When AudioFile magazine awarded the Late Rain audiobook with its Earphones award, they remarked that “listeners feel like eavesdroppers.”  This is high praise for authors.  For audiobook people, it’s the kind of compliment that might train them to walk on air.  And in the case of Late Rain, it’s very well-earned.  Here’s narrator Kenneth Campbell with author Lynn Kostoff.

Kenneth Campbell: First I want to let you know how much I enjoyed narrating Late Rain. It was great fun and pleasantly challenging to attach voices to the personalities you developed in the multitude of very interesting characters. Never a dull moment! What inspired you to you come up with the story line and such unique characters?

Lynn Kostoff: I like to start working from something that is both concrete and mysterious, so Late Rain, like the other novels, started from a cluster of disconnected images. I keep a notebook where I jot down random images that strike me, and while most don’t make it into the novel, the images are the perfect jump-start for the dynamics of exploration and discovery that fuel the plotting process for me. For example, in the notebook for Late Rain, I had jotted down images like these: a man sitting in a darkened church; a young girl connecting with a piñata and it exploding in a rainbow of candy pieces; a twilight beach littered with dead jellyfish; a dark-haired woman in a yellow sundress; three people at a dining room table eating a Sunday afternoon meal. At the time, I had no clear idea how they might fit together.

I also keep a notebook in which I simply write a collection of sentences that may or may not relate to each other. I see them as trial runs for the style that feels “right” for each novel. Sooner or later, I write a sentence that feels like and becomes the first line of the novel, and then I’m ready to start writing. I felt I’d discovered the core of Corrine’s character and the impetus for what she sets in motion when I wrote, “Patience is always a sucker’s game.”

When it comes to the plot and conflict, I like to start with the characters and then let them find their crime and hopefully a crime that resonates with the culture and that has something to say about our lives.

Author Lynn Kostoff

KC: Were there particular characters that were your favorite to develop? Were there specific characters you connected with above others?

LK: I did not set out to write an ensemble novel, but over the course of five drafts, I discovered the characters’ lives started to connect and complicate each other in unexpected ways, so while Ben Decovic and Corrine Tedros tended to dominate, I wanted to structure the final draft so that there was room for the others as well. In the end, I wanted the central mystery of the book to be the characters themselves and to make them as human and complex as I could.

I honestly don’t think I can play “favorites” here; I enjoyed the chance to inhabit each character and personality , everything from a contemporary Lady MacBeth in Corrine or a child-like psychopath like Croy Wendall, to a man like Ben Decovic turned inside out by his grief.

KC: Sometimes while narrating I had to stop and just burst out in laughter when the subtle humor hit me. One such time was when Officer Decovic was dispatched to a bar where a patron was trying to burn himself. I don’t want to reveal too much of the scene for the benefit of those who have not read the book, but basically you “off the cuff” weaved clues into why the person was trying to harm himself. As a reader, when the “light came on,” it was so funny and unexpected! Would you please comment on your thoughts to your adding humor?

LK: I think there’s a fundamental reason why drama is symbolized by two masks: one crying and one laughing. Comedy and tragedy are intimately connected, and I believe one enhances the other and that they are never too far apart.

Narrator Kenneth Campbell

KC: Considering Late Rain as a whole, what was your biggest challenge?

LK: I think the biggest challenge was trying to capture how each character ultimately saw the world, self, and others. For example, I didn’t want the character of Jack Carson to be a billboard for Alzheimer’s; I wanted readers to directly experience his sense of the world and self slipping away. With Ben Decovic, I hoped to give the feel of a good man barely able to keep himself together. With Corrine, I didn’t expect readers to condone her actions, but I did want them to come to complicitly understand and recognize them. And in each case, I wanted the style to reflect the character and his or her situation.

KC: This book seems to set up a possible sequel. I know I – for one – am chomping at the bit to learn where the main character Ben Decovic’s path will lead. Are you either planning on or developing a sequel and if so, when do you believe it may be available?

