Interview with Gerald D. Otis, Author of Vetlandia

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Vetlandia?

I had a 40 year career as a clinical psychologist and researcher. A significant amount of that time was spent in what the most quoted sociologist of the 20th Century, Irving Goffman, popularized as “total institutions.” In such facilities, the life space of the inhabitants is tightly controlled, the individuals are labeled, categorized, and often dehumanized. Those in control see themselves as morally superior, control access to resources, and hold the fate of the inmates in their hands. Many of these institutions are insulated from external oversight thereby enabling corruption to thrive. Staff may manipulate rules to maintain control and protect themselves from accountability, perpetuating an atmosphere of fear and submission. I observed these dynamics first hand and saw their deleterious effects on numerous patients. My consternation and anger resulted in many conflicts with those in charge. At the same time I saw the resilience of those struggling to free themselves of their personal demons in spite of the obstacles presented by their oppressors. I wanted to communicate this state of affairs in a dramatic form and champion the indomitable human spirit.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Vetlandia, what would they be?

I would leave that task to the music editor of the film version of Vetlandia. I’m a writer, not a musician. However, my musical tastes run to the classical, jazz, Herb Alpert and various and sundry songs of the 50s and 60s.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I have no favorite genre and appreciate interesting stories in many forms. I enjoy historical fiction, Kurt Vonnegut novels (especially Mother Night), some thrillers, folklore, and a wide range of non-fiction including biographies, accounts of historical events, genealogy, medicine, scientific tomes, political essays, statistical methods, and whatever strikes my fancy.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I just assembled a book from the notes of a deceased colleague for his former employer. I have read The Behavior of Persons by Peter Ossario (a book about how we use concepts to understand the world, the self and each other) and 1491 (the Americas before Columbus). I am reading the pre-publication works of a friend who happens to be a psychiatrist but writes with an eye toward integrating science, ethics and spirituality. And I have a stack of about 500 articles to read grouped into the categories of emotion, embodied cognition, language, personality, the self concept, and social cognition. Every now and then, I read a fiction book that catches my eye.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The action scenes that take place during the occupation of Vetlandia by the militia were fun. I had several different characters operating and communicating in different locations all at once. In order to keep things straight, I had to make up a diagram to remember who was where and what they knew or didn’t know at different times.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I do not follow the maxim to write something every day. I have to let ideas “incubate” in the unconscious for a while and then I will generate a stream of sentences until I write myself into a corner. Then I have to let things stew a while until I come up with a way out of the corner. I did the same thing when I designed artistic furniture: lay on a couch and think about it for a few days, “forget” about it for a while, and then the image would just come to me out of the blue.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Stay true to your values, don’t rush to judgment or try to be expedient.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Stay open to the possibilities in people, don’t make assumptions about what they can or cannot do.

Gerald D. Otis is the author of the new book Vetlandia

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