The biggest influence on my writing, besides snagging some ideas about black humor, was that the paper mill had a program where they paid 75 percent of the tuition and book [costs] for employees who wanted to go to college part-time.
Donald Ray PollockI don't really think the outburst is recent; there have always been writers in Appalachia.
Donald Ray PollockA lot of people get the wrong impression, think there's something romantic or tragic about hitting bottom.
Donald Ray PollockI took a correspondence course with a guy at Ohio University. He gave me ten exercises, and one of them resulted in the story "Bactine." It pleased me a lot more than anything else I'd ever done, so I kept messing around and by the time I got to Ohio State I'd written maybe eight stories.
Donald Ray Pollock