LK: I would like to return to the fictional world of Magnolia Beach again and plan to after I finish the novel I’m currently working on, The Work of Hands, which is set in 1986 in the Midwest. Its protagonist is a Public Relations man who cleans up scandals and fixes things. He believes he can always find a way to escape the consequences of his actions, but that belief is sorely tested when he has to clean up the aftermath of a large food poisoning outbreak. When this one is completed, I’d like to see what Ben Decovic and the others are up to.

KC: You’re a professor at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina. What special joy do you find in teaching and in what way do you believe that being a published and successful author has helped you teach and guide your students?

LK: I feel very fortunate to be able to earn a living as a teacher. It’s a profession that’s all too often sentimentalized or unfairly criticized. There’s a very real satisfaction in helping someone to become a better reader and writer. Along the way, I feel I learn as much as my students.

Miette Elm: We’re so pleased to see your works getting some recognition lately. Mulholland Books listed The Long Fall on a recent top-10 list, and of course, the audiobook of Late Rain has received an Audiofile Earphones Award. On top of that, reviewer Elizabeth White says “The man does not appear capable of producing anything less than greatness.”

So, how are you affected by the recognition? Does it drive you? Do you try to ignore it? Does it… well… get to your head?

LK: I am very grateful for the recognition. Believe me, after twenty-plus years of silence from critics and reviewers, the reviews of Ms White and others mean a lot. More than a lot. I had pretty much given up hope of getting noticed by reviewers and was just determined to keep on writing despite that.

ME: Have you listened to the Late Rain audiobook? What did you think? What were your biggest concerns about handing over the text for audio interpretation?

LK: Yes, I’ve had the chance to listen to the audiobook, and I couldn’t be more pleased than to have someone of Ken Campbell’s talent reading it. Ben Leroy, my publisher, sent me a link when Ken auditioned for the job of reading it and asked what I thought, and I knew immediately that Ken’s was the “voice” of the novel. He did a superlative job.

ME: What titles would you most love to see turned into audio? Who else is writing smart, lyrical crime or mystery these days?

LK: I would love the chance for Ken to do the audiobook of my novel, THE LONG FALL. I think he would “get” the protagonist Jimmy Coates and his highly unorthodox view of the world and approach to crimes.

Charlie Stella, a friend and author from the Carroll and Graf days, is doing some of the best mob fiction around; he has an amazing ear for dialogue, and I think listeners would enjoy his work and the energy he brings to it.

Late Rain  is available from Iambik as an audiobook for only $6.99.  Audiofile says “Not only does the story keep listeners guessing until the end but there are moments of deep emotion and the characters are so good one hopes to meet them again.”  We think that’s just about right.  Check it out.

At Iambik, our diligent team of proof-listeners work tirelessly to make certain that the words you’re hearing are the words the author wrote, and not the inner monologues that sometimes escape a narrator’s lips.  Proof-listening also makes sure you don’t hear sneezes and sniffs, alien spaceship landing gear interference, and anything else that might make its way onto a recording.  As a secret but shamefully habitual lip-smacker, I am personally forever indebted to their work, and wanted to chat with a few of our proof-listeners about their contributions to our text.  Here’s narrator AND proof-listener (and apparently resident multi-tasking expert) Darla Middlebook.

Miette Elm: Let’s start with the obvious. What first compelled you to proof-listen audiobooks? How long have you been at it, and do you have a favourite genre to work in?
Darla Middlebrook: I’m new to voiceover work. I decided to proof-listen because I felt that doing so would help me to better understand the process of self-directing/monitoring/correcting and how to find pickup points for narrators.

Darla Middlebrook

ME: What are you up to? What have you been working on lately, what’s coming up next, and how’s it going?
DM: What am I doing now? I am in the process of narrating another book. Because of a non-disclosure contract, I can only say that 10 of 12 chapters are finished. Twice a month, I read to residents of a local nursing home. Once a month, I perform narratives and storytelling at a local coffee shop. At the end of the month, I will be attending a Story Tellers’ Retreat. Hoping to learn many things to help hone my skills.

I also do volunteer reading for AIRS-LA which produces podcasts of magazines for the visually challenged. My podcasts include Cat Fancy Magazine (weekly) and one article/month for the Canadian version of Reader’s Digest

ME: What’s the most difficult or daunting part of proof-listening work?
DM: The most difficult part of proof-listening is having to tell a narrator that he/she must redo part of his/her work.

