big Lonesome, a short-story collection. He hosts a reading series in L.A.’s Chinatown called Vermin on the Mount. His newest novel, Forest of Fortune, is a glimpse into the lives of three people struggling with addiction. I spoke with Jim about the new book, casinos, and addiction. You can read more about Jim here: www.jimruland.net

—Brandon Hobson

BRANDON HOBSON: Hey, Jim. I really loved Forest of Fortune. You weave three different stories together beautifully, which is not an easy thing to do for a writer. Was pacing difficult for you as you worked on the book? Did you work on each section separately all the way through or work on all three at the same time?

JIM RULAND: Thanks, Brandon. When I was drafting the book, I worked on all three at the same time. I’d spend a couple days on a scene, get the character into some kind of trouble that I didn’t know how to get them out of, and then move on to the next character. By the time I returned to the first character enough time had passed that I knew how I wanted to proceed. It all came together pretty quickly. It helped that the chapters are short, but revising was tricky. When you have three protagonists, you can get 50 pages into a novel without having a ton of stuff happen because you’re introducing distinct characters. That’s when I pulled the manuscript apart and started cutting a lot of the fluff. I wanted characters with messy, believable lives: boisterous families, difficult coworkers, confusing romantic entanglements. But to get the characters in the casino where they could start interacting I had to compress, condense and cut characters for the sake of the story.

BH: Speaking of messy, believable lives, Lupita is highly superstitious, even spends an all-nighter at a casino. I know several people who are just like her. How much research did you do in casinos?

JR: I spent over five years working at an Indian casino in Southern California. I don’t know if I’d call that research or a really bad life choice. But, yes, the casino is full of Lupitas: women at loose ends with discretionary income and lots of time on their hands. On the surface, they seem almost glamorous: attractive, well put together, free with their money. But show me someone who spends a lot of time at a casino and I’ll show you a lonely person.

BH: Now you speaka my language. Loneliness has always triggered gambling for me. A counselor once told me that there are two types of gambling...