Arthur Davis is a management consultant, has been quoted in The New York Times, Crain’s New York Business, interviewed on New York TV News Channel 1, taught at the New School University, given testimony as an expert on best practices for the U.S. Senate and an expert witness on best practices before The New York State Commission on Corruption in Boxing. He has written 11 novels and over 130 short stories, 30 of which have been published.

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Arthur Davis interview with Meg Tuite

 

The Last Ride is an intricate look into the life of a cab driver and what he encounters. What a mesmerizing story and the ending is outstanding. Here are a few quotes from the story. I was amazed by your detailed knowledge of NYC streets and neighborhoods. What was your inspiration for this story and were you ever a taxi driver?

“He drove drug dealers, pimps, cops, con men, your garden-variety loony, the most lonely, the most famous, the most desperate and those who would sit in the back of his cab and stare out of the window as though it was their last day on earth and they were silently composing their own epitaph.”

“The prized zip code was 10021. A golden number that registered on every direct mail list in the known world as a land of great opulence and unforgiving arrogance.”

“The man did not respond. Clifton half expected he wouldn't. Passengers were allowed to ask the questions, offer their philosophical perspectives on life, and complain from the beginning of the ride to the end. Drivers were drivers. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

My inspiration for the The Last Ride was a totally uneventful ride through Central Park in NYC. Weeks later, as with most of my fiction, I ‘experienced’ what a fictionalized driver might have at the moment he had that experience. Whatever the reader experiences is what I saw as happening. I witnessed the story as it unfolded. I was writing the story just a fraction of a step behind what I was visualizing.

It helped that I received my graduate degree from NYU and live and work in the City so I am familiar with neighborhoods, streets and the rich back-story the City offers.

 
You have an interesting background as a Business professor and also an expert witness giving testimony on best practices for the U.S. Senate and best practices before The New York State Commission on Corruption in Boxing. Those are very diverse areas of expertise. Can you elaborate on this?

I’ve been a management consultant and taught leadership skills to CEO’s and entrepreneurs. I’ve worked with startups as well as Fortune 500 companies. On one occasion expert testimony on Best Practices was required to support evidence in a criminal investigation. The project took months to complete and added insight and focus to the process, and influenced the outcome of the State’s investigation.

I’ve been a fan of boxing since my grandfather introduced me to the sport. With a management consulting background in operations, strategic planning and process improvement I offered policy recommendations to US Senator John McCain’s 1999 investigation into corruption in boxing. Senator McCain’s panel on boxing reform was filled and I was asked if I would testify before New York State Senator Roy M. Goodman’s investigation that was running concurrently. I met boxers including Evander Holyfield and Gerry Cooney and promoters connected with the sport. These investigations eventually lead to The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000 that addressed regulating boxing outside of the ring.

 
You also sound extremely prolific. You’ve written eleven novels and numerous short stories. Have you published any of the novels? And are they all in a similar genre?

I write mainstream as well as horror, science fiction, crime/mystery, thriller and fantasy. I started out as a novelist, though unpublished. Over the years I gravitated to short stories. If you’re writing across different genres it offers a greater range of creative opportunities. I would add here that the constructive feedback I’ve received from some very generous editors has helped me improve my craft. I am very grateful for their support.

 
Who are you inspirations as a writer?

This is a difficult question to answer. I read constantly. Cormac McCarthy and Jeanette Winterson are favorites. I am inspired by many incidents, people, and friends, those I’ve read about who have made a difference in our world. I don’t focus on a specific genre or plot, but rather try and leave myself open to imagery. When the imagery is overpowering I record what unfolds. I don’t choose the plot or narratives. I’ve learned that one of the most important skills a writer can have is a heightened ability to listen.

 

Where did you grow up? Does place work into your novels and stories as intensely as New York as a main character in The Last Ride?

I grew up in and around New York City. The City is an amazing inspiration and the culture nurtures creativity. I’ve had friends who drove taxis to help put themselves through college so I have some added insight. But place is generally less of an inspiration than character. If you leave yourself open, a strong protagonist will take you to places you never imagined. 

 
What projects are you working on at this time?

I am developing a mini-series for cable/TV based on characters in my short stories and novels, and continue to write short stories.
 

Do you have a set writing schedule that works for you?

I think a schedule, a disciplined regimentation, is essential to grow skills and develop your internal monologue. I write mostly late evenings during the week, and through the weekend. When I’m on a story its my sole focus.

 
Can you leave us with a quote that speaks to you?

"Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, riches take wing, and only character endures." Horace Greeley

  
Thank you so much, Arthur, for sending one of your exceptional stories to Connotation Press. LOVE it!

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