Perhaps it’s because of the landscape, the undeniable expanses of open and empty spaces in the West, and the dramatic mountain ranges that beckon people to move on, whereas the landscape here seems more cozy or confining.Īnd yet, the cultural understanding that one ought to belong and be content in a place can conceal a repressed feeling of estrangement. And in the West, there seems to be a restlessness, more inclination to move. People who live in the Midwest seem to have settled near where they grew up, whereas people in California have come from around the world. I’ve noticed one real contrast with the West since moving here. I didn’t know much about the Midwest before moving here I hadn’t spent much time in the region, outside of several trips to Chicago. LC: It’s true that my novels are set in California, but I have written some short stories set in the Midwest, including “Bats,” which won the Barthelme Prize in Short Prose. Now that you live in Bowling Green, Ohio, how did your perception of the Midwest change when you left the West Coast? LS: You grew up in California, and all of your novels are set in Northern California. And the undergraduate program is made up almost entirely of Ohioans, so the stories I see and the discussions we have about them have given me insight into what it’s like to have roots here. The graduate program recruits nationally, and even attracts international students at times, but there is still a regional flavor to it. I’ve also grown to understand something of the culture of this part of the world, in part through my creative writing students.

Lawrence Coates: I’ve lived in Northwest Ohio since 2001, in the center of what was once the Great Black Swamp, and I’ve grown to understand Midwestern seasons and landscapes. Lauren Stachew: What’s your connection to the Midwest? Midwestern Gothic staffer Lauren Stachew talked with author Lawrence Coates about his book The Goodbye House, how his time at sea prepared him to become an author, unsettling characters through specific settings, and more.

Camp Olvido by Lawrence Coates