Katherine Erskine on Writing Mockingbird

 MOCKINGBIRD  (National Book Award, 2010), (Crystal Kite Award 2011)

 

In Caitlin’s world, everything is black or white.  Things are good or bad.  Anything in between is confusing.  That’s the stuff Caitlin’s older brother, Devon, has always explained.  But now Devon’s dead, and her father cries a lot.  Caitlin wants to get over it, but as an eleven-year-old girl with Asperger’s, she doesn’t know how.  When she reads the definition of “closure” in the dictionary, she realizes that is what she and her father need.  In her search for Closure, Caitlin discovers that not everything is black and white–the world is full of colors–messy and beautiful, and it is through this discovery that she embarks on a road which leads her to find both healing and Closure.

 

What drew you to Caitlin and her story?

Because I know so many people with Asperger’s and really feel for them, as well as those who are trying to understand them, I wanted to show what it was like from inside the head of someone with Asperger’s.  What makes sense to them, and is actually very logical, often comes across as rude and socially unacceptable to the rest of us.  I wanted to build a bridge between those on the autism spectrum and the so-called “neurotypical” people, i.e., those not on the spectrum.  

 

You capture a character’s heart and soul so beautifully despite drawing Caitlin as a character who struggles to connect to her own community. As you wrote, were you conscious of this delicate balance and how did you create this character’s interior emotional reality?

I do a lot of research on my topics and characters so I can, hopefully, write authentically.  After all that research, I kind of become that person.  I even start talking and acting like the character (which isn’t always a good thing!), so it ends up feeling perfectly natural.   Caitlin’s story spilled out in about 6 weeks.  (It took much longer to shape it into a novel and revise, of course.)  

 

Have you gone into schools to talk about Caitlin’s story? If so, how do readers respond to Caitlin?

Yes, I’ve done quite a few school visits and people, young and older, seem moved by Caitlin’s story.  In LaCrosse, Wisconsin, they planned an entire school curriculum unit and community events around the topic of autism.  It was a writer’s dream to go somewhere where everyone — and I mean everyone, from store owners to police officers to politicians — has read your book, thought about it, thought about how it applies to their community, and participated in events to really understand and help those on the autism spectrum.  Wow.  And it’s great to get so many insightful questions and to have kids with Asperger’s talk about what their life is like for them so other kids they see every day can finally understand what it’s like.  It was an amazing experience.  

 

This novel has received major recognition and awards from the National Book Award to a Crystal Kite. What do awards mean for this book and for you?

Awards certainly bring attention to a book, which means it’s getting read more, and there are a lot more discussions about Asperger’s and people with differences, even among very young children.  That’s the most rewarding part of it.  The heartfelt letters from children about how they understand their peers or relatives better, teachers about how they understand some of their students better, and adults with Asperger’s who say that reading about Caitlin makes them feel understood — all move me to tears.  Generally, I think awards are a recognition that books are still very important in our society.  Specifically, awards have meant a lot of travel for me and getting to meet so many more people.  It has all been a privilege.

 

What do you hope can come through this recognition?

More awareness about those on the autism spectrum, more discussion about differences of all kind, and an appreciation of the need for counselors and other specialists in our school system.  And also I hope it’ll help me publish another book.  :o)

 

How do you think your book and books like yours can change the world?

People respond to stories, whether real life stories or fiction.  Stories connect us as human beings.  They make us care.  Perhaps most importantly they make us think.  I hope my stories will spur people to think about problems, talk about them, and even act to solve them.

 

 

What are you working on now?

I’ve just finished a manuscript about a boy in rural Virginiain the 1970’s who has a mystery to solve about his community — with an unexpected outcome.  I’m now writing a book set in the Middle Ages about an English boy who wants to go into battle against the Scots, until he finds out what that really means.  Also, a picture book biography and an adult book (as in, a book for grown ups!).

 

Please add any additional comments:

The Absolute Value of Mike is much lighter than Mockingbird so I don’t always write heavy.  :o)  The underlying notion, that we all have to find our own path (and that we all have value) is serious but otherwise there’s lots of room for laughter.

Thanks so much for having me!

 

 

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