ME: As a narrator, I’m sometimes self-conscious turning over my files to a proof-listener, thinking that it’s only a matter of time before I neglect to edit out some of my less-than-charming interjections or interruptions. We burp, we swear at passing buses or honking horns, we clear our throats, and sometimes we don’t successfully edit it all out. So (without naming names), tell me about one of the more interesting errors you’ve had to correct.
DM: The most interesting error has been the repetition or total omission of an entire page. I’ve done that myself as a narrator. When that kind of thing happens, I know it’s time to go to bed!!

ME: As a proof-listener, you must be the sort of person who listens very closely to the world around you. So, in your esteemed opinion: world’s best sounds? And its worst?
DM:  World’s best sound = children’s laughter.  World’s worst sound = children’s tears.

Darla Middlebrook’s most recent title as a proof-listener is Jennifer Pelland’s chilling Unwelcome Bodies. You should also check out Darla’s work as a narrator on The Autobiography of Jenny X.  And if you can’t get enough of her, you can also reach her via Facebook, Voiceover Universe, her website, or check out all her available audiobooks via Audible.

I know I promised you Part 2 of our interview with Mary Anderson last week, but I was off learning the meaning of “unforeseen circumstances.”  Without further wait, here’s Mary with Xe Sands, narrator of Step on a Crack:

Xe Sands: First, I just want to say what an honor it was to work on Step on a Crack with you, Mary. I feel a personal connection with this story and the characters who inhabit it, and hope that it will now reach a new generation of readers via its release on audio.

During the proofing process, according to nursing home abuse law firm, an interesting discussion arose regarding how severe the level of abuse was, and subsequently, how realistic it was that Sarah would/would not forgive Katrin. I was surprised to find that some perceived the abuse as relatively mild. How did the level of abuse strike you? Are you surprised that some readers find it relatively forgivable?

Mary Anderson: Yes, I hope this audio book will reach an entirely new generation.

Judging from the fan mail I received when the book was published, readers were genuinely moved by the secret in Sarah’s past and didn’t consider she had merely suffered mild abuse. Clearly, this incident had affected her entire future life. When I was writing this part of the book, I was totally emotionally involved when Sarah began to remember that traumatic incident in her childhood. I grew so upset, I cried. And I also cried when I heard your narration of that portion, Xe. Nothing like that had ever happened to me, but I feel it was a serious example of how a child can be irrevocably damaged.

Author Mary Anderson

XS: Something that struck me is how, despite her complete trust in her mother, Sarah would not confide in her. I thought back to my own childhood and realized that in a similar situation, I did the same, despite our close relationship. Is this a theme that you were exploring in Step on a Crack? How do you think mother/child relationships have changed since the years the book was written?

MA: Sarah does explain why she can’t confide in her mother. They have had a wonderful relationship all their lives so she can’t bring herself to believe her mother could possibly be the cause of her psychological pain and fear. In fact, it would make more sense for her to believe she was going crazy, rather than accept that as a reality.

Mother/daughter relationships? Goodness, I think they’re all over the map – some good/some bad/some wonderful/some horrible. I don’t think that will ever change. I consider myself blessed that all my daughters are my best friends but I’m sure they must’ve kept things secret from me as they were growing up. On some level, separating emotionally is part of growing up and deep down, Sarah knows she must solve this problem herself, no matter how scary the prospect.

XS: I think as readers, we want to hate Katrin for her actions and choices and yet I suspect most readers cannot. What was your intent with Katrin – what were you hoping to achieve with her character, and our reluctant compassion for her?

MA: Thanks for noting this. I’m glad you find it hard to hate Katrin. She’s also a victim of circumstance. It’s always helpful in life to remember that most people are trying hard to do the best job they can, even though some of them often fall short or fail entirely. Remembering this can help us all overcome the bad experiences of our own childhood. In essence, there are no villains here. Listening to your wonderful narration and subtle understanding of the characters in this story emphasizes that.

