Q&A with Carl Nomura
What is the significance of the title Sleeping on Potatoes?
The title comes from one of the stories in the book about my experience as a migratory farm worker. I actually slept on a pile of potates when I had the job of sorting them in a cavernous root cellar in Idaho.
In your opinion, what makes your book stand out from similar books/topics on the market?
It is a book with serious subjects but written with simple, easy to understand sentences. It is laced with humor, it is informative, there are no secrets because "I let it all hang out." Though mistreated, I wrote about my experiences with no bitterness. It also covers a broad range of subjects so it is a book that can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of readers. I drew this conclusion because the readers who write to me are young, old, women, business people. The publisher wanted to publish my book because she liked my stories.
How did the idea for your book originate?
The book began as a collection of short stories. Gwen Moore, a concert pianist, published author and computer guru, liked my stories but insisted that I convert them to a memoir. I agreed and spent a year writing connecting stories so the readers would know who is who. The connecting stories were about the relocation, my kids, work and the army.
Did the book involve special research?
The book required little research because the stories came out of my head. I belonged to a writers' group of six people, all of whom were published and polished writers. This group gave a lot of insight through their critiques of the stories. We met once a week for about three hours.
Growing up as a kid of thee Great Depression years, were you aware of being poor?
I was not aware of being poor because everyone was poor. I have watched people scavenging from garbage cans at the wholesale produce market in L.A. We had food on the farm, though the fare was limited to whatever was in season. Green onion and eggplants were poor fare three times a day.