Q: I enjoyed the book but I don't really have a question. I just want to say thank you for coming to our class and the two funniest parts of the book for me are when Elwyn and Benny go to Sister Morrisohn's house after the tent revival meeting and the scene with Elwyn and his principal. The slap scene. The book is deep but very hilarious. Did you mean for it to be so funny and how do you write funny?
A: You actually did ask a question. I guess I did mean for it to be funny. Years ago when I was a freshman in college I learned from my comp teacher a technique called writing fabulous realities*--which taught me that the trick to being funny is to be honest. Humans by their very nature are "funny." If you tell the truth about people without too much interference on your part as the author, it comes off as being funny. I get my "funny" from honesty. Elwyn and the people in his church family take themselves too seriously and when I tell that truth it comes across as funny to the reader.
Thanks,
Preston
*Our textbook was by Ken Macrorie. I think it was called TELLING WRITING, or something like that. I used to know, but now I'm getting forgetful.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Is Love Possible Between Older Women and Younger Men?
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Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Is the Book Autobiographical?
Q: I thoroughly enjoyed JESUS BOY, for I too am a church pianist and have been for nearly fifty years, starting at the age of 10--so I have you beat by two years, since you (or should I say your character Elwyn) started at 12. Your great talent as a writer is a blessing from the Lord, Brother Allen, if you don't mind me telling you so. And though the book made me laugh out loud too many times to count and brought me to the point of sadness and tears almost as often, I hope one day for you to get serious and write entirely for the glory of God. That is what I see for you. God gave you this gift for a reason and I think that reason is to bring glory to His name. I have read many novels in my life but never one like this. For someone who has spent her entire life in the church, the book is so real to me and so true. Every page I kept nodding my head and saying to myself, I know someone like Brother Morrisohn, I know someone like Brother Parker, I know someone like Sister Miron, I know someone like Brother Barry McGowan. You brought the church experience to life for me, but you did it without preaching down the place or being cynical and tearing down our faith. You did not mock us for our beliefs as Christians, which some writers do, you simply told our story, and what a twisted and devious story it is at times. Sometimes I wanted to put the book down because I thought you were going to get too dirty, but you never did. You never got to the point of offending. But you also never shied away from telling the story, even the bad parts and real life issues that many believers want to pretend don't exist in the church: hypocrisy, infidelity, lust, jealousy, and as they say today, alternative lifestyles. This is a very powerful book. I am glad you came to our class to speak, and I am glad I bought and read JESUS BOY. But I think that the only way for you to be able to tell a story like this is for you to have lived it. Am I right? Is this story autobiographical? Are you Elwyn, Brother Allen? Are you the Jesus Boy?
A: Thanks for your kind words and thanks for your question.
My mother, who passed away two years ago, asked the same question after she had read a draft of the book. "Is this book about you? Are you Elwyn?"
My answer is no. I am not Elwyn. The book is not autobiographical. However, I know THAT world. Yes, I grew up in the church. Yes, I was a 12-year old church pianist. Yes, I fell in love with a girl my age who was also a church pianist and who seemed like my perfect mate. Yes, because of a pregnancy she and I never got together. Yes, I discovered that loving an older woman, who has serious issues in her past, is difficult if not impossible. But I'm not Elwyn, seriously. I'm just a writer who is good at squeezing lies in such a way that the truth drips out of them. If the book were autobiographical, my mother would have given me a good whuppin.
However, if my last book ALL OR NOTHING is any indication of how this thing works, I had better expect to hear that autobiographical question asked many, many times before it's all over.
I can't wait to finally publish one of my novels that has a female protagonist. I can just hear the audience now:
"Is the book autobiographical, Mr. Allen?"
"Yes, I am a tall sexy black woman."
Thanks,
Preston
A: Thanks for your kind words and thanks for your question.
My mother, who passed away two years ago, asked the same question after she had read a draft of the book. "Is this book about you? Are you Elwyn?"
