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Regular blog readers will know of course that I have a novel coming out next fall from Flux, a young adult imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide. I would tell you the title, but we're still arm-wrestling over it. Anyway, my editor, the charming and extremely helpful Andrew Karre, agreed to do an interview with me for the blog. His only condition: ask questions that he hadn't been asked before in previous interviews. My only condition: keep it funny. Whether or not we both succeeded is a matter of debate.
So here it is -- he was rather more flattering than he had to be, but we'll let that pass.
THE INTERVIEW
Andrew, space and my blog readers' attention spans are limited, so this is a reminder to keep your responses pithy and wildly funny.
1. You're an editor. I've always appreciated the word "editor" as I've never had a typo while trying to spell it; I think it's the fortuitous combination of easy-to-reach letters on the keyboard. How has being an editor affected how you read books during your time off?
It hasn’t affected it for the worse. I am not a natural copy editor or proofreader, so I don’t get hives when someone splits an infinitive. There are books that I read, though, where I get distracted by how I might suggest the author approach a scene differently. Leisure reading is still fun, though, thankfully.
2. A lot of Flux's novels seem to be getting revoltingly flattering reviews; truly we must be a talented bunch. Do you ever feel your head is in danger of swelling as you admire your flock of authors? Do you ever feel the siren song of New York and great pizza?
Yes, you are, and no I don’t. The pizza is excellent here and the beer is vastly superior. I am a Midwesterner born and bred, and I will never move to New York.
3. You let your authors use the 'F' word in Flux's young adult titles and in polite conversation with you. Do you find swearing to be controversial in young adult lit? And more importantly, when you stub your toe at home, what is the first word that flies out of your mouth?
As a soon-to-be father I’m being fairly diligent about those sorts of things. “Jesus riding on a bicycle” has always been a favorite, though. And I don’t swear in polite conversation with all of you. Just a few.
4. Normal people like myself find strange people like editors, tornado chasers, and lizard scientists to be mysterious and fascinating, if unapproachable (because lizards, being reptiles, have teeth). What part of your job do you think is generally unknown by the average joe?
How little of it is actual editing? That I don’t wear tweed? Actually, I think lots of what we imagine of an editor’s job is wrong, but, oddly enough, the important part—working with authors and making books—is still there, so we do it anyway.
5. Do you chase tornadoes?
Actually, no. Cowering in fear is more likely.
6. I am continually amazed by how you fail to get my cunning movie references and have decided that you must boycott the television. Do you feel that movies and TV culture have affected the way books are written? Especially YA novels?
Uh-oh. Caught. We don’t own a TV. I love movies, but I’m not what you’d call current on contemporary popular cinema. I think TV, like any influence, can be good or bad. Some TV writing is really efficient and fast paced, and that’s never a bad skill for an author to have. On the other hand, I think TV tends to place characterization on the backburner and that is never a good thing for an author. I hate it when I can trace a book’s cast of characters back to Saved By the Bell. Repeat after me, “Screech is not a worthy archetype.”
7. I cannot help but notice that Flux's list is populated by novels that are sensitive and insightful observations of teen life. What is my novel doing amongst them? (Kidding . . . mostly . . . ) Do you ever feel the desire to release a vapid series of teen books meant purely for entertainment (naming no names)?
Actually, I think your book fits perfectly. I think urban fantasy and paranormal YA are great ways to explore the teenage condition. When they’re done well, the fantastic aspects and situations tend to be extension or amplifications of the fears and desires of the teenage characters. To quote a certain author: “When he said I seemed older, it gave a reason for my isolation. I was different in a positive way. Not weird. Not awkward.”
And to your last question, no. I couldn’t afford it.
8. A few years ago, when I perused the young adult section at my local bookstore, the only people I had to elbow out of the way were under-aged emo types who gave me hurt looks before slinking away. Now, I increasingly have to trample other adults and reluctant adults like myself to find my favorite authors. Why do you think more adults are being drawn to the YA section?
Because there’s good stuff there, I suppose. Because no one ever really recovers from being a teenager [insert 12-step joke here]? I wonder, too, if in an iPod world, people are less inclined to take categories and genres seriously in their consumption habits. If it’s okay to have Steely Dan next to Henry Purcell on your iPod, why not have John Green and Don DeLillo on your nightstand? Categories are less important than connections and resonances.
9. It seems like everybody and their mother wants to be a novelist these days; it takes all kinds. A recent poll I did on Fangs, Fur & Fey, revealed that the vast majority of the published writers polled were introverts and some combination of the IN- personality types on the Myers-Briggs test. Do you notice any sweeping similarities amongst the authors you edit? Other than mind-blowing talent?
It’s actually a fairly diverse group. The intros probably outnumber the extros, if you’re inclined to take those categories seriously, but not by much. There are self-described introverts who turn into rock stars when they get the right audience. Besides, no writer can be truly introverted and survive this business anyway. If you’re an introvert, why do you want to be read? The main commonality is stubbornness. I am constantly amazed by your sheer force of determination.
10. So. Finally. You play French horn. So does my sister-in-law. Any chance that it's in Flux's budget to have the two of you playing a duet on my book's release date? C'mon, don't be that way. At least think about it before you say no.
Depends on where. I’ve always loved the collection of duets Mozart wrote.
So there you have it. Editors are afraid of tornadoes, they don't own television sets, and they say "oh, fudge," when they stub their toes. How more thorough could I have possibly been?So weigh in and tell Andrew what you think . . .