Mark Childress is the author of seven novels: "A World Made of Fire" (Knopf, 1984), "V For Victor" (Knopf, 1988) "Tender" (Harmony, 1990), "Crazy in Alabama" (Putnam, 1993), and "Gone for Good," (Knopf, 1988) "One Mississippi," (Little Brown, 2006), and "Georgia Bottoms") (published February 2011 by Little, Brown & Co. His articles and reviews have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Times of London, San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday Review, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Travel and Leisure, and other national and international publications.
After graduation from the University of Alabama in 1978, Childress was a reporter for The Birmingham News, Features Editor of Southern Living magazine, and Regional Editor of The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. He has been writing fiction full time since 1987.
"Tender," a Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selection, was named to several Ten Best of 1990 lists, and appeared on many national bestseller lists. "Crazy in Alabama," a featured selection of the Literary Guild, has been published in eleven languages and appeared on many bestseller lists and Ten Best of 1993 lists. Crazy was named The (London) Spectator’s “Book of the Year” for 1993 and a New York Times “Notable Book of the Year,” and was on the Spiegel bestseller list in Germany for 10 months.
"One Mississippi" was a BookSense Notable Book of the Year, nominated for SIBA Book of the Year,and appeared on the "hot summer book" lists of Good Morning America, People, Entertainment Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal, O: the Oprah Magazine, and the New York Public Library. The paperback edition is now in its seventh printing.
Childress has received the Thomas Wolfe Award, the University of Alabama’s Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Alabama Library Association’s Writer of the Year. He is a staff member and a director of the Community of Writers at Squaw Valley, California.
Childress has written three picture books for children, "Joshua and Bigtooth," in 1992, "Joshua and the Big Bad Blue Crabs," 1996 (both from Little, Brown), and "Henry Bobbity Is Missing And It Is All Billy Bobbity’s Fault," (Crane Hill Publishers, 1996).
He wrote the screenplay of the Columbia Pictures film "Crazy in Alabama," directed by Antonio Banderas, and starring Melanie Griffith, an official selection of the Venice and San Sebastian film festivals in 1999.
Childress is now working on a new novel and a film project. He lives in Key West, Florida.(bio via Childress' site where his books can also be purchased)
Now.... time to ask some questions... thrilled to have Mark do this interview... I cannot wait to read his new novel...
Where are you from?
I was born in Monroeville, Alabama, which also happens to be the town in “To Kill A Mockingbird.” Reading that book when I was 10 years old on a porch beside Harper Lee’s house was an important factor in my eventually becoming a writer.
Tell us your latest news?
I’m on tour for my seventh novel, GEORGIA BOTTOMS, and the book has made the New York Times bestseller list!
When I was 16, a high school English teacher entered a short story of mine in a competition. It won honorable mention, and Eudora Welty gave me the plaque – so I decided maybe that was something I could learn how to do.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
The first time I held a hardcover copy of my first novel in my hot little hand.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I had worked for newspapers and magazines for many years by that point, so I had learned that “inspiration” has nothing to do with it. It’s all about putting the seat of the pants into the seat of the chair and staying there.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I think I do. I’ve worked hard through the years to make my style more transparent, less intrusive on the page – so the characters and story step out front and the writer doesn’t get in the way so much.
How did you come up with the title?
Once I decided the heroine’s name was GEORGIA BOTTOMS, the title took care of itself.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I believe it was Louis B. Mayer who said, “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” The one thing I would say is that some reviewers are calling this a “light comedy,” but there are some very serious themes at work beneath the surface of the story.
How much of the book is realistic?
None of it, or all of it, depending on where you are from.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
No.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Besides TKAM, I have been influenced like all other modern Southern writers by Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, and the other Southern masters. But I have an even deeper love and admiration for the Latin American magic realist writers such as Marquez, Paz, and Cortazar.
What book are you reading now?
“The Pale King” by my late friend David Foster Wallace.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
One of the best books I read last year was a first novel by Amy Shearn, HOW FAR IS THE OCEAN FROM HERE. It’s terrific.
What are your current projects?
I’m on a book tour and working when I can grab a moment on a film project I am not at liberty to discuss.
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, of course. I’ve been a full time novelist for 24 years, and proud of it.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No.
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Sorry, not until it’s done.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
The hardest part of the publishing business is getting your book noticed among all the other books published at the same time.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Sorry, I cant choose just one.
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Yes, happily Little, Brown put me on a big tour so I got to meet booksellers and readers all over the country.
Who designed the covers?
The art department at Little, Brown.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
The blankness of the page.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
If you sit in your chair long enough, the page becomes less blank.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Read. Read read read read read. Then write. Write write write write. Then revise until you can’t improve it any more.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you for reading my books and supporting my career as a writer.
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Thank you to Mark Childress for granting us an interview andddd donating a copy of Georgia Bottoms to be given away... if YOU would like to win a copy of this book please cleave a comment!!!
Deadline to enter is May 20, 2011 @ NOON California time
Winner will be announced on GIVEAWAY PAGE
Please leave your email address if you do not have a link to your site
Bonne Chance - Good Luck!
Good Luck - Bonne Chance!
GIVEAWAY CLOSED
Deadline to enter is May 20, 2011 @ NOON California time
Winner will be announced on GIVEAWAY PAGE
Please leave your email address if you do not have a link to your site
Bonne Chance - Good Luck!
Good Luck - Bonne Chance!
GIVEAWAY CLOSED
