Spotlight Interview with Novelist Gregory G. Allen
Gregory G. Allen has been making quite a name for himself in recent years. His debut novel Well With My Soul garnered him much acclaim and admiration, not to mention an enviable fan base, and he quickly rose to prominence in the GLBT community. Now he’s returned with a new book, this one from a different angle and an entirely different protagonist, that is thrilling his fans and increasing his recognition in literary circles.
Patchwork of Me is Greg’s latest novel and it was an instantaneous success. One of the more satisfying books I’ve read in the last year, it gives us the story of a young woman with a fractured past who must come to terms with herself, and the traumas that have shaped her life, before she can move forward. He also recently released a children’s book focusing on a young boy with autism who is a superhero. An unqualified success, Chicken Boy has increased Greg’s readership in grand style.
I asked Greg for an interview to get a look inside what inspired him to write these stories. He’s a good friend and just last month I got to meet and have dinner with him in New York City. So I was more than pleased when he agreed to be my guest again.
CP: Welcome back, Greg. It’s good to chat with you.
GGA: It is always wonderful to meet up with you…here or in NY when you visit!
CP: Thanks, man. You’ve got a couple of really popular titles out right now. Let’s begin with Patchwork of Me. Tell me how this book came about.
GGA: A few years ago I decided to try the “NaNoWriMo” where you write a novel in a month during November. Just to challenge myself. That was the first draft of Patchwork. I started with the character’s past in Maine (what she discovers as she patches her life together) and created this woman around that actual moment. How she was put into foster care and ended up in Arizona now as a woman in her 30s.
CP: Did you expect it to become such a favorite with readers?
GGA: I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m not a specific genre writer, so I walk into the waters with trepidation that people will say ‘this is not like what we’ve read of his before’ and throw the book across the room. (Laughs.) Would people take to a man writing a female protagonist in first person? But I’m thrilled with the comments that I have received (especially from women) and was absolutely overjoyed when it won the 2012 International Book Award for Women’s Lit.
CP: Why do you think it appeals to such a wide audience?
GGA: I think people can relate to Sara. A woman who doesn’t feel she quite fits in, trying to hold it all together. Making wrong choices. Fighting with herself in her own head. Plus hanging out with two fun gay guys and one chick that has no problem ‘speaking the truth’ – their ‘family’ definitely has an appeal to audiences who long for or relate to that kind of camaraderie in their own lives.
CP: Any talk of a film adaptation of Patchwork?
GGA: The only talks are the ones in my head…much as Sara speaks to herself. J (But if someone else wants to talk, I’m all ears!)
GGA: It is always wonderful to meet up with you…here or in NY when you visit!
CP: Thanks, man. You’ve got a couple of really popular titles out right now. Let’s begin with Patchwork of Me. Tell me how this book came about.
GGA: A few years ago I decided to try the “NaNoWriMo” where you write a novel in a month during November. Just to challenge myself. That was the first draft of Patchwork. I started with the character’s past in Maine (what she discovers as she patches her life together) and created this woman around that actual moment. How she was put into foster care and ended up in Arizona now as a woman in her 30s.
CP: Did you expect it to become such a favorite with readers?
GGA: I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m not a specific genre writer, so I walk into the waters with trepidation that people will say ‘this is not like what we’ve read of his before’ and throw the book across the room. (Laughs.) Would people take to a man writing a female protagonist in first person? But I’m thrilled with the comments that I have received (especially from women) and was absolutely overjoyed when it won the 2012 International Book Award for Women’s Lit.
CP: Why do you think it appeals to such a wide audience?
GGA: I think people can relate to Sara. A woman who doesn’t feel she quite fits in, trying to hold it all together. Making wrong choices. Fighting with herself in her own head. Plus hanging out with two fun gay guys and one chick that has no problem ‘speaking the truth’ – their ‘family’ definitely has an appeal to audiences who long for or relate to that kind of camaraderie in their own lives.
CP: Any talk of a film adaptation of Patchwork?
GGA: The only talks are the ones in my head…much as Sara speaks to herself. J (But if someone else wants to talk, I’m all ears!)
CP: And Chicken Boy? Where did this one come from?
GGA: I honestly never intended to write a children’s book. I spend every Wednesday night with my godson (who has autism) and his sister and mom, eating at his favorite place. Many children with autism need that routine and he always orders the same meal which consists of chicken fingers, French fries and ketchup. So his sister and I started making up a story one night about him being a superhero. He sometimes just screams out the word “BAHCAAAAAAH” for no reason, so we decided that was his battle cry. Thus our superhero was born and I wrote this story about autism awareness told through the eyes of the child that lives with it every day. I entered it into a contest with four hundred other stories and it won the People’s Choice Grand Prize award and was published by MeeGenius in March on their digital platform.
