TB: How long have you been a writer?
SK: I've spent more than 15 years working in ad agencies and public relations firms where I've always had to write some to earn my keep. But I never thought of myself as a writer, per se. I didn't spend any of my free time writing and I devoted little time to developing my craft. And then, some four years ago, I found myself with an insatiable desire to write. It's one of many inexplicable things in my life. One day I woke up and stories just had to come out. There seemed to be no stopping it. My first published piece, a magazine feature, appeared in November of 1999.
TB: When did the idea for the book first hit you?
SK: I first shared the story as part of a speech I gave in college. Afterward, I mentally filed the story away and didn't think about it. When I began writing in earnest some four years ago, the idea bubbled back up. I wrote a 5,000-word piece -- in essence the Cliff Notes version of what became the book. Cincinnati Magazine published the piece in early 2000. It was recognized as one of the best human interest stories published in Ohio that year. That surprised the hell out of me, pleasantly of course, and also gave me the confidence to pursue a book deal.
TB: You write in the intro that, "To borrow a phrase from Tobias Wolff, 'memory has its own story to tell.'...While certain details in this story may not be precisely factual, the sense of what was in my mind and heart is absolutely true..." I think your statement applies to a lot of humor writers. How did you go about deciding where the line was between fact and fiction?
SK: I worked hard to keep the story as true as possible, at least as it concerned the major details as well as the small ones that were likewise important. I chose not to worry about whether some old girlfriend's eyes were really blue or green, or whether some wacky event happened in sixth grade or seventh. I let my memory dictate those things. Yet, I stopped short of completely fabricating events to make the story better. A well-placed car crash or a personal meeting with the Pope or Paul McCartney would have really helped my story, but I resisted the temptation. I wanted my tale to ring true, at least to me. And it does. I had an advantage in that there was a fair amount of humor in my life -- most of it unintentional -- from which I could draw.
TB: You write with an honesty that is rare. Was it difficult to spread your childhood out for all to see?
SK: At times, yes. But experience has taught me that we all have plenty of weird and unusual and embarrassing experiences in our past, particularly from our childhoods. So, in a sense, I don't think I have revealed anything that, in broad strokes at least, most everyone else hasn't also gone through as well. I've had plenty of time to come to terms with my dorkiness. In fact, I am still a dork. Last summer I accidentally stepped into somebody else's car. To make matters even more dorky, I got my keys stuck in that person's ignition. I had to find her. And then a locksmith.
TB: Much like everyday life, your book does a fantastic job of blending the serious with the humorous. Does that style of writing come naturally to you? Did you ever have to tone down the humor because the book was getting too light?
SK: It's funny you should ask because when I submitted my first five or so chapters to my editor, Roy Carlisle, he wrote back and said that he loved the material, but he thought it read like a stand-up routine in too many spots. So I backed off the humor and worked to strike a more even balance, one that still had plenty of laughs -- at least so I hoped -- but that would allow for some poignant and serious moments too.
TB: How did you go about finding your agent, Linda Roghaar?
SK: I relied on Jeff Herman's fine directory of agents which is readily available in most bookstores. I went through page-by-page searching for agents who met certain criteria. I wanted an agent who had sold books to small and large publishers; one who had experience with memoir; and one who was passionate about my idea. I wrote to eight of them. A couple I never heard from. I received rejection letters from a couple. And four said "yes." I chatted with them each over the phone and selected Linda based on her expertise and how hard she laughed at my jokes.
NOTE: Jeff Herman is speaking at the 2004 Erma Bombeck Writer's Workshop.
TB: How have you gone about marketing the book?
My publisher, Crossroad Books of New York City, hired a wonderful Chicago PR firm called Dechant & Hughes. They helped to score considerable publicity in Cincinnati, my hometown, as well as some other "hits" around the country. I was also fortunate to garner some really nice reviews in Publisher's Weekly, Library Journal and some magazines that cater to the Catholic market, such as Catholic Digest and America, the official magazine of the Jesuits.
But, with Crossroad's support, I have also run ads in Publishers Weekly as well as in newspapers in Cincinnati. I've sent out direct mail and have passed out thousands of book marks, too. I have also relied on some fun guerilla marketing tactics. For instance, I have glued halos to bathroom mirrors at popular bars. And I have passed out matchbooks that have pictures of the book's cover and say silly things on them, like: "For a good time, call 666."
I've also been reading and signing everywhere and anywhere that will have me, including bookstores, churches and even private reading clubs. I will also be reading and signing at the Midwest Literary Festival this September.
TB: Have you started writing a second book?
SK: Yes, I have begun writing one that explores the demons I have run away from -- or am trying to run away from -- as an adult. It seems that I am still the Prince of Dorkness trying to outrun the Prince of Darkness. But I'm remaining open to other ideas at this point.
TB: What advice would you give to a writer who had a great idea for a book but didn't have an extensive publishing history?
SK: Go for it, keeping plugging away, believe in yourself. I scored my book deal with only a couple of magazine articles under my belt, and frankly, my sense is that it wouldn't have been a deal breaker had I not had those articles. The other advice I have is: practice the craft, meaning write, write and then write some more. Attend conferences and read books about writing, too, but mostly write, write, write. And find people, no matter how hard you must look, who will be critical of your work, who will push to make you better. It's nice to have people like your mom, or your spouse or a close friend to read your stuff and tell you that you're funny and brilliant. But, if you really want to get better, you also need those who aren't afraid to kick your writer butt.
(c) 2003, University of Dayton
