Jon:  The blurbs and reviews on your books say a lot of great things, but I’m wondering, how would you describe your books?

Gary:  As my old art, that’s right art, not writing, teacher said once, don’t draw it if you wouldn’t buy it. That’s what I try to do in my writing - conjure up stories on paper that interest and entertain me and hopefully engage the reader or shall I say potential buyer. Because, and I think it was Robert A. Heinlein who said this, the writer is competing for the average Jane’s and Joe’s beer money.

That doesn’t mean I write to the lowest common denominator, as issues such as politics and race invariably gestate in my stuff, but I do want my work to be accessible to a mass audience. An audience that has seen it all before so you gotta step up, you have to make it worth their 25 bucks for a hardback or whatever amount their shelling out in whatever particular medium your work is being presented. My job is not to turn out widgets, as each book or screenplay or whatever should have something that distinguishes it from the work that came before, and what will come after. But I like to think of my work as part of the pop culture canon that is at times vulgar and crass and sometimes reflective and lyrical.

Jon:  L.A. seems to play a important role when you write Ivan Monk. From the little time I spent there, I recognized some place he goes to in the books. (fond memories of El Camino) Do you feel location is important?

Gary:  As one is influenced by many theories and philosophies - for instance I attended Lutheran schools, have been inspired by the writings of Che, Lumumba, Sartre and Marx to name a few - one’s environment, the physical reality you must contend with everyday can’t help but also shape and effect you as a person. Or how certain environments and topography lend themselves to the incubation and perpetuation of specific sub-cultures. Be it certain tribes deep in the Amazon Rain Forest who may live off the ground in the trees to crooked cops in say, Chicago, who might find it easier or more pressure even to be on the take than say a cop in Beverly Hills. So to me, L.A., the city where I grew up and which has undergone such dramatic change is a character in the Monk books. Monk is experiencing the city anew as I do. This is where Koreatown is no longer a small enclave but a section of the city that’s gobbling up real estate and thus fostering the disappearance of old neighborhoods. Or where I came of age in South Central, once a predominantly black part of town, the ghetto as they would say bask east, is now majority Latino. And as these changes occur, there is friction, there is resistance, and, to use the Marxist analysis, there sometimes emerges a synthesis.  That’s what I’m trying to capture to some extent in he Monk books.

Jon:  Your characters have a great blending of street savvy and schooled intelligence, is that kind of a reflection of your self?

Gary:  This reflection is about the people who I respect or at least have observed over a period of time. I’m talking about community and labor organizers and activists who’ve been in the trenches for years on matters like police abuse, tenant’s rights, strikes, all that. These are folks with people skills and who strategize on a daily basis on how best to obtain specific goals. And my wife is my model too. She started a rabble rousing organization and who embodies this street savvy and academic qualities as she also taught urban planning at UCLA. I’m also talking about local pols (politicians) who if not always consistent, and who of us is? Do try to move forward parts of what is a progressive agenda (affordable housing, living wage ordinances, etc.) while contending with their own peccadilloes.

Jon:  What other things have you done besides write?

Gary:  I’ve been a security guard, a printer, done union organizing, been the e.d. of a nonprofit started after the ’92 L.A. riots (or uprising depending on your political bent) whose aim was to foster organizing and policy efforts at bettering race relations, and the political director of a city council campaign.

Jon:  Your books tend to show the underside of society and the more raw aspects of it. But the endings leave the reader with some hope, the feeling that things can be better. Do you think our nation/ society has hope and promise?

Gary:  I have to believe that we have some hope and promise. Not “the sun will come out tomorrow” kind of Polyannish hope but, that belief born of the gut punches that life socks you with and what choice do you have but to get your ass off the ropes and keep dealing. There are indeed, to steal Marvin Wald’s line, eight million stories in the Naked City. Here in L.A. it’s almost a cliché but daily in parts of town like Boyle Heights or Wilmington young mothers who are beat by their baby’s fathers, sometimes when they’re pregnant with another child. They have to sneak to use the phone. But make that call to a public interest lawyer or go to a walk-in domestic violence clinic to get a restraining order, which ain’t much, but it’s more the fact that these women make that psychological break with these bastards. Or look at people in Kabul. Now that we’ve bombed the hell out of them, this in a succession of countries from the British in the 19th century to the then Soviet Union in the ‘80s, who have messed over their country. Yet, amid the rubble and inchoate political state, little markets open selling lamb and whatnot, radios play music (banned under the Taliban), girls have the chance to go to school again…people carry on. It’s what makes the human animal so fascinating - our penchant for preciousness and our search for redemption.