Narrator Xe Sands

XS: One of the aspects I most enjoyed about Step on a Crack is that it remains true to its intent without attempting to shock the reader into understanding of the horror of the situation. How do you feel this work compares with current young adult fiction?

MA: I’d have to think about this a bit harder, but what I’d really love to see is a collection of fiction that seemed meant to be read out loud in the first place: A lot of fiction technically works in audiobook format, but not every writer is as alive to the acoustic possibilities of their prose as perhaps they should be. I think there are some really great fiction writers who just beg to be read out loud on every page, and Iambik would be smart to snatch up their books and match them with narrators who could really make their books sing.

Miette Elm: Mary, I know you’ve done a lot of reading aloud of your fiction and that of other authors. Were you nervous about turning over your text to outside narrators? What was your biggest concern in doing so, and how do you feel about the final products?

MA: I had two concerns. I was afraid I wouldn’t like listening to the voice of the narrator or that she wouldn’t totally empathize with the story. Happily, I didn’t need to worry about either of those things.  Xe and Elizabeth did great jobs bringing Sarah and Reggie to life and I listened to both books with extreme pleasure and excitement. I ‘d never heard them read aloud (nor had I gone back to read through them myself) so it was like coming to them anew. Honestly, at times I wondered what would happen next and how it would all turn out! I love the way both Xe and Elizabeth allowed the characters to grow and become more aware as the stories unfolded. They conveyed so much of that in their interpretations.

ME: Do you listen to many audiobooks? What are some of your favourites?

MA: Absolutely. I listen to tons of audio books and I’m a very critical listener. If I don’t like the reader’s voice, I don’t continue the book because I feel marrying the book and the reader are essential. My favorites? Well, I’m a sucker for mysteries and the classics. I love Lawrence Block, Agatha Christie, Somerset Maugham, Margaret Atwood. For children’s books, some of my favorites are George Selden, Russell Hoban, Robert C. O’Brien.

ME: It’s amazing how many times I’ve mentioned your books to someone, only to have him or her exclaim “Oh, I loved that book, and had forgotten what it was called!” Who are some other authors of sharp, intense fiction for young people whose work from the 1970s and 1980s is no longer in print? In other words, who else should we be publishing that we’re not?

MA: I really don’t know if these authors are still in print but they should be. I love Barbara Wersba and M.E. Kerr.

ME: It’s been a while since we’ve seen a Mary Anderson book on the shelves. Are you currently working on a writing project? If so, what can you tell us about it?

MA: Miette, thanks for asking. Wow, don’t get me started because I could talk forever about my current project which I’ve been writing for several years. It’s an historical/theatrical/mystery/ thriller spanning 400 years, involving many famous Elizabethans, famous contemporary actors, other historical figures, actual events, secret societies and unsolved murders. These serial killings which take place outside theatres also span 400 years. Although there’s lots of researched historical information, the major part of the book takes place in the 1980’s in New York City. Most importantly, it follows my most important criteria … it’s a book I can’t wait to read myself!

If you missed it, here’s part 1 of our chat with Mary Anderson, where Mary speaks with You Can’t Get There From Here narrator Elizabeth Klett.

In the meantime, both You Can’t Get There From Here and Step on a Crack are available from Iambik as an audiobook for only $6.99 each.  Enjoy them as much as we do!

I, a lady of fine literary stock, have had a sometimes contentious relationship with Genre over the years, and only as I’ve been listening to some of Iambik’s offerings have I discovered the hidden pleasures of titles whose shelf classification would have turned me off.  (This is not something I confess happily!)

Even still, I have to remind myself of this whenever someone recommends to me a Regency romance or a sensationalistic family melodrama, or some days, anything that doesn’t have to do with the upcoming zombie apocalypse.  In the first of our two-part interview with author Mary Anderson, she and You Can’t Get There From Here narrator Elizabeth Klett discuss the impact of theatre on writing, as well as what makes a Young Adult novel.

