Nick Hilbourn has interviewed Donald Quist over at HeadStuff.org. Below are some excerpts, but follow the link to read the whole thing.
“...it is reductive to call HARBORS a political work. Quist is an artist and all of his experiences contribute to the forming (and the continual formation) of his aesthetic. His experimentations with the non-fiction genre as well as with the form of narrative show a writer who plays jazz with the written word (a la Colson Whitehead) but maintains an undeniable depth and urgent meaning to his work (consider Toni Morrison).”
“I have never felt a sense of home anywhere. I have yet to encounter a physical location I feel tied to, a place where I feel a complete sense of belonging. I’m always looking for an exit, no matter where I go, always on guard, only more so in the United States. But I don’t feel that way on paper. When writing, I’m at home, I feel most safe to be myself.”