Is this your first book?
GK: The Legend of Vinny Whiskers is my first novel. I contributed nine essays to 101 Things Every Man Should Know How to Do, an anthology which was published by WEbook earlier this year. There is a lot of funny stuff in 101 Things but it’s more for adults. There are a few sample essays from 101 Things at gregorykemp.com. I’d say The Legend of Vinny Whiskers is for the family and 101 Things is for the dads.
Did you always want to be a writer?
GK: I never considered writing as a career but I always wanted to write a book. I started a novel in college at Florida Tech but never finished it. Then I had a ten year career as an engineer diver. I traveled all over the world conducting underwater inspection of bridges and piers. During that time I penned a few chapters and started The Legend of Vinny Whiskers. In 2006, I left my career as an engineer diver and followed my wife to Vienna, Austria, where we now live. After we settled in, I was finally able to finish Vinny and contribute to 101 Things. With two books out and a third in the works, I seem to find myself as a writer (a place I’m happy to be) without really planning on it. How’s that for luck?
Who is your favorite
character in Vinny Whiskers?
GK: My favorite character is Mr. Thin Fur, Boomer’s prairie dog teacher. He’s misunderstood by a lot of the other prairie dogs but he’s smart and he’s definitely somebody I would want on my side if I were taking on an army of rats. I also like Mr. Thin Fur’s trademark feature: a rotini shaped hair spout on the top of his head. In much the way Mr. Thin Fur is misunderstood among the prairie dogs, rotini is misunderstood among the pastas. Spaghetti, linguini, fettuccine—they get all the attention but rotini is equally delicious. Perhaps one day, when the Mr. Thin Furs of the world get the respect they deserve, so will my beloved rotini.
Do you have any tips for parents to get
their boys more interested in reading?
GK: Fundamentally, I think too many kids don’t read because they are forced to read what others tell them. I think reading in any form is fruitful. Reading a novel is great, yes, but so are short stories, magazines, even comic books. It engages the mind; it stirs the imagination. In Junior High I read the scouting report of every major league baseball player. I read the rules of Dungeons and Dragons cover to cover when I was ten. What did I get out of it? I remember reading about a magical potion of diminution in the rules of Dungeons and Dragons. I had no idea what diminution meant but I was hungry to find out. It means shrinking.
While I was reading the book, I couldn't
help but imagine it as an animated movie. Would you like to see it be made into
a movie?
GK: I take that as quite a complement, so thank you. I think one of the biggest challenges of fantasy novels is balancing the forward progression of the story with the descriptions. Readers, especially young readers of fantasy, want the story to move along but at the same time they want to feel like they are in a completely different world. I worked hard to render the animal world without going overboard on the descriptive details. To answer your question, would I like to see Vinny as an animated film? Yes, yes, and triple-yes. I’ve got some voices picked out already. Boomer: Toby McGuire. Punky: Beyoncé. I want Bill Clinton to do Ned Melvin, the naked mole rat, and Josh Holloway as Vinny Whiskers. If you’re friends with any of these guys, could you put a good word in for me?
I really enjoyed this book. I too pictured it clearly as a fun movie in the old Disney style, dark at times but funny and full of friendship. I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about it in the media...but you know how these things go, there was a time when chocolate wasn't very popular either.:)
Posted by: Matt | 10/06/2009 at 07:38 AM
I am enjoying reading this.. :)
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