Elizabeth Klett: Mary, I really enjoyed narrating You Can’t Get There From Here. It’s a book I wish I had read as a teenager, since I would have related to it enormously. Like Reggie, I grew up in the suburbs (albeit New Jersey instead of Westchester) and wanted desperately to be an actress in NYC. Do you have a background in theatre at all? Or are you a particular fan of New York theatre? Are there playwrights (past or present), particular theatre companies or performers/directors whose work you admire?

Mary Anderson: Yes, I do have a brief background in the theatre.

Although I’ve lived in Manhattan all my life I never saw any plays when I was a child. My brother Andy and his wife were original members of the Actor’s Studio and attended during the well-known days when Marilyn Monroe and other famous folk were there, helping to make “The Method” a household phrase. Before that, Andy had moved into an acting school which is very similar to the one depicted in my book. That’s when Andy took me to see my first Broadway play… Richard II with a Royal Shakespeare Theatre cast. I was 17.

Up until then I’d wanted to be a writer but after that, my allegiance suddenly switched and I wanted to act on the stage. So at 18, I also moved into the acting school. Many of the incidents described in the book are based on my experiences there. In fact, it is the only book I’ve written which is essentially based on my personal life. I lived at the school for six months (the name of which I’ve changed in my story). In the book, Reggie’s brother Jamie is the one who points out the the potential dangers of the problems she encounters there, but in real life, Andy was sharing some of the very same problems. After performing in many of the original, weird avant garde plays, I felt I wanted to rewrite them all!

So I soon realized my original love for writing was far stronger than acting, although there are many similarities. The famous book Building a Character by Stanislavski, a valuable primer for young actors, is also a wonderful primer for fledgling writers. The steps required to bring a character to life on stage are the same ones a writer should learn to breathe life into a character on paper. Getting into the souls of people, seeing through their eyes, knowing what they feel, what motivates them, is also the job of a writer. So acting experience can be invaluable. Since those early days,I’ve been an avid theatergoer. My favorite playwrights? Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, of course for passion and understanding of the human spirit. On the lighter side, there’s Neil Simon (open a book of his plays to any page and there will be a laugh awaiting you). For those two things combined, I enjoy Alan Ayckbourn. My favorite plays? CYRANO de BERGERAC, THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, OUR TOWN, HARVEY and NORMAN CONQUESTS — for a variety of different reasons. Performers? Too many to mention. In the past, I loved watching Colleen Dewhurst and Jason Robards on stage. At present, Ian McKellan, Mark Rylance, Liev Schreiber. Oh, and seeing Angela Lansbury on stage doing anything is a joy to behold. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Young performers get better and far more versatile every generation despite the fact that acting on stage is what one famous actor referred to as “writing in snow”. Each performance is a unique experience never to be repeated because each audience brings something new and different to the occasion. That’s what truly makes it “living theatre”.

Author Mary Anderson

EK: I was very impressed by the psychological dimensions of Reggie’s experience with Adam’s “method.” Could you talk about how you composed this part of the book, what might have influenced you, and if you did any research on this kind of “psychodrama”?

MA: Thanks for referring to the psychological dimensions of Reggie’s experience as she struggles through her acting sessions with Adam. Your narration captured Reggie’s frustration and confusion wonderfully. I didn’t research “psychodrama” per se because as mentioned, I based this on my actual experiences. The person who ran the Adam Bentley Studio in my book was based on my real teacher who used his own questionable method which turned out to be so damaging to his students’ psyches. Just as Reggie had to struggle to understand her emotions and frustrations, I did as well, before finally discovering the extent of mental manipulation and misuse of trust going on within his private sessions and acting classes. Personally, I could never decide whether the character of Adam (and the real man) knew how much potential psychological damage he was doing to his students. Was this his personal ego trip or his honest desire to get to the depth of understanding of genuine emotion? Was he using his students or trying to help them? Who is the ultimate judge of that? Hopefully, the readers can draw their own conclusions.

The important thing is that in the final analysis, Reggie decides to take total control of her choices and actions. She becomes quite a different person at the end of the book than she was at the opening. Elizabeth, you did such a great job of bringing this aspect of Reggie’s character to life. “Growing up” is a journey we all take in life and if we’re lucky, we begin it when we’re as young as Reggie because one way or another, it can last a lifetime.