My answer is no. I am not Elwyn. The book is not autobiographical. However, I know THAT world. Yes, I grew up in the church. Yes, I was a 12-year old church pianist. Yes, I fell in love with a girl my age who was also a church pianist and who seemed like my perfect mate. Yes, because of a pregnancy she and I never got together. Yes, I discovered that loving an older woman, who has serious issues in her past, is difficult if not impossible. But I'm not Elwyn, seriously. I'm just a writer who is good at squeezing lies in such a way that the truth drips out of them. If the book were autobiographical, my mother would have given me a good whuppin.
However, if my last book ALL OR NOTHING is any indication of how this thing works, I had better expect to hear that autobiographical question asked many, many times before it's all over.
I can't wait to finally publish one of my novels that has a female protagonist. I can just hear the audience now:
"Is the book autobiographical, Mr. Allen?"
"Yes, I am a tall sexy black woman."
Thanks,
Preston
My First Question!! Church of God. Holiness. Pointer Sisters.
Q: I just finished the book and I loved it, though the end made me very sad, especially the scene where Sister Morrisohn confesses everything to Elwyn. A few of the students in the class had some questions that maybe you can answer. Is the major theme of the book hypocrisy, and what is your religious background? By the way, I personally loved your reading. I love the way you become each character when you read. As I read the book, I kept hearing your voice in my head.
A: First of all, congratulations on being the first question on this blog--the first two questions actually. And I am sorry about my voice in your head. You ought to have a doctor check on that.
Okay, hypocrisy, let's start there. Yes, hypocrisy is one of the themes in the book because, as you know, a number of holy people in the novel upon closer inspection seem quite flawed. But hypocrisy is too easy. It would be too easy to write a book that points a finger at hypocrites in the church--anyone could do that. In fact, anyone outside the world of the church could do that. But because of my experiences in life, I write as a church insider, and my goal therefore has to be more ambitious than the simple and expected and been-there-done-that pointing out of hypocrites.
Now, I don't want to give away too much and ruin the plot for the fans who haven't purchased the boook yet, which is always a danger when a writer talks about his/her work, and I also don't want to establish some sort of authoritarian guideline for reading the book that invalidates all other interpretations, so I will be careful in how I explain what I think is a major theme of this work, from an insider's point of view.
Love. The book is about love, the kind that Christ talks about, unconditional love. In the novel the hypocrites, as you call them, all tend to be from the older generation. And they are good people. In particular, they are people who are good, for the most part, to Elwyn. They are people who seem godlike to Elwyn now because of their age and all that they have achieved in life, but they are people who were young once too. And when they were young, they were a lot like Elwyn and the other youthful protagonists in the book, driven by their emotions to act in ways that they would later regret. The challenge of the book is not to expose their hypocrisies, but after the said exposure for Elwyn to recognize that his elders were young once too and to forgive them for being human. If Elwyn can forgive, then he is a true Christian.
Keep in mind that Sister Morrisohn is his elder too. Though they are lovers, she certainly must have things to expose, and Elwyn must be able to forgive these things committed before he was even born--these things committed when she was his age and driven by passion and guided by inexperience. If Elwyn can forgive, then their love is true.
My religious experience/background is Holiness (a sort of pentecostal church, but not really). Holiness? What the heck is that? Not too many people are aware that the Pointer Sisters were Holiness when they were growing up--their branch was the Church of God--headquartered in Anderson, Ind. So was Bill Gaither (of the Bill Gaither Trio), who gave us the famous hymns "The King Is Coming," "Something Beautiful," and "Jesus, We just Want to Thank You"--his branch was Church of God, too.
No, I'm not going to tell you what branch of holiness I belonged to because I do not discuss my own personal religious life and/or views and/or faith.
I have a policy of not discussing sex, religion, or politics.
Of course, ironically, I tend to WRITE about sex, religion, and politics all the time.
LOL
But I will not discuss them.