Jon:  I’ve noticed a lot of references to older jazz artists, and older TV shows and movies and also earlier writers on your books. Are you nostalgic or showing some of your early influences?

Gary:  I’m just showing my age. But I do try to pepper in more contemporary references in my stuff too. It helps that I hear my teenaged children talk with their friends so one is exposed to whatever’s the latest cool thing ( shoes, jeans, etc.) and the latest slang. Like what’s tight, and what isn’t. I.e., Ja Rule is, and Mariah Carey ain’t.

Jon:  I’ve heard a rumor that at the Bouchercon basket ball games it’s better to be on your team than it is to play against you. Why is that?

Gary:  Hmmm…this has to do with my inability to play the game and thus I stand around a lot. I was a defensive tackle in high school football, so what can I say?

Jon:  Are we going to be seeing Ivan Monk again?

Gary:  Ivan has been around in a couple of recent short stories. In the fall of 2000, the Shamus Game, an anthology edited by the marvelous Bob Randisi had The Sleeping Detective in it. There’s another short story, Bring Me the Head of Osama bin Laden with brother Monk I’m hoping will see the light of day this year. And on my website - www.gdphillips.com - you can read an original Monk short called The Raiders. Novel-wise, my agent is looking to place the next Monk novel, Angelville, right now. If he can’t sell it on the proposal, I’ll write the book anyway as the damned thing is burning a hole in my head. I’ve got a few changes in mind for Monk and the people in his world, and I badly want to get the story out there.

Jon:  Who are some of your favorite authors?

Gary:  There are far too many and too many of them are cats and kitties I know. I’ll just name a few departed ones to play safe here: Rod Serling, Ralph Ellison, Jim Thompson, Dorothy B. Hughes, and Donald Goines.

Jon:  What’s your favorite way to spend free time?

Gary:  Free time, what’s that? Lemme put it to you this way, last week I had to take our dryer apart. I took metal casing apart to get to the drum, to remove that and get to one of the guide wheels as its bearing had gone out and I had to replace it. I put it back together and it works fine. That’s free time, baby.

Jon:  What do you think is the hardest part about writing?

Gary:  Writing. Sitting your ass in that chair and pounding out the story. Then reading what you wrote. Then groaning loudly. Then rewriting what you wrote as you jettison sentences and what you thought at the time was cute phrasing. Gawd!

Jon:  Not just anyone can look good smoking a cigar. But you sure do. What’s your favorite smoke?

Gary:  I frequent two places here in L.A. One is called Jack’s Liquor in Koreatown. This cat has a walk-in humidor and a fine selection of cigars like Macanudos, Cohibas (well, at least tobacco from Cuban seeds) , Partagas, Romeo y Julieta, etc. He also sells “seconds” of these brands, that is there’s slight imperfections in the cigars and the manufacturers “remainder” these smokes. I also buy from a place that’s been in L.A. some 50 years called La Plata. http://www.laplatacigars.com/map.html ) It’s on Grand near Adams - near the unemployment office but I’m not sure if that’s symbolic of anything.

Jon:  What can you tell about The Perpetrators?

Gary:  The history of this novella is long and twisted. It was originally slated to be published by something called S/Affiliated. This was an effort to produce hip-hop flavored stories with their own rap CD soundtracks. The effort got a lot of press but the company folded. But I’d met Tom Fassbender and Jim Pascoe (he of the green hair) and we got to talking and so forth and now their publishing empire, UglyTown, is bringing the story out. And we’re hoping that comic book artist Paul Pope, will be doing the cover and some interior illos as he did for their book, By the Balls.

