Thomas Kearnes

About Me

I am a 33-year-old author from East Texas. Before starting fiction at age 28, I wrote poetry (had a few published when I was 19 and 20), film criticism, journalism and screenplays. I hold a master's in the latter from UT-Austin. Also, I made the semifinals in the AMPAS-sponsored Nicholl Fellowship competition. Scripts I wrote also made the semifinals in scr(i)pt Magazine's competition and the Screenplay Festival. My film criticism received first place in the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association's awards.

I have published nearly 50 stories in various publications including Night Train, SmokeLong Quarterly, Temenos, Word Riot, The Pedestal, wigleaf, Bound Off, Pindeldyboz, 3:AM Magazine and other places.

Why do you write?

Most of my stories are drawn from real life, the people I have known and the experiences I have had. If I did have a writing philosophy, I guess it would have to be Anais Nin's, "We write to taste life twice."

Any favorite authors? Books?

Joyce Carol Oates, Aimee Bender, John Cheever, Randall Brown, Mary Miller, Raymond Carver, Chuck Palahniuk, Margaret Atwood, Truman Capote, Kim Chinquee, Bret Easton Ellis, Andre Dubus III, Peter Hoeg, Miranda July, Denis Johnson, Amy Hempel, Jean Thompson