EK: What do you think defines “young adult literature” as a genre? Although You Can’t Get There From Here is “YA” in the sense that it focuses on an adolescent’s encounters with the wider world and her attempts to define herself in relation to it, I think it’s easily read and enjoyed by adults (as is a lot of contemporary YA literature). I’m curious as to how you see YA literature as distinct (or perhaps not distinct) from adult literature.

Narrator Elizabeth Klett

MA: I feel YA literature is totally the same as adult literature in every and all ways except one. In a YA book, the protagonist is generally a teenager so the book engages the reader with problems faced by this particular age group. In every other way, there’s no difference. Remove that YA label from a book and potential readers wouldn’t make any distinction. Is The Catcher in the Rye a YA book? Yes and no. Is Jane Eyre adult literature? Yes and no. Is Alice in Wonderland just for children? No!

I teach children’s book writing which encompasses everything from picture books through young adult literature and always tell my students that if a picture book can’t engage an adult as well as a young child, it isn’t a successful book. A good story should hold any reader’s interest. There are some picture books I’ve read aloud to students endless times yet they never cease to make me laugh/cry/ feel renewed or provoke a thoughtful conversation. Of course, I ‘d say the same for all middle readers as well as YA.

Every good book should do this, no matter what age label is placed on its jacket.

Stay tuned for Monday, when Mary gets serious with Step on a Crack narrator Xe Sands.  In the meantime, Mary Anderson’s You Can’t Get There from Here, is available from Iambik as an audiobook for only $6.99, and is loved no matter how young of an adult you think you are.

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When narrator Anita Roy Dobbs emailed Amphibian author Carla Gunn about conducting an interview for this blog, she received in response a wonderful disclosure.  Apparently, when Ms Gunn was first informed that we would be making the audiobook of Amphibian, she misread the name of our company as beginning with an L, and her brain perceived in our name something delightfully obscene that I almost printed here, until I consulted the Urban Dictionary.  Because while it’s hilarious, in the way that a young sheep’s specific anatomical organs is hilarious, it might open us up to an audience that we’re not prepared for.

In her response, Ms Gunn continued with the following expression of enthusiasm:

I’nm so glad you enmailed. NMy dog spilled coffee all obver nmy laptop and I lost all of nmy enmail fronm the last year. I nmanaged to get the laptop going again, but as you can see, the keyboard is f”ed and the keys are nmessed up. Anyway, I LOBVE LOBVE LOBBVE your recording!! (ýou know what I nmean – when I hit bv, I get a b too). You captured Phin’s bvoice so well and I couldn’t be nmore pleased. I also lobved your bvoices for Liza, NMrs. Wardnman and the others – all bang on!

I would be happy to participate in the interbview – sounds like fun!

I can’t be the only one who’s somewhat disappointed that Ms Gunn’s keyboard was apparently successfully decaffeinated when she sat down to answer Anita’s questions.  Fortunately, what she lacks in typographical speech impediment, she makes up for in quality.  Here’s Anita and Carla:

Anita Roy Dobbs: True/False — Phin is sort of the amphibian of his social circle: more sensitive to his environment, unable to block out what’s really going on.

Carla Gunn:TRUE. A CBC interviewer, though, asked if it was also a fitting title because these creatures live both on land and in water. He suggested Phin was like this, straddling childhood and adulthood. I liked that idea so much, I stole it. In time, I’ll forget the source and attribute it to myself.

Author Carla Gunn

ARD: Which description has not appeared in a review about Amphibian?
a. A Top Five Debut Novel of 2009
b. Features the best precocial kid narrator of all time
c. One of this year’s most original literary creations is Phineas Walsh
d. Amphibian is a blockbuster bestseller
e. Eco-anxious Phin Walsh guaranteed to become your new favourite fictional character

CG: Ha! Oh, but I wish it was a bestseller.

[Editor’s note]: The December 2009 issue of the Quill & Quire listed Carla Gunn’s Amphibian as one of the ‘overlooked books’ of 2009 – a list of titles that, in a just world, would have been blockbuster bestsellers.

ARD: Who was the *most* surprised to find he/she was having an impact on the world? Phin or Carla?

