We’re thrilled to introduce the latest addition to the Type Eighteen Books family. Michael Keefe is our third author based in Portland, and he also does the heroic work of bringing books to eager readers at a fantastic independent bookstore. He’s the author of one previous novel, All Her Loved Ones, Encoded (Running Wild Press, 2024), and Western Terminus: Stories and a Novella (Cornerstone Press, 2025). His short fiction has appeared in Tahoma Literary Review, Thin Air Magazine, Summerset Review, and other literary journals. A former music critic, he has written for outlets such as PopMatters and Sound-on-Sound. When not writing, he sings and plays rhythm guitar in obscure local band Budget Airlines. He is the Events Coordinator and Publicist at Annie Bloom’s Books, an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife, the author Liz Prato, and their two cats.

By way of introduction, here are Michael’s answers to our short Q&A:

Who are some of your favorite authors, and why?

Reading Don DeLillo’s Underworld was an awakening for me. His use of descriptive language to create tension and atmosphere is incredible. For psycho-emotional complexity, and great storytelling, no one beats Elena Ferrante. In terms of conveying depth of character, Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet was also an awakening for me. Tana French is another favorite, for many reasons, but especially for dialogue. Yes, she captures voice extremely well, but she’s also masterful at depicting gestures and expressions within dialogue. In a Tana French novel, how a line is spoken—and what goes unsaid—often carries more weight than the characters’ words themselves.

When did you know you were a writer?

I spent decades dabbling in writing. In high school and college, I wrote poetry. In my twenties, my artistic focus shifted to songwriting, while I occasionally pecked away at the beginnings of stories and novels. In my thirties, while building my career as a bookseller, I had a side hustle in music journalism. When l I hit my forties, I finally accepted I was never going to make it as a musician. At the same time, I got tired of churning out album and concert reviews. That’s when I finally dedicated myself to writing fiction. So, I wrote a confusing novel that now lies buried on a hard drive. Then I started a second, ultimately unpublished novel. I took writing workshops and learned the craft and drafted some short stories. In 2016, when the first of those stories was accepted for publication, that’s when I finally felt like I’d become a real writer.

Where were you born? Do you think the places of our lives inform our writing?

I was born in Los Angeles and grew up in San Diego County, amid orange groves and sagebrush. That landscape definitely influenced the stories and novella that make up my 2025 short fiction collection, Western Terminus. Before moving to Portland in 1995, I also spent several years in Santa Fe, Denver, and Santa Cruz, and I’ve minded all those places for settings in my fiction. That said, I also love to explore other places and eras through research and imagination. Write what you know, but also write what you don’t know.

Where would you vacation—city, country, beach, or mountains?

Cities have grown less and less appealing to me. These days, I crave relaxation over stimulation. I also crave sunshine and warmth, which maybe goes back to my Southern California childhood. If I can be in nature while also wearing a T-shirt, then I’m happy with country, beach, mountains … or desert. They all inspire my writing in different ways.

What do you think is the most important part of storytelling?

For me, narrative voice is the first element that either draws me in or shuts me out. If I start reading a novel, and the prose feels flat—like the author is just explaining their characters and story to me—I won’t get past page 3. Whether in first person present or third person past, I want to feel like I’m immersed in the protagonist’s experience of the world. Show me who the main character is through how they make sense of the setting, characters, and plot unfolding before their eyes. That’s when storytelling comes alive.

Read more about the author and his writing at Michael Keefe Author.