Steve Almond is so many things, it would take days to list them all. He’s a writer with several books and dozens of stories and articles under his belt. He’s a candy fanatic, an obsession he chronicled in 2005’s “Candyfreak,” in which he used an impressively endless supply of adjectives to describe sweets. He’s also a father, and will talk about his young daughter Josephine at the slightest provocation.

Almond is funny, filthy and frank, often sharing stories about himself that sometimes put people in the “cringe-zone.” He’s also intelligent, conscientious and compassionate. (Last year, he resigned from his position of five years as adjunct professor of creative writing at Boston College in protest of the selection of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as the school’s 2006 commencement speaker.)

Almond’s latest book, “(Not That You Asked) Rants, Exploits and Obsessions,” released last month, is a collection of thoughts on a variety of subjects, including fatherhood, Kurt Vonnegut, chest hair and his hatred of the Red Sox. He’ll be making an appearance this month at RiverRun Bookstore, where he’ll tell you some things you wanted to know, and probably a few you didn’t. The Wire asked for a few minutes of the hirsute author’s time, and he was kind enough to oblige via email.

So, how’s life these days?

Overall, I can’t complain. And hey: if I could complain, I would.

I’m not going to ask if having your daughter has changed your life; we all know children change everything. But has having her changed your writing at all? Made it harder to go on your book tours?

Yeah, here’s the thing about kids. They’re a lot like Glenn Close in “Fatal Attraction.” Their basic attitude is: I WILL NOT BE IGNORED. That’s how Josephine is, anyway. And I wouldn’t WANT to ignore her. She kicks my ass with cuteness every day. So I’m trying ... to get more organized, so I don’t have to lock myself in my office, rather than playing with her. As for going on book tours ... I’m eleven days into a book tour and basically start bawling if I so much as look at a photo of Josie. How’s that for macho?

It’s been over a year since you resigned from Boston College. Do you still miss it?

I totally miss it. I miss the students. They were just a lot of fun to hang out with. I mean, I only taught, in the end, because I dug it. (Certainly wasn’t for the money.) So I still miss that, and those kids, like hell. If I sacrificed anything by resigning, it was the pleasure of their company.

Do you prefer writing nonfiction over fiction?

Oh, honestly, they’re both miserable. I hate writing. I mean, I love having written something, but the actual process of writing is terrible. So lonely. And you have to make all these decisions. And you have no idea if they’re the right decisions or not. Just miserable. I’d give anything to be able to play drums.

Do you ever look over your writing and think, “Whoa, I shared too much?”

No, but I’ll bet YOU do. I was talking to this guy who had read the new book and he was like, “Wow, man, you really live in the cringe-zone.” I love that expression: the Cringe Zone. That should have been the title of the book. The thing is, the path to the truth runs through shame. That’s just the way it is. I’d rather share my shame—unburden myself of it—than walk around striking a sophisticated pose.

Is your life now anything like you imagined it would be when you were 20?

I never had a very clear plan, but I guess I probably wanted to work for the New York Times or something. That’s what struck me as “respectable” back then. But now I think about that and think: good lord, I’d have died of boredom. Not being able to talk about the stuff that really matters to me. Walking around with some fancy business card. Just wretched.

Found any fabulous new candies?

Constantly, dude. Just had this crazy tamarind & creme thing from Mexico. And these insane truffles that have Omega 3s in them. (Like the Omega 3s make them GOOD for you. Sure.) Oh, and the new Snickers dark. That’s an f-ing mouthgasm, that thing.

What exciting things are coming up for you in the future?

Getting home to see my wife and child. That’s pretty much all I’m thinking about these days. What a sap.

One last question. One of the things I took away from your last appearance here in Portsmouth, beside the facts that you are crazy smart and quite filthy, is your very furry forearms. Has anyone else ever remarked on them?

Forearms no. But many thousands of people have commented on my “lush chestal thicket.” In fact, just for you, I’ll read an essay in the new book called “Chestfro Agoniste,” which is about getting my chest waxed by an old girlfriend. And if the audience rises to the occasion, I’ll even show chestfro cleavage.

Steve Almond will appear Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. at RiverRun Bookstore, 20 Congress St., Portsmouth, 603-431-2100. For more on Almond, visit www.stevenalmond.com.