Narrator Anita Roy Dobbs

CG: That would have to be Carla. Phin knows he has an impact on the world: “I figure everyone changes the world every day. For example, if Gordon kills the spider that has its web in the corner of the window, then that spider won’t be able to eat all the fruit flies that hang around the rotting banana in Kaitlyn’s desk and that would mean more fruit flies in this world. This would mean Gordon changed the world all by himself. It also means that everything happens for a reason.”

ARD: Phin loves the Green Channel and pretty much anything it airs. What programs are your personal favorites?

CG: I rarely watch television, but my sons keep me up to date on the latest in science and animal news. For example, did you know that the shape of the universe when it was formed largely determines whether it will continue expanding infinitely or collapse in on itself and end up as a black hole? And also, did you know that the #1 animal collector (after the hoarding human, of course) is the packrat? It piles up found objects and binds them together with urine, preserving them for over a thousand years. The packrat will take an object (like a watch) from sleeping human and – because it can carry only so much in its mouth – drop something else in its place (like a pretty rock). No? Well, now you do.

ARD: Do you listen to audiobooks?

CG: Not so much. But this is changing now that I have listened to the amazing Anita Roy Dobbs and I inherited my very first I-pod from my son.

ARD: Phin doesn’t say “my cat” — he says Fiddledee is his companion animal, so they share the equal status of companion to each other. I think it’s a great example of reframing relationships to make better sense of our world. Can you give another example of your own reframing of things?

CG: In our house, when someone, horrified, points out an indoor spider, I say, “Yep, he lives here too. Give him a name if it helps.” Right now we have two who live above the kitchen window. I call them Margaret and Eddie.

ARD: Do you know whether Amphibian is marketed pretty exclusively to adults? Has its marketing expanded to include young adults, too?

CG: Initially, it was marketed to adults but pretty quickly it got picked up by young adults and even children. The most charming emails I received were from kids who told me that they are like Phin. I’m not surprised since recent research reveals that a lot of preteens think there won’t be an earth left by the time they’re adults.

ARD: I find this adage can soothe a hurt or lend perspective on something unpleasant: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by ignorance.” If ignorance won’t explain it, try “incompetence,” and failing that, “stupidity.” (It’s a graduated form of Hanlon’s razor.) What adage/insight do you find helpful in facing the kind of painful truths Phin refuses to turn away from?

CG: I find I calm down when I read Ronald Wright’s A Short History of Progress, “… to use a computer analogy, we are running 21st-century software on hardware last upgraded 50,000 years ago. This human inability to see long-range consequences may be inherent to our kind, shaped by the millions of years when we lived from hand to mouth by hunting and gathering.” And also, Anita, have you ever watched George Carlin’s talk about how he’s given up on his species? He argues we’ve squandered our gifts of a big brain, binocular vision and opposable thumbs for trinkets and gadgets and that we’re now circling the drain, as he calls it. They’re a bit fatalistic, but I find George’s truths mighty helpful when facing Phin’s.

ARD: In your Chronicle Herald interview there’s one of my favorite bits: ‘One of my sons once asked why plastic bags are even legal if they cause so much pollution,’ Gunn says. ‘I tried to explain that it’s because when they were invented they weren’t known to be so harmful to the environment and that, combined with the fact that they’re so convenient, has made it difficult to get rid of them.

‘He just didn’t buy this argument. After all, lots of other things — like peeing on the street — are convenient but we don’t permit them.’ Can you share another ‘that doesn’t make logical sense’ anecdote?

CG: When one of my kids was in third grade he came home and told me about a lockdown drill – what to do if a dangerous stranger comes to the school. He wanted to know why the kids were instructed to huddle all together in a corner of the classroom. “Wouldn’t it be a better idea to hide under our desks so that we’re not all lined up for the shooter?” he asked, all wide-eyed. If the goal is to prepare children for danger, it makes more logical sense to teach them to self-administer the Heimlich or even how to execute a safe parachute jump since the likelihood of a fatal landing – at 1 in 200,000 jumps – is higher than being accosted by a gunman at school. What makes no logical sense is to scare the bejesus out of elementary school kids by getting them to practice scenes out of Mortal Combat. Yeesh.

