#24: Five for Them, One for Me, with Rob D. Smith

Rob's debut novel, GOOD-LOOKING UGLY, is out today

I’ve only know Rob Smith a few years, but it feels like we’ve been friends a lifetime. We met virtually in 2020, as part of an online writer’s group during the pandemic, surprised to discover we both lived in Louisville. We finally met in person the next year during a Noir at the Bar in Lexington hosted by writer/attorney/restauranteur Wes Browne.

In the years subsequent, Rob’s becomes absolutely one of the best friends a person could hope to have, and that’s really because Rob is one of the best people I’ve ever known. There are also probably too many photos of us at Louisville bars, where wings are eaten, old-fashioneds are consumed, and shit is talked.

He’s friendly, generous with his time, a supporter of fellow writers, and a tireless craftsman. In addition to being the hardest-working writer I know—he always has stories on submission or something fresh being published—he’s an associate editor at Rock and A Hard Place Magazine.

Rob’s debut is GOOD-LOOKING UGLY, and even if we weren’t friends, I’d have loved it. A heist novel set around cockfighting in Kentucky, GOOD-LOOKING UGLY is a rollickingly smart and fast-paced story that shows off Rob’s talent for compelling characters and sharp banter, but also with concerns about family and redemption at its center.

Rob’s also the latest Five for Them, One for Me.

Let’s go.

FIVE FOR THEM

1. What’s the origin point for GOOD-LOOKING UGLY?

This novel was inspired by two branches of the same tree. This quote is from a Boris Karloff character in a 1935 film called The Raven. This killer was driven to a life of violence by his unseemly appearance. “Ever since I was born, everybody looks at me and says, ‘You’re ugly.’ Makes me feel mean.” I twisted that together with the French term Jolie Laide which translates to “pretty-ugly” or “good-looking ugly”. A belief that even someone with an unattractive appearance by society’s norms can still be beautiful.

2. Daniel Brown is a compelling protagonist, struggling with so many aspects of self. Talk about crafting him as your main character.

I created Daniel Brown off my premise of “feeling mean” since he feels constantly scrutinized for his appearance. At least his perception is that he is always feeling watched and judged. He hates being pitied. I want to see what path he would walk in this world. It’s one of loneliness and bouts of violence.

3. GOOD-LOOKING UGLY is very much a book about family and loyalty, which you’ve explored in your short fiction. What keeps you coming back to these themes?

I come from a large Catholic family. I had twenty-four aunts and uncles. My Dad was always emphasizing the importance of being there for the family. I grew up visiting my country relatives at my grandparent’s homes in central Kentucky every weekend and holiday. Big meals and big personalities. Born in the suburbs of Louisville, I still felt more akin to the farm life than my city.

4. You describe yourself as a “pulp” writer, but your work always feels heartfelt and character-focused. How do you balance what you perceive as ‘pulp’ with this humanistic tone?

I do like to write mayhem mixed with wise-ass characters. The key to grounding pulp for me is empathy. I’ve always been able to see another person’s point of view and even if I don’t agree with it, I can understand how that affects them. Mostly. Every character has flaws as well as good qualities. Even shit heels have someone that loved them once. I also fall back on my earliest parochial school teachings.  “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Notice they say “her.”

5. You are the pre-eminent writer of Louisville, Ky.-based crime fiction. What makes Louisville such a great place to write about?

The birthplace of the Greatest Muhammed Ali. Home of the Kentucky Derby, “the Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” UPS transports a million packages through our airport daily. Louisville is neither Southern nor Midwestern yet it contains elements of both cultures. I consider the Ville a gateway between the North and the South. All sorts of interesting people pass through our city every day and night. We also have wide community divides. Ethnicity, poverty, and history are those lines that break up our city into distinct zones. We are a small big city. When someone asks you what school you went to, they mean high school, not college. And they are asking so they can know where you grew up in Louisville. I’ve lived in Louisville all my life and I’m still learning new things about it.

ONE FOR ME

What’s your go-to order when getting fried chicken from Indi’s—the best fried chicken joint in Louisville?

Naturally a four-piece fried chicken meal with mixed greens, mac and cheese, and as many of their spicy fried potato wedges as I can eat. They are humongous and will give you’re taste buds an uppercut. Shut up, Hector!

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That’s all we’ve got for now. Thanks for coming. See you next time, and hey, let’s be careful out there.