Interview with Roy Harper, Author of Shank & Heist

ROY HARPER has been incarcerated in Mississippi since 1981 for armed robbery. He has gained nationwide notoriety for two highly publicized escapes from a maximum security prison in 1983 and 2000 and for his efforts in the courts to reduce brutality and injustice in American jails.

Did you like crime fiction when you were growing up?

Depends on who wrote it, I think. Nothing's as real as info from someone who's been there, done that. Whether it's real or not. Still, always liked crime fiction. I used to enjoy reading detective stories and so forth. It's about crimes that happen!

In the 1970s I enjoyed reading stories from outlaw biker magazines like Easyrider. Chopped down, barely legal bikes and shootouts. Even their prison stories were good.

What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?

My first story is Shank. I haven't been writing long.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

Anything can happen. There can be more or less cops, better alarms or worse, faster rides, hot wiring or whatever you choose.

What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?

Most challenging about this genre is honesty. How do you get people to understand, for example, that if you commit a crime here it does not bring the law any closer to you unless you stay where you commit the crimes. It's a simple task: crime here, then move 2 hours away and fall off the radar. If you have no I.D. then don't drive. If your face is hot, stay away from public places and people.

What is up next for you?

In my novel Heist, my protagonist met a kid that ended up being his partner. Dusty Meyers. The kid is a character many people enjoyed. I decided Dusty needed his story told. His life story. I wrote it from just before he ran away from home. It's full of crime and running, but still… same genre. I've tried to make the kid likeable, but stubborn and determined. He survived, then he met Tool in Heist.

Do you have anything to add?

I think characters have to be likeable and vulnerable, even in this genre. Not everyone is Joe Citizen, and those who aren't are not always pieces of shit. Some just live outside the law because it's the only way they know.