Writers Who Read: Dena Hankins

The Writers Who Read series continues this week with author Dena Hankins. Welcome, Dena!

Who are you?
I am a queer, kinky, poly, adventurous sailor with so much left to do and see! Wanderlust is my natural state, perhaps because of my military upbringing, and I’ve sailed both coasts of the US and made a transpacific journey from San Francisco to Hawai’i aboard my own 32′ sailboat.

I started publishing my writing with short-story erotica in (mostly) Cleis Press anthologies, which gave me the opportunity to read at Bluestockings Bookstore in NYC and the confidence to undertake my larger dream. My first novel, Blue Water Dreams, was published by Bold Strokes Books in 2014 and my second, Heart of the Liliko’i, came out this October. The books feature queer/lesbian women who are paired with transmasculine guys.

Which book or series was your gateway into the world of reading?
I’ve been a passionate reader as long as I can remember. Some of my early loves were the Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, and all the works of Louisa May Alcott, especially Rose in Bloom.

Once I discovered – nearly simultaneously – romance and science fiction, I became the girl who read while walking to school. I could read and walk, yes, but also duck branches and mount stairs and avoid traffic, all while delighting in the adventures of all kinds of folks. One of the things I loved about science fiction was the wide variety of sexual behaviors and mores, plus some very creative ideas about gender. My early queer and trans reading all came from SF – romance hadn’t gotten there yet.

Nowadays, what makes you crack open a book instead of pressing play on your favorite Netflix show?
For one thing, I have limited power aboard my boat! But even when powered up, I choose books when I know that I love a writer’s work or when I feel up to putting in some labor. Reading is less passive than watching, and the author and reader are a team in creating the full story.

Which authors are auto-buys for you? Why?
Barbara Kingsolver, for her crisp take on human motivation. Sherri S Tepper, for her ability to throw normal people into the strangest settings. Octavia Butler, for the rich simplicity of her prose and world building. Ursula K Le Guin, for her uncanny ability to write to my hopes. Iain M Banks, for his rollercoaster ride and broad concept of sentience. Nora Roberts, for her understanding that romances are about people relating to one another–the relationship is more important than the conflict. Salman Rushdie for the depth of heart in his characters. Oh my. If I made this list every day, I’d get a new set of authors every time from this point on. Science fiction, romance, postmodern novels…There are so, so many.

What is your book kryptonite–those unique settings, tropes, or character types that make you unable to resist reading?
Sailing, as I’m a sailor, but my standards are very high. There are some kinds of speculative fiction I’m hungry for–feminist, anti-capitalist, egalitarian. I love dystopias, when they represent the original sense of a supposedly utopian society where something has gone wrong. I’m fascinated when a great idea has terrible consequences. I love queer and trans folk who form chosen families, only to discover that family dynamics are hard to get away from. Anyone who will be with you for the rest of your life will test you sooner or later.

What is your ideal time and place to read?
In the morning, over coffee, when my mind is open and expansive. Late at night, when anything seems possible. All day, whenever I can!

Are you a re-reader? Why or why not?
Yes and no. I live on a small sailboat with very limited space. After food, clothes, tools, parts, and my own two books to sell at events, my space is seriously limited. I love the sense of dynamic a paperback provides, with the sense of exactly where I am in the story based on each page flowing by. On the other hand, I used to carry two books in my backpack at all times, just in case I finished one while I was out! My load is lighter, my mind more at peace, and my boat stays afloat now that I do most of my reading electronically.

Which books have had the biggest influence on your writing?
The sheer quantity of books I’ve read has been the biggest influence. Being broadly read is crucial to being able to harness each bit of inspiration in the way it deserves.

What makes a book a satisfying read for you?
I could go on and on! Insights into human motivation, lovely language, characters who don’t just bounce of one another but engage each other to the fullest. Models of reality that differ from the one I live in, especially when I can borrow aspects and bring them into my life.

What are you reading right now?
I’m writing a romantic adventure story (with pirates!), so I’m inspiring myself with Michael Chabon’s Gentlemen of the Road.

~

Captain Dena Hankins writes aboard her boat, preferably in a quiet anchorage. Her new book, Heart of the Liliko‘i, has been called “strong and satisfying” with “intensely vivid sexual encounters” by Publishers Weekly. Her first book, Blue Water Dreams, was named one of the Best of 2014 by Out in Print. When she’s not writing novel-length romance, she keeps her fingers limber with short story erotica and has half a dozen stories in print.

You can find out more about Dena on her website, Facebook, or Twitter.