An Interview with Dietrich Kalteis, Authof of Crooked

 Dietrich Kalteis is a regular visitor to this page, with good reason. He’s a fine writer whose books are always fresh and never predictable. He’s also a good friend and always an interesting interview. His newest book is Crooked. That’s the title. The book looks like any other book. Except for the cover, which is unique to Crooked. You get the point.

One Bite at a Time: Welcome back to the blog, Dietrich. It’s always a pleasure to have you. Crooked deals with the life and crimes of notorious Depression-era bank robber Alvin Karpis. The era did not lack for notorious bank robbers. What attracted you to Karpis?

Dietrich Kalteis: Thanks for inviting me, Dana. It’s nice to be back.

When I was researching for my novel Call Down the Thunder, also set in the same era as Crooked, I came across an archived newspaper article about Karpis and the Barkers. I looked up more about them and became intrigued in the gang’s crime spree and their evasion from the law which spanned over five years, making them the longest-running criminal outfit back then. I saw there was a story waiting to be told.

OBAAT: Avoiding any spoilers, did you learn anything about Karpis that surprised you? Or about the Barkers?

DK: Alvin Karpis was smart and exceptionally good at avoiding capture. Using a number of aliases, he set up various bank accounts, had stashes and a solid network of underground connections around the country. For instance, he and the Barkers sought safe haven in St. Paul where they were under the protection of a corrupt police chief, that is as long as they committed their crimes outside of his jurisdiction. Along with Fred and Doc Barker, Karpis used an alternating cast of midwestern criminals for their crimes.

One surprise about the gang was that Kate “Ma” Barker wasn’t the brains of the outfit as portrayed in the movies Bloody Mama and Killer Brood, or as stated by J Edgar Hoover after her untimely demise. Bank robber and gang associate, Harvey Bailey once stated, "Ma Barker couldn't even plan breakfast.”

OBAAT: I know you do a lot of research for your period pieces. How much of Crooked is true, how much is fiction, and how much is conjecture?

DK: The timeline of their crimes is accurate. I did cherrypick my way through a lot of archived material, using the moments that I felt would best bring the story to life. Of course, interactions between the characters are all conjectured, and their conversations are a play on how I imagined the characters to be.

OBAAT: In recent years you’ve written several historical novels. What provoked and sustained this interest? (Full disclosure: I’ve had an itch to write one myself but the research required has put me off so far.)

DK: Significant social and political corruption along with the 1906 San Francisco earthquake made for the perfect backdrop for House of Blazes. The isolation and desperation of the Dustbowl times on the Central Plains were ideal for Call Down the Thunder. The hard times of the 30s seemed right for both Under an Outlaw Moon and Crooked. The punk music scene of the late 70s became the perfect backdrop for Zero Avenue. And the taxi wars of Chicago during prohibition formed the background for my upcoming novel Dirty Little War. For me, setting needs to add atmosphere and interest, and it’s a bonus if it helps build tension and pace as well.

OBAAT: Your dialog sounds as much like two people talking as any writer I can think of. Any tricks or suggestions you can pass along to others looking to improve?

DK: I keep a notebook with detailed descriptions of each of the characters, including detailed backgrounds, and I find images that I attribute to them. As I’m working through the early drafts, I get to know them. And as they start to flesh out and come to life, it feels like they start talking on their own. That’s when I know I’ve got it right.

OBAAT: You have enough of a catalog now for the following question to have relevance: which of your books should someone unfamiliar with your work start with if they want to get a good idea of your style to be encourage to read more? Beside Crooked, I mean. The new book is always a given.

DK: I suppose it really depends on what a reader is looking for in a story. I’ve written about bounty hunters, smugglers, gangsters, pot growers, ex-cops, punk rockers, and about relationships from hell. If a reader prefers a story with more heart I’d likely suggest Nobody from Somewhere, the story of a dying old man who rescues a runaway teen. If a story based on real events appeals to a reader, then I might offer Under an Outlaw Moon, which is based on real-life bank robbers Bennie and Stella Dickson.