Bill Ectric

Knock Out! Alex Hutchinson Interviewed by Bill Ectric



Posted: Tuesday, October 03, 2006

by
Billectric

I had to look up the word ingenious – I didn’t want to overstate my enthusiasm.



“Marked by originality and cleverness in conception or execution."



So, I was right! Alex Hutchinson has written an ingenious novel called Virgin Gloves. Plot points dovetail flawlessly into the proverbial page-turner. Even people who are not necessarily into boxing will feel like part of the action.



Boxing is not the only subject that springs naturally from Hutchinson. Unless you are a total homophobe, I believe you’ll find that Hutchinson writes a smart Gay story, too. There is something for everyone: Intriguing detective work, clipped but satisfying boxing matches, and human drama featuring a love triangle with an unexpected twist at the end.



It was my distinct pleasure to ask Alex Hutchinson the following interview questions.





Bill: First, I have to ask, do you like detective stories? The reason I ask is, in Virgin Gloves, the main character does some detective work by studying boxing stats and talking to people in the boxing business. It's remarkably good detective stuff.



Alex: Virgin Gloves is partly based on my real experience as a boxing publicist for a heavyweight fighter. I knew that my fighter was moving up awfully fast and yet he wasn't progressing the way he should be. That led me on a hunt to discover why. I did a little detective work on my own.



Bill: Was there a time when you felt uncomfortable about revealing your bisexuality? If so, how did you overcome that and why?

Alex: Yes, I was very uncomfortable about sex growing up. I grew up in a prudish family who never talked about sex. My parents allowed the public school system to teach me about sex but schools do not teach about sexuality. I learned slowly, usually through friendships with older gay men and a few fast women. It took many years for me to overcome the guilt that I felt about my own body and the feelings that followed.

I didn't lose my virginity (with a girl) until I was nineteen. It happened in a big black van on a back road. The girl and I didn't stay together because I was leaving for the military and when I returned she was with someone else. There was one more encounter with a girl a year later but that didn't work out either. Then I was celibate for seven years. At the end of those seven years I found a very aggressive girl who loved sex and I got to experience four years of passion with her. That allowed me to break through a lot of inhibitions.

On the other side, I had a secret relationship with a guy for a few years (from age 15 to 18) but after him there were only one time meetings, usually in parks, with older men. Those encounters were on and off until I was thirty. They usually provided me with more counsel than sex but those meetings made me feel attractive. I got to be the center of attention and it was very appealing.

It really was a long hard road (no pun intended) but well worth the learning. Now I'm more comfortable with my sexuality than most of the people I meet. In addition, I learned enough to develop an excellent relationship with my current girlfriend. I'm enjoying a deep, honest, true love because I got through all the barriers that hold most people back from expressing themselves. If I had to go back, I wouldn't change a thing.



Bill: Have you done many book signings?



Alex: Book signings are touchy set-ups down here in Florida. Dave Barry did a book signing at a Books-a-Million in Orlando and he only sold three books. People simply don't read down here. I've had five book signings in Florida and four of them were flops. My best showing was at a Borders where I sold five copies of Virgin Gloves. The audience for readers is very weak down here. Up north however, it's a totally different story. I did one in Massachusetts where thirty people showed up. All ages took interest as well as the local media. That worked out well.



Bill: You are a good writer. Did you study writing in high school or college?



Alex: I studied English in college but I never had any formal training as a writer. I'm a natural storyteller. It started from my tendency to lie as a kid. If someone asked me a question and I didn't know the answer, I'd make something up. Evetually these white lies became long intricate stories that captivated my listeners. This unusual talent translated very well into creative writing as the years progressed.

Bill: Can you give me some background on your book Backyard Empire?



Alex: The Extreme Backyard Association was a small group of friends who used to watch wrestling on TV and practice the moves in a dirt ring held together by clotheslines. I joined the group as a referee and learned how they were doing the moves. Soon enough I became a wrestler. The man who lead the group was Jason Sanders, a very charismatic guy who could hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. Jason was the enthusiastic centerpiece of a growing weekly show that eventually made it into the newspapers and on television. In the end, five of these backyard wrestlers graduated from the backyard and became professional wrestlers themselves.

Bill: It sounds to me like you have done some boxing. Correct?



Alex: I was an amateur boxer trained by David Gomes, a man who worked with Peter McNeely and John Ruiz. I had about ten fights in Mass at 130pds when I was 19 years old. Years later, I took a renewed interest in it, trained myself, and fought at a few nightclubs at about 150pds. My record ended at 11 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw, and 3 knockouts. My original trainer David Gomes was very disappointed in me because he believed I could have had a good pro career.

Bill: What other types of martial arts have you studies?



Alex: I started studying Isshinryu karate at the age of thirteen. I reached green belt before my teacher moved on. Over the years I studied Goju-ryu karate, Chung Moo do, Tae kwon do, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, sword play, jiu jitsu and Wei tai jitsu. I used my encyclopedic knowledge of the martial arts to write, direct and star in two low budget Martial arts films, the most notable All American Kumite is available in clips on You Tube.

Bill: Do you think there are any gay boxers who are "in the closet" and, if people found out, would it "change boxing forever" as your book says?

Alex: The answer is absolutely yes. There are gay boxers, some of which have anonymously mentioned on internet blogs that they would like to come out of the closet but are afraid to do so. This would change boxing in a big way. A fighter who is publicly gay would be talked about by thousands of people who never before had any interest in the sport. They would be the lead in a new cause. Each and every bout would be a battle between a gay guy standing up for himself and a sport that has always failed to narrowly define its combatants.

In the past boxing has been a social springboard for minorties of all stripes. Thousands of blacks took hope when Joe Louis became heavyweight champion. It conformed that they could do anything whites could do. Now Latino fighters are proving themselves worthy on all levels. It is inevitable that a gay fighter will come out and when it happens, the national media is likely to take notice. That story would be very hard to ignore. No matter who it is, you can bet that I'll be cheering for him.

Bill Ectric likes to erase the line between science and mysticism. He is the author of Tamper, a coming-of-age novel about a young man obsessed by unexplained mysteries.

On the web, Bill’s work has appeared on SearchWarp, Literary Kicks, Dogmatika, Mystery Island, The Beat, Syntax of Things, Empty Mirror Books, and Lit Up Magazine.

He lives with his wife in Jacksonville, Florida. By day, when not writing, Bill mows the lawn and complains about the heat. By night, he sneaks around in the back yard, convinced that the garden gnomes are “up to something.”

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