This week’s spotlight shines on Michael Jai Grant, contributor to 42 Stories Anthology Presents: Book of 42², where his story ZIPPERS AND CHEESE ARE THE OBSTACLES TO LOVE appears in the collection’s more whimsical (yet truthful) corners. With a style that moves fluidly between razor wit and spiritual depth, Michael’s work captures contradictions with clarity—and heart.
📍 Location: North Stamford, Connecticut, USA
🖋️ Writing Spaces: Libraries and his home office
📚 Website & Socials:
✍️ Author Bio
Michael Jai Grant writes until his fingers go numb, his ulna aches, his butt falls asleep, and his husband growls. Then he picks up the camera. He lives for travel, theater, dogs, the chewiness of language, and appreciation. Read his novels. They’re worthy.
Fun fact: Despite owning a coffee shop for years, Michael has only had two cups of coffee in his life... and one ended up in his lap.
Quickfire Round with Michael Jai Grant
Q: Is there something you passionately wish the human race would stop doing?
A: I wish the human race would stop seeing God as a creator or judge or parent or mythic being—external, in any form. That idea divides us. God is internal. The light we all share is pure, but we prism it through religion, culture, and ideology until it splits and breaks us. That light should illuminate, not separate.
Q: What’s your greatest achievement in writing/art?
A: Writing my first novel—and having a publisher believe in it. Even more powerful: people read it, love it, and tell me how it’s affected them. That’s magic.
Q: A reader who likes…
Humor, adventure, drama, and a unique voice will enjoy The Limited Edition Bicentennial Cadillac Convertible Joy Ride, available on Amazon, B&N, or MichaelJaiGrant.com.
🎤 Longform Reflections
💡 What inspires you to write/make art, and who, or what keeps you going?
Oddly, I don’t know. The urge to write, take a photo, make a film—it just is. Even if no one sees it, I have to do it. My husband is supportive, but this drive doesn’t come from him. It’s internal. I might hear something, see light fall a certain way, or rethink a familiar idea—and suddenly I’m in motion: jotting a note, grabbing the camera, recording a voice memo.
It might be the intersection of OCD and autism in my wiring. But more than that, it’s a calling. The muse is always there; I just need to clear the space. That’s the hardest part—because life is noisy. Mortgages, errands, food, relationships. But when I make room? It flows. And I don’t stop because there’s no “off.” I just keep going. I have to.
📖 What was the first story or art piece you created—and was it published?
Mrs. Silverman. Fifth and sixth grade. She made us write weekly journal entries from Friday prompts. Most groaned. I thrived. I rewrote them obsessively before transferring the final version into the journal.
Each week, three “Happy Grams” were awarded for the best entries. For two years, I received one every single week—undefeated. I was bullied badly back then, but something strange happened: when I stood up to read, those same kids listened. No fists. No mocking. Just attention. Applause, even.
That early validation didn’t erase the bullying, but it made the weekends lighter—and gave me a way to connect, to matter. That journal became my first body of work. Childish? Sure. But it was art. It was mine. And it changed the way I saw the world—and myself.
📖 Want more of Michael’s work?
Visit www.MichaelJaiGrant.com or read his story ZIPPERS AND CHEESE ARE THE OBSTACLES TO LOVE in 42 Stories Anthology Presents: Book of 42² — available now in print, ebook, and audiobook. More details here: 42storiesanthology.com
Stay tuned for more author interviews in the 42² series.
No comments:
Post a Comment