Voracious reader loves the process of creative writing

"I'm remarkably fortunate that I have had no other aspirations. I studied comparative literature as an undergraduate, but when I finished, I shod horses, worked on an oil rig, taught in high school and wrote a few short stories, but not enough to support me. I thought about writing all the time. I have been an inveterate reader since I was 12. All my life I've read up to 175 books a year, a lot of them twice."

Spragg thinks that his varied experiences provide good background for a writer, making him "an anonymous observer of the world." On the other hand, Spragg often includes quantum physics as well as poetry in his voracious reading. "Quantum physicists look at life theologically and scientifically. Being raised in a national forest, I fundamentally see the world from a sense of quietude, a bit of magic and the inexplicable."

Spragg has never expected applause. "It's foolhardy. I rarely contemplate the possibility of success or being awarded prizes. I truly love the process of writing, but I'm not much enamored with the notoriety that comes with it."

He sees the theme of "An Unfinished Life" as forgiveness. "I was thinking about that when all the elements of the story came into play. One of the gifts of aging is that you become more comfortable with who you are. Einar and Mitch are plain spoken men who are very comfortable with who they are."

Although Spragg includes some cursing in the book, he doesn't consider any of it gratuitous. "Almost all of it comes in the chapters about Roy (Jean's brutal ex-boyfriend). He's a horrible man. He sentimentalizes violence and feels utterly righteous in his sense of violence. I wanted him to seem to be a crude person. He feels misunderstood, but we understand him perfectly in the book. Griff, the young girl, is such a brave, extraordinary soul. For her to be damaged by this man is atrocious."

Spragg concedes he is obsessive in his writing. "I work seven days a week until I get a first draft of a book down. I have lunch, take a walk, then edit through the afternoon. I used to be concerned that I was obsessed. But then I realized I want my doctor and my plumber to be obsessive, to really know what they're doing. I care about writing far and away more than any other activity in my life."

Interestingly, Spragg is a close friend of Kent Haruf, the noted author of "Plainsong" and "Eventide" — and they spend a lot of time talking about writing. Anyone who has read both men's work will likely see some similarities of style — spare, straightforward description, prickly dialogue, strong, disparate characters, most with an appealing sense of "goodness."

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E-mail: dennis@desnews.com