Wade is Sharing the Shallows

shallowreader 2 Comments

Wade and I started following each other on Twitter early on in 2009. We were both in readerly circles and in bookish and pop culture-ish conversations that continue to this day. I think we have passed each other at book and blogger events here and there in the way that Twitter users do. Wade Bowmer has been part of the Hatchback Hero debate right from the argument’s inception.

Wade Bowmer wearing bear ears holding his cat sitting in his lounge room with a couch, sewing machine, bookcases, computer screen and colourful lights

Wade Bowmer/@staticstan

Can you describe yourself?

My name is Wade Bowmer and I program for a website for a living. I usually call myself senior developer and database wrangler. I also sometimes call myself writer or story-teller because being able to see how stories work in the world seems to be an uncommon skill.  But learning how stories worked has helped me rebuild myself after a terrible life event about a decade ago. It has also helped me make a lot of new friends, opened me up to a whole new range of thinking and made me (I think) a better person for it.
Other than that, I live with my cat in a rather cluttered little town house, with too many hobbies and not enough days in the week. And if you follow me on Twitter you will have to endure bursts of K-pop-related tweets. I also blog occasionally about writing at justaddstory.com.

What is your main reading medium (books, blogs, games, news, etc) and how much time do you spend reading a week?

My main reading has shifted drastically over the decades. It used to be novels, often borrowed from the school library. Then I could start buying them myself.. Nowadays, living on my own and looking after myself, most of my reading is articles linked off social media or just social media itself. Or work research, usually with the help of Google or other websites. I have no idea how to quantify that. Most of the time I’m awake, I guess!

What or who is your joyful reading (guilty or otherwise) pleasure?

My main joyful reading is social media – Twitter and Facebook – and webcomics. And I know this isn’t really “reading”, but there are some YouTube channels I like (such as Techmoan) which are documentary or instructive in nature, and I also appreciate a number of the investigative shows that SBS has.

Pride and Prejudice (White's edition)Do you have a favourite storyline or plot? And do you have one you will not read?

I don’t think I have a favourite story line, to be honest. Genres, though… Most of my fiction reading would be loosely called “adventure fantasy” (or scifi). This extends to TV and movies, too. They do make for great story telling. I tend to avoid romantic reading, mostly because I never got interested as a teen, and I also tend to avoid teen “coming of age” stories as my teenage years were invariably nothing like that. That said, I have read and rather enjoyed Pride and Prejudice.

Why do you/don’t you use a public library?

I don’t use a public library because I forget they’re there! This is probably because except for the high school library, I never lived near one that was decent for fiction. And although the local one was part of a network, it was a pain to get inter-library books. Even now when I finally do live near a large public library, I still prefer to read from my own small library of 700 or so. It has a terrible fiction section, anyway.

Do you RUI*. If so, what?

Do I read under the influence? I’ll read at _any_ time often until I simply cannot see properly due to tiredness! So, yes?

Do you have a favourite reading spot?

I have a least favourite spot: where people will and do interrupt me!
Growing up, my favourite place was in bed when I should’ve been going to sleep. When I finally had my own place, it took me at least a year to realize I could read in my own armchair into the wee small hours. Now, when at home, I do most reading at my dining room table where I can put the laptop and have a flat surface for the mouse. But I still use the armchair for dead-tree editions.
I don’t read in bed much anymore, largely because my bedlamp isn’t bright enough for my aging eyes.

Toilet reading:

I’m afraid I have to admit I use my phone on the ‘loo, again largely for social media. I never developed the habit of storing reading material near the toilet, however.

Romance fiction of the Happily Ever After (not the love tragedy) kind – are you a Lover or a Hater and why?

Given I don’t seek out or read much romance of the “Happily Ever After” variety, I can’t say I have a preference. That said, there are some tropes I do particularly like in anything romance, especially “earn your happy ending”.  Then, too, I also don’t mind stories sacrificing a happily ever after for other story reasons.

Wade's CarWhat would you give up reading for**?

I couldn’t give up reading. Not for anything. Not even for my beloved K-pop!

Can a romance/crime/super/etc hero be the driver of a hatchback?

A romance hero or super-hero can drive whatever they want! Including, yes, a hatchback.
I should point out that some sports cars and muscle cars are hatchbacks, though often of the fastback style. Who wouldn’t want a hero in a sports car? 🙂

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