Thanks,
Preston
By the way, I am looking for a copy of The Bill Gaither Trio's song "Rejoice, Rejoice, My Son Is Coming Home Again." It's the song they used to sing about the prodigal son. I would love to put it on my iPod, but it does not seem to be on any of their albums or CDs. When I was a mere lad growing up in Miami (around 1975-79) the song used to air all them time on WMCU radio. Help.
A: First of all, congratulations on being the first question on this blog--the first two questions actually. And I am sorry about my voice in your head. You ought to have a doctor check on that.
Okay, hypocrisy, let's start there. Yes, hypocrisy is one of the themes in the book because, as you know, a number of holy people in the novel upon closer inspection seem quite flawed. But hypocrisy is too easy. It would be too easy to write a book that points a finger at hypocrites in the church--anyone could do that. In fact, anyone outside the world of the church could do that. But because of my experiences in life, I write as a church insider, and my goal therefore has to be more ambitious than the simple and expected and been-there-done-that pointing out of hypocrites.
Now, I don't want to give away too much and ruin the plot for the fans who haven't purchased the boook yet, which is always a danger when a writer talks about his/her work, and I also don't want to establish some sort of authoritarian guideline for reading the book that invalidates all other interpretations, so I will be careful in how I explain what I think is a major theme of this work, from an insider's point of view.
Love. The book is about love, the kind that Christ talks about, unconditional love. In the novel the hypocrites, as you call them, all tend to be from the older generation. And they are good people. In particular, they are people who are good, for the most part, to Elwyn. They are people who seem godlike to Elwyn now because of their age and all that they have achieved in life, but they are people who were young once too. And when they were young, they were a lot like Elwyn and the other youthful protagonists in the book, driven by their emotions to act in ways that they would later regret. The challenge of the book is not to expose their hypocrisies, but after the said exposure for Elwyn to recognize that his elders were young once too and to forgive them for being human. If Elwyn can forgive, then he is a true Christian.
Keep in mind that Sister Morrisohn is his elder too. Though they are lovers, she certainly must have things to expose, and Elwyn must be able to forgive these things committed before he was even born--these things committed when she was his age and driven by passion and guided by inexperience. If Elwyn can forgive, then their love is true.
My religious experience/background is Holiness (a sort of pentecostal church, but not really). Holiness? What the heck is that? Not too many people are aware that the Pointer Sisters were Holiness when they were growing up--their branch was the Church of God--headquartered in Anderson, Ind. So was Bill Gaither (of the Bill Gaither Trio), who gave us the famous hymns "The King Is Coming," "Something Beautiful," and "Jesus, We just Want to Thank You"--his branch was Church of God, too.
No, I'm not going to tell you what branch of holiness I belonged to because I do not discuss my own personal religious life and/or views and/or faith.
I have a policy of not discussing sex, religion, or politics.
Of course, ironically, I tend to WRITE about sex, religion, and politics all the time.
LOL
But I will not discuss them.
Thanks,
Preston
By the way, I am looking for a copy of The Bill Gaither Trio's song "Rejoice, Rejoice, My Son Is Coming Home Again." It's the song they used to sing about the prodigal son. I would love to put it on my iPod, but it does not seem to be on any of their albums or CDs. When I was a mere lad growing up in Miami (around 1975-79) the song used to air all them time on WMCU radio. Help.
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About Me
- Preston L. Allen
- Miami, Florida, United States
- Preston L. Allen is the author of eight works of fiction, including the hard-hitting novel All or Nothing and the award-winning short story collection Churchboys and Other Sinners. He is a recipient of a State of Florida Individual Artist Grant and the Sonja H. Stone Prize in Fiction. His stories have appeared in numerous literary anthologies and journals including Las Vegas Noir, Miami Noir, the Seattle Review, Drum Voices, Brown Sugar, and Black Renaissance Noire. His novels Every Boy Should Have a Man, All or Nothing, and Jesus Boy have received rave reviews from the New York Times, the Feminist Review, the Chicago Tribune, and O, the Oprah Magazine. The New York Times has called him “a cartographer of autodegradation,” and places his work on a continuum with that of Dostoyevsky, William S. Burroughs, and Charles Bukowski.