ARD: The Calgary-based theatre troupe, Downstage, is in production with a play adaptation of Amphibian, yes? How are they casting for such young characters?

CG: Downstage is approaching Amphibian in a very creative way, representing the internal world of Phin rather than the external. This will work well, I think, because the novel is largely an internal dialogue. So instead of an actual physical Phin, we hear Phin’s voice accompanied by incredibly original props of the creatures of Reull and the other inhabitants of Phin’s mind. Dr. Barrett, for instance, will be represented as two disembodied hands. I met with Ellen Close and Braden Griffiths in Calgary recently and I was impressed with the screenplay and with the puppets they’ve created so far. I am super-to-infinity excited about this adaptation and honoured that Downstage chose Amphibian for this project!

ARD: I know that if my clones ever show up, at least one of them will record audiobooks as her full-time job. What would you set your clones to if they were to show up tomorrow morning?

CG: I asked my partner what I should write for this one and he looked at me astonished and said, “Tell her you’d get them to grab brooms and rags and clean up the house.” It’s true that he does a lot more cooking and cleaning than I do, but in my defense, it’s partly because I have a much higher disorder threshold than he does. He has to learn to care less. But, okay, for Chris – as mundane as it is – I would get my clones started on the house first. I know for a fact they won’t stay at it for long, though, because if they’re truly clones they’ll starting mouthing off and unionizing or something. So I have to think this out and assign them to chores they will at least somewhat enjoy. With that in mind, I’d like three: Brainy, Bossy and Bored. Brainy will be the research assistant who will set about finding out things nobody knows nor cares to know; Bossy will deal with the kids and their lazy habits; and Bored will post random bits of amusing nonsense on Facebook so that my main avenue of procrastination is effectively cut off.

ARD: Meanwhile, going solo in a no-clones world, if I could make it so, my days would be equal parts visiting with friends and family, learning, teaching, cooking, gardening, sketching, recording audiobooks, knitting (etc.) while listening to audiobooks/bbc podcasts, dancing, playing games, reading, and sometimes a movie. That’s roughly one hour each after you subtract sleep and add necessary etceteras. What would be your ideal assortment of endeavors for the rest of your (cloneless) lifetime? (Condition: wishing makes it so.)

CG: Except for the recording audiobooks, cooking and dancing parts for which I’d substitute writing, eating and napping, I’m with you, Anita. Just a second…am I your clone?

ARD: Aside from the (very nicely printed) book (and the audiobook, of course), what do you think would be the coolest medium for Amphibian? Graphic Novel (gets my vote)? Animation? TV series? Movie?

CG: How about an App? I have no idea what apps do or even what they are (I just had to Google it to make sure I was spelling it correctly), but based on overheard bits of conversation, I’m thinking they’re darn useful, no? They’re in those gadgets that do your laundry and scratch your balls like Carlin says, right? I’d like ‘Amphibian’ to be useful in some way or another, so I’ll go with the App.

ARD: I extremely look forward to reading your next novel, Nuts. Great title! Could you give us a peek into your writing routine? (My son, Eddy, is a writer and loves to hear how other writers manage page after page.)

CG: With Amphibian, I started with one scene and named the file Okayletstrythis since I had no idea if I could write a novel never having actually written fiction before. That one scene spawned another and then another and another. About 40,000 words in, I had a mishmash of scenes and took a few days to knit them all together in some sort of coherent fashion. Then I kind of had a framework with which to work. I am doing roughly the same thing with this new novel. As for my writing routine, like most things in my life, there isn’t a routine. I’d like one, though – is there an app for that?

Carla Gunn’s Amphibian, published in print by Coach House Books, is available from Iambik as an audiobook for only $6.99.  You can also buy it as part of our Complete Literary Fiction Collection 3 of 6 titles for $29.99.

And if this doesn’t convince you, you should have a listen to Anita’s reading of the first chapter of Amphibian below.

Have questions for Anita Roy Dobbs, Carla Gunn, or any of our team?  Email Miette, and I’ll try to put something together for you.