November 8, is the day when all the media cameras will turn to the U.S.

The day of 45th presidential election

Who will win!

Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton!

And who doesn’t wish to have a first hand information and opinion of the upcoming election? So today we have with us the renowned playwright, political junkie and lover of words: Mike Broemmel. Read on to know about his love for Indian Literature, upcoming election and his tips for young writers.

Mike Broemmel

A novelist, playwright and a lecturer: multiple roles to play. How do you juggle between them?

Juggling is the hard part. What I try to do is block time off each week for different projects. For example, I’ll block off a couple of days to work on play scripts. Having a fairly specific schedule is what seems to work the best for me.

You are good with words, why have chosen to be a playwright?

I accidentally stumbled into becoming a playwright. I enjoy going to plays, but I also enjoy reading them. One day, I spent some time reading Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman … which I had read many times, but it had been a while in the past. In any event, when I finished, I decided I wanted to give writing a play a try. The first play I wrote is called The Row. It has been produced a number of times, including for the 2015 Colorado (USA) Theatre Festival, where it received a number of awards.

For the people who don’t know who Mike Broemmel, tell us more about you.

I spent a good part of my early career working in the political arena. My first job was working at the White House in the Office of Media Relations when Ronald Reagan was the U.S. President. I worked for a number of other politicians. I have a degree in political science and a law degree as well. I started writing full time in 2000.

What are the controversies revolving around your writings, how do you take criticisms?

Some of my plays have addressed controversial issues. For example, a play that I wrote that has been running for a year, and has been renewed for another year, is called Taking Tea with the Ripper. It is about Jack the Ripper, the Victorian era London serial killer. It uses very graphic language. It is a disturbing play. But, I think that it is important for a writer to disturb an audience sometimes. 

What is your take on Indian Literature? Do you have any favorite Indian Author?

I am a fan of Indian literature, culture, and history. I also have followed Indian politics for going on 40 years. At the moment, my favorite Indian author is Jhumpa Lahiri. I am a huge fan of the short fiction genre. In my mind, she is a master of the short story. I also have admired Salman Rushdie for many years. I find Indian literary fiction to have a richer quality than what is found currently among fiction writers generally in my own home country of the United States. Indian literature seems to me to be more textured and nuanced.

For the new comers in the literature scene, who wish to become authors; what are your valuable writing tips for them?

I think that one key to succeeding in the literature scene is writing something every day. You might not write anything that has staying power in your own personal library of work. But, success in writing demands a discipline that needs to include writing for some period of time every day. Finally, I think a key to successful writing is to use words to show, not just tell.

When did you get interested in politics? What are your view points on the upcoming American presidential election? Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, whom do you think has got more chances to win and why?

I’ve been interested in politics for as long as I can remember. I left politics, pretty much for good, in 2000. I found the political climate in the United States to be too nasty for my own tastes.

I have never seen anything like the current U.S. presidential election. My gut tells me Donald Trump is going to win. I think he will win for two reasons. One, a number of U.S. voters is so tired of politics as usual and sees Trump as something very different. Second, although polls tend to have him behind, I think they are not presenting a good reading of the situation. I think there is a block of voters who intend to vote for Trump, but will never admit they did vote for him. In other words, I think there are some people who are asked who they are voting for in polls, they answer “Clinton,” but they really will end up voting for Trump. I can say this: I will be very happy when this election campaign in the United States comes to an end.

Writer’s block; have you ever gone through such a phase, if yes, how did you surpass it?

I am lucky. I have never experienced writer’s block.

What are your upcoming projects?

My most immediate project is a play called Stand Still & Look Stupid. Stand Still & Look Stupid tells the tale of Hollywood legend Hedy Lamarr. Hedy was the most popular World War II pin-up girl and was known worldwide as “the most beautiful girl in the world.” What most people do not realize is that Hedy Lamarr was a brilliant inventor. Her work laid the groundwork for the technology that permits us to have WiFi, Bluetooth, television remote controls and a wide-range of other products we depend on each and every day. Hedy Lamarr was a talented actress … but she truly is also the proverbial “mother of Wi-Fi,” among other things.

To Know More About Mike Broemmel: http://www.mikebroemmel.com/

Broemmel’s Message. I Cherish. Thank You!

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