The tale itself is a fast moving, over-the-top action/adventure that introduces a new character of mine named Marley. I refer to him as an expeditor and sharp readers will note he makes a cameo appearance in the Martha Chainey novel, Shooter’s Point. One of these days, I might do a short story with Martha and Monk in it.

Hmm, what does it mean that all three of these people have “Ms” in their names?.

Jon:  What kind of movies do you enjoy?

Gary:  Quite a variety actually. Not too long ago I watched Peckinpah’s cut of Cross of Iron on dvd, which is smokin,’ James Coburn is at the top of his game as a cynical German sergeant on the Russian Front in WWII, his loyalty only to his men, his sqaud. I guess Peckinpah was an asshole in real life, but the dude knew how to make a movie. But then I was watching this little flick called Songcathcer my wife had rented and found that compelling too. This is a story of a music professor, a woman, in the late 1800s who travels into the Appalachians and attempts to capture the rural songs there which have links to Scotland and England.

Now, of course I draw the line at a Merchant/Ivory film. Long walks in the countryside with the birds chirping and people talking on and on about the chip in the wine glass from last night’s meal…Jesus!

Jon:  I’ve heard that you are writing a comic mini series. What’s it about?

Gary:  It’s called Shot Callerz from Oni Comics. It’s the robbers who fall out after the robbery bit, but I think there’s some freshness to how the tale is told. And the art by this young contender, Brett Weldele, this heavyweight, will knock you out.

Jon:  Are you a comics reader? And if so, what are your favorites?

Gary:  I’ve read comic books all my life. I wanted to be a comic book artists when I was a kid, only it turned out after pursuing art into my ‘20s, I couldn’t draw. But it helped to give me a visual sense that I try to incorporate in my writing. Curently, I’d say Azzarello’s 100 Bullets, Michael Bendis’ Alias, my friend Greg Rucka’s Batman work and and Ennis' madcap killing machine the Punisher are among my favs.

Jon:  How do you go about research? For instance, did you painstakingly spend time in Vegas hanging out? Absolutely. I sacrifice by going to strip club after strip club, shoving dollar after dollar in those G-strings, downing Bushmill’s and Jack Daniels, double-downing at the poker table…all for my art, man.

Jon:  Was it difficult to write a woman lead ?

Gary:  Yes. But people have said that the second book, the aforementioned Shooter’s Point, is much more in Chainey’s skin. But yeah, writing from a woman’s point-of-view, especially a younger woman, is tough. Women know men and can definitely write us, I don’t know if it’s better, but at least they seem more prepared to get inside our heads. This says something about how men and woman inter-relate in or society of course. I mean it isn’t as if watching Sex in the City or Girlfriends gives you much insight into the female brain.

Jon:  Is there anything about you that would surprise people to know?

Gary:  Naw.

Jon:  Ivan Monk drives a great car. What’s your personal favorite, and what do you actually drive?

Gary:  I drive a piece of shit. It’s a ’92 Isuzu Rodeo with the paint oxidizing and a driver’s door that sometimes just won’t unlock. But when my dad was alive - he was a mechanic and I grew up around cars -- and together we rebuilt a ’58 Ford Fairlane that I drove for several years. That’s a highpoint in my life, a dream come true. I have a brief video clip of me in that car coming around a corner and pulling to stop

Jon:  Do you find that having a website helps you reach readers?

Gary:  I’m not sure. It’s still the old story, you can lead ‘em to water but will they drink? But what the hell, everybody else has got one.

Jon:  What kind of things give you ideas for your books?

Gary:  I peruse several newspapers and magazines (L.A. Times, New York Times, Daily Journal (this is a newspaper for the legal profession and always has stories about lawyers ripping off their client’s money, judges schutpping witnesses…it’s great!), Newsweek, The Nation, etc.) regularly. I also watch CNN, the Newshour, Nightline - when I can stay awake - listen to hip hop radio, observe people in restaurants, here stories from other people. Every scrap and tidbit of data and errata is fuel for the imagination.

Jon:  What’s the one thing that is always in your refrigerator?

Gary:  Milk. I love milk. Osteoporosis stay away from me