Interviewed By: Kylie Petrovich
Robert Morgan Fisher, of Los Angeles, is a multifaceted artist and writer whose creative passions range from music to fiction. SHIFT recently published his work “Soul of the Storm” in volume five. The speculative fiction piece explores the possibility of an innate intelligence behind violent storm systems.
Fisher’s inspiration for “Soul of the Storm” stemmed from his fascination with tornadoes, cultivated during his upbringing as a “military brat.” He moved frequently and spent time in Tornado Alley. The story’s setting in Xenia, Ohio, is based on his personal experience traveling there for a high school tennis match. A tornado had hit the area a couple years prior. “[It] looked like a router had randomly carved up the town,” he says.
He also credits his editor at The Wright State Daily Guardian. He calls him a “cool dude” named Chip Swindler, who shared his experience. “He was stoned and hid under the bed when the big one hit,” Fisher says. That planted the seed for “Soul of the Storm.” Fisher cites another influence on the story: the Porter Wagoner song “Big Wind” captivated him as a boy.
The character of Dr. Hale Swinbourne, the protagonist of “Soul of the Storm,” is a former meteorologist whom the scientific community ostracized for his belief that storm systems have an intelligence. Fisher says he derived Swinbourne’s name from his own creative philosophy of “Never Waste a Name.” He credits Chip Swindler as inspiration for the name Swinbourne. Fisher uses language to subtly manipulate the reader’s perception. Swinbourne’s first name, Hale, is an obvious weather reference, while his last name, Swinbourne, connotes “swindle,” referencing his fall from grace.
Fisher drew inspiration from the idea that Indigenous peoples have long believed that nature has a personality and is angry with humans. He recalls singing the song “Nature’s Way” by the band Spirit with an old friend who was in the band. Fisher still often covers the song at Earth Day concerts; he has changed the lyrics to address climate change. He also performs the song during readings of his fiction. “My fiction dialogs actively with my music platform,” he says.
Performing research for “Soul of the Storm,” Fisher delved into documented cases of bizarre atmospheric behavior during tornadoes. For example, storms have appeared to insert paper products neatly into trees and to have carried babies for miles before gently setting them down. He credits The Tornado Project’s “Tornado Oddities” page as a particularly inspiring resource.
Fisher’s writing process involves drinking coffee, taking breaks for exercise, and reading his work aloud. He says he believes in playing discovery and embracing the element of surprise in his writing and edits his work and the work of others to “purge all unnecessary articles, pronouns, and superfluous verbiage.”
Using a tornado as the main character of his story was not a challenge for Fisher; he found it to be one of the most enjoyable parts of the writing process. “Once I got that the Tornado was trying to express itself,” he says, “the rest was easy.” He hopes that readers take away a sense of caution when it comes to natural disasters, emphasizing the importance of having a plan and shelter ready. “These things can literally be meat-grinders,” he adds, so having a plan of action is imperative.
With “Soul of the Storm,” Fisher crafted a thought-provoking speculative fiction work that engages with themes of climate change, scientific ostracization, and the possibility of a sentient natural world. “As artists we have a responsibility to bring light into the world, shine it on the dark, unseen places,” he says. He recalls reading Jim Shepard’s story “The Netherlands Lives with Water,” which is about rising sea levels due to climate change. Fisher explains “I was already leaning towards believing, and that short story convinced me.” “There’s something about well-executed fiction that grabs the reader in ways that nonfiction cannot,” he says, “because fiction/poetry offers us the possibility of truth as opposed to something that might just be propaganda.”
As a writer, musician, and all-around creative thinker, Fisher continues to explore the interplay of different artistic forms and themes in his work. Currently, he coaches manuscript writers, teaches creative fiction at the collegiate level, is working on several short stories, and is near completion on a novel. Fisher does not shy away from the work. He says he is “always revising, improving, and updating the unpublished manuscripts. It never ends and I’m happy about that.”
One of Fisher’s proudest achievements is conducting a writing workshop at the West Los Angeles Veteran’s Center. Now known as the Wordcommandos, many of the veterans from Fisher’s workshop “have been published, won huge awards, fellowships, gotten their MFAs.” Fisher also expresses that he is “proud to say that we’ve managed to get this far without having a single suicide.” To mark the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal from the Vietnam War, Fisher and his Wordcommandos held an event at a large theatre in Hollywood. Stars such as Sharon Stone, John Savage, and Bill Pullman read the short stories; it was a sold-out event.
Fisher’s main advice for aspiring writers is “Do it.” He also encourages writers to “find the funny,” and “dig a little deeper” in their work. He has been quite successful in his life and is inspirational. He uses his writing and knowledge to give back to the community and the world at large. We can all learn a thing or two from that.
For more information about Robert Morgan Fisher visit his website: www.robertmorganfisher.com
To read the latest volume of SHIFT in which Fisher’s work is featured, click on the Purchase tab!
