Watch RANDY & PATRICIA JOIN A MILITIA

Performed by actor Dan Cristofori

Get to know writer Randy Gillis:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your short story about?

Randy Gillis: This story is about one gentle man’s struggle to survive in an absurdly violent world by finding a way to play the system.

MT: Why should this story be read by people?

RG: I think anyone who feels increasingly at a loss to make sense of this swirling horror show may find a chuckle or two. And these days, chuckles are like gold.

MT: How would you describe this story in two words?

RG: Fabulously disturbing.

MT: What movie have you seen the most in your life?

RG: Oh, wow, so many. OUTRAGEOUS! leaps to mind. It’s the first gay movie I remember seeing and for an isolated, small-town homo, it was a revelation. I fell in love with every frame. That, and SATAN’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. It’s practically biographical.

MT: How long have you been working on this story?

RG: The Randy & Patricia adventures are generally in response to something I’ve read or seen in the news that I find very difficult to process. I take it and put it in their capable hands and let them have at it. Once the light goes on, the story usually comes very quickly.

MT: Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

RG: I would have to say….JAWS! Because I saw the film before I read the novel, I spent all of 7th grade with these amazing sexual fantasies revolving around Richard Dreyfuss. Anyone who has read the novel, knows what I’m talking about.

MT: What motivated you to write this story?

RG: To stay sane, and to delay my inevitable, multi-state crime spree. Seriously, humor has always been my most effective weapon and I feel very grateful that I’m able turn some of this world-induced bitterness into something funny.

MT: What artist would you love to have dinner with?

RG: Harrison Ford for the volcanic sex that would be playing out in my head during the meal, and Adrienne Barbeau because she’s Adrienne freaking Barbeau!

MT: Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

RG: For many years now, I have been a weekend potter. Working with clay is another prong in my 3-pronged strategy to stave off insanity, with writing being one and masturbation being the last.

MT: What influenced you to enter the festival?

RG: I have been a fan of WILDsound for years, with several entries to date. I enjoy the feedback.

MT: Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

RG: Listen to criticism without defensiveness, glean what you can use, and discard the rest. And for the love of god, keep writing!