Today we’d like to introduce you to J. Ryan Stradal.
Ryan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in a small town in Minnesota, lived for a brief but memorable time on a farm, and was raised in yet another small town. My family moved around a lot when I was young, and we didn’t have a lot of money for much of my life, and the circumstances and compromises of those experiences drive the subject matter of my books today.
My newest book is inspired in part by a summer I spent working as a janitor at a lovely supper club in Wisconsin. For much of my young life, it had been a place that was too expensive for my family to patronize, and my time there made a lifelong impression on me.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is the path to becoming a writer ever a smooth road? I don’t know if smooth roads lead to writers.
Either way, my parents did what they could to make it as smooth as possible, but there was no precedent for someone making a living in the arts in my extended family, so I largely had to forge my path with the incredible help of like-minded friends, teachers, and fellow writers who were kind enough to lend a hand.
Before becoming a professional novelist, I made a living in an unrelated field, and I don’t have an MFA, so any knowledge of how to navigate life as a novelist I had to acquire piecemeal from people who were kind enough to share their wisdom.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m probably most well-known now for how much I write about food and drink, as well as my Midwest settings. Growing up in a small-ish town in Minnesota, with parents who couldn’t afford to eat out often and weren’t great home cooks (sorry, mom and dad) I wasn’t exposed to a great diversity of food. As soon as I had my driver’s license, I spent many weekends chasing down the various ethnic cuisines that the Twin Cities had to offer.
I’d research restaurants in local magazines and newspapers, and plan my visits over weeks based on my level of spending money. Then I’d call and make the reservations for my girlfriend and myself, who was into these experiences as well. There weren’t a lot of teenage foodies back then if that’s what we were — but it formed the basis for a passion that continues today. Every time I sit down to write, I try to write about food and drink in a way I haven’t yet seen and write about aspects of food culture that I perceive to be overlooked.
On another note, I’m also known for writing female protagonists, and that’s entirely because of my mom, Karen. She was a writer and dreamed of writing a book herself someday, but passed away before she could achieve that dream. I try to keep her alive and keep her dream alive, by writing her into my characters. I wouldn’t be a writer if it weren’t for her love and guidance, and if there’s anything in my career that I’m proud of, it’s when my mother’s friends read my books and tell me that I got it right.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
I don’t think I’d be making a living as a writer if I weren’t obscenely self-motivated. I guess that should be somewhat evident, given that it’s (mostly) not a collaborative profession, but I’ve had a consuming drive in me since I was a child, and writing has been, from a young age, the most natural and healthy way for me to resolve it.
I’m also blessed to have a sense of humor. I was taught to develop it at a young age, both by my parents and my Uncle Paul, who has a brilliant wit and an innate sense of comedy. Learning the value of making myself and others laugh was instrumental to my state of mind, especially during my sometimes difficult formative years. The ability to laugh at a situation — and laugh at myself — has been the light that has helped me through many dark times since.
Contact Info:
- Website: jryanstradal.com
- Instagram: @jryanstradal
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stradal/
- Twitter: @jryanstradal
Image Credits
Franco P. Tettamanti
