Alfalfa (Carl Switzer)

My short story collection, Candescent Blooms,  was published by Salt Publishing recently. I've previously posted here with regards to the background to the collection, and the fact that twelve Hollywood actors whose lives ended prematurely are the main characters in each of the twelve stories. As stated in that post, the intention in the run-up to publication is to focus on each actor with some snippets of information (both about them and the writing of their stories). These posts will follow the same format for each. Our eighth character is Carl Switzer.

1: the reason for the title of the story

Quite simply, Alfalfa was the name of Carl's character in the Our Gang series of short films in which he made his name as a child actor (from the ages of 6 to 12). The nickname stuck, but shaking it off became crucial for future roles. Of course, even if he was always identified as Alfalfa, you can't be typecast as a child, so once you've grown there's nowhere else to go...

2: why I chose that actor

I was aware of - but had only occasionally seen - the Our Gang series. However when I put out a call for suggestions of male actors who had died untimely deaths, one of my Facebook friends (the writer, Peggy Wheeler), drew him to my attention. Carl was shot in an altercation over money when he was 31 years old. Another candescent bloom.

3: one 'gift' that enhanced the story

The fact that he had been a child actor. Layering that over his adult persona mirrored a role that he couldn't shake off. I was able to use that to my advantage.

4: one thing I never knew about them

As I was previously unaware of him, there was much I'd never known about him. However, I would add that I discovered alfalfa sprouts can induce systemic lupus erythematosus in monkeys but that alfalfa is good for high cholesterol, asthma, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, upset stomach, and a bleeding disorder called thrombocytopenic purpura.

5: an extract from the story

A sequence of events is more complicated than a string of anecdotes, yet - just as when I urinated on the arc lights - it's only when everything hots up that the stench becomes noticeable.

6: what music I listened to whilst I wrote it.

I wrote the entirety of this story whilst listening to the album, "Buzzkunst", on repeat by ShelleyDevoto (being a Pete Shelley, Howard Devoto collaboration). It's a mix of experimentation and raw pop, suitable as a mood creator for this story.

Buy Candescent Blooms here.