William Lychack

William Lychack

William Lychack has worked as a teacher, editor, speechwriter, ghostwriter, journalist, lifeguard, carpenter, bartender, janitor, Mr. Softee Ice Cream Man, and a Judo instructor in New York City. His latest gig: acclaimed author of The Wasp Eater, a poignant fiction debut about a young boy's attempt to bring his parents back together.

Biography

William Lychack received his B.A. (1988) in philosophy from Connecticut College and his M.F.A. (1991) from the University of Michigan. Among other places, his stories have appeared in The Best American Short Stories, Ascent, Ploughshares, The Seattle Review, and on Public Radio International's This American Life. He has published children's books, corporate histories, and has worked as a teacher, editor, speechwriter, ghostwriter, journalist, lifeguard, carpenter, bartender, janitor, Mr. Softee Ice Cream Man, and a Judo instructor in New York City.

Biography courtesy of the author's official web site.

Good To Know

Some interesting outtakes from our interview with Lychack:

""For some years I worked as a Judo instructor to learning disabled and autistic kids in New York City. I played and competed in the sport until I was thrown on my head and suffered a fairly serious concussion.""

""For a few summers I drove a Mister Softee Ice Cream truck! That alone warrants an exclamation mark, doesn't it?""

""And though this smacks of one of those singles' ads, if I could be anywhere right now I'd probably be in Myanmar (Burma) on Inle Lake. My wife and I have traveled throughout Southeast Asia and have fallen hard for Burma.""

""The sad truth is that there's not a lot of free time these days. In the last year I've published my novel, gone on tour for the book, moved out of New York City after almost ten years there, written freelance pieces, finished a new collection of stories, started teaching at two colleges, and had a baby. So any interests and hobbies that are not essential have fallen away, I'm afraid. To be frank, sleep feels like a hobby or indulgence with a year-old boy in the house. I try to run every other day or so, but that's about all I can manage. In my dreams, though, if I had to do it all over again, I'd be a landscape painter.""