Brad Neely: Art Is Freedom
Brad Neely is an American comic book artist and television writer/producer known for his work on television series such as “South Park”, “China, IL,” and “Brad Neely’s Harg Nallin’ Sclopio Peepio.” He is responsible for the web series “I Am Baby Cakes” and “The Professor Brothers,” and he also created the short George Washington and the Harry Potter spoof Wizard People, Dear Reader. Neely lives with his wife and their daughter in Los Angeles. Find him on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
Brad Neely
In this post, Brad discusses how writing a book set in the American Civil War became shockingly timely with his new literary fiction novel, You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant, his advice for writers, and more!
Name: Brad Neely
Literary agent (if one): Daniel Milachewski
Book title: You, Me, and Ulysses S. Grant
Publisher: Keylight Book, an imprint of Turner PublishingLiterary Fiction
Expected release date: January 23, 2024
Genre/category: Literary Fiction
Elevator pitch: It’s a bad biography of Ulysses S. Grant as told by the least professional biographer imaginable. He breaks all the rules and makes it all about himself.
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What prompted you to write this book?
I distrust sincere biopics of supposed historical accuracy. I wanted to ruin something by loving it too much. I wanted to play around with masculinity in America. But mostly I wanted to make a bunch of language-level jokes.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
20 years, on and off. I always felt iffy about making a comedy set in the American Civil War. But when I saw the confederate flag in the capitol on January 6, it felt right to be telling the story in a black and white, good vs. evil sort of way. Seems “civil war” is in the news and in the feeds uncomfortably often. Felt like the right book for America right now.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
Many. Despite having always been a book person, I usually work in Hollywood making cartoons. I had silly fantasies about publishing, and I expected to be working with tweedy old people. Turns out there’s lots of young people in publishing and I’m the old one dressed like Tolkien on Zooms.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
No. It went completely according to the 20-year plan.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Laughs. This is a fun book. It’s very silly and smutty. But the facts are largely accurate. So, even though the narrator’s interpretations of the facts are subjective, the reader may get a sense of Grant’s life as he tried to achieve/survive the American Dream.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
I’d say, “Don’t listen to anyone, you hot god. Art is freedom. Make the book you want to read.”
But then I’d whisper, “Read everything. Read Virginia Tufte. And listen to all the advice, but take only what feels right to you.”
That’s what I’d say, but I’d never say it to anyone because general advice is for boors.
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