CP: Chicken Boy has caught the attention of many readers, including celebrities who’ve helped you promote it. Why do you think its message is so well received?
GGA: I think so many people know someone with autism in the day and age that we live in now that it is on many people’s minds. The story is told simply so that a child can understand it: don’t fear someone who is different. People love the simplicity and want to help spread the word…and I’m eternally grateful for it! We have to love social media & those celebrities who re-tweet!
CP: What did you hope this book would accomplish? And in your view, has it succeeded in its mission?
GGA: The book became something so much larger than “Greg wrote a children’s book” during the two rounds of voting. I truly felt I was on a mission to be a voice - one SMALL voice - in making people aware that kids with autism are not so different (inside their own heads). So don’t be afraid just because someone makes a sound or you see them fidgeting. They can’t help what they are doing. Once the book was out (and then also in print,) I’ve been
traveling to local schools and reading it, discussing it with ages from PreK to sixth grade. It has been an amazing experience for me and one I really treasure. And when I see a kid ‘get it’ (especially if there is also a child with autism in the room making a noise or something) and can say “oh, it’s like what Chicken Boy did in the book” … yes, I completely feel the mission was a success.
GGA: I honestly never intended to write a children’s book. I spend every Wednesday night with my godson (who has autism) and his sister and mom, eating at his favorite place. Many children with autism need that routine and he always orders the same meal which consists of chicken fingers, French fries and ketchup. So his sister and I started making up a story one night about him being a superhero. He sometimes just screams out the word “BAHCAAAAAAH” for no reason, so we decided that was his battle cry. Thus our superhero was born and I wrote this story about autism awareness told through the eyes of the child that lives with it every day. I entered it into a contest with four hundred other stories and it won the People’s Choice Grand Prize award and was published by MeeGenius in March on their digital platform.
CP: Chicken Boy has caught the attention of many readers, including celebrities who’ve helped you promote it. Why do you think its message is so well received?
GGA: I think so many people know someone with autism in the day and age that we live in now that it is on many people’s minds. The story is told simply so that a child can understand it: don’t fear someone who is different. People love the simplicity and want to help spread the word…and I’m eternally grateful for it! We have to love social media & those celebrities who re-tweet!
CP: What did you hope this book would accomplish? And in your view, has it succeeded in its mission?
GGA: The book became something so much larger than “Greg wrote a children’s book” during the two rounds of voting. I truly felt I was on a mission to be a voice - one SMALL voice - in making people aware that kids with autism are not so different (inside their own heads). So don’t be afraid just because someone makes a sound or you see them fidgeting. They can’t help what they are doing. Once the book was out (and then also in print,) I’ve been
traveling to local schools and reading it, discussing it with ages from PreK to sixth grade. It has been an amazing experience for me and one I really treasure. And when I see a kid ‘get it’ (especially if there is also a child with autism in the room making a noise or something) and can say “oh, it’s like what Chicken Boy did in the book” … yes, I completely feel the mission was a success.
CP: How do you feel when you see Patchwork of Me win an award or Chicken Boy take flight with so many people?
GGA: You feel a sense of accomplishment and validation. Look, we all want to be loved in this world, but I’m aware not everyone is going to love everything I do. And I’m okay with that. (He says after years of therapy.) J Those one star reviews are washed out of my mind when something I’ve written is acknowledged by a panel or group for what it brings to the literary world. It makes you feel you haven’t been writing in vain. Do I still wish I could sell those thousands of copies of books that I read about others doing? Absolutely! But I’m truly honored every time someone buys a copy and tells me what they thought. It’s a wonderful feeling.
CP: Your writing really resonates with your readers. People respond to your work. How do you make your brand of magic?
GGA: Wow, Carey. That’s a really sweet thing for you to say. And I’m not certain how to answer you. I don’t think in terms of ‘trying to write a certain way’ or ‘if I do this, then people will think that.’ I just try to stay as true and honest to myself and my characters as I possibly can.
GGA: You feel a sense of accomplishment and validation. Look, we all want to be loved in this world, but I’m aware not everyone is going to love everything I do. And I’m okay with that. (He says after years of therapy.) J Those one star reviews are washed out of my mind when something I’ve written is acknowledged by a panel or group for what it brings to the literary world. It makes you feel you haven’t been writing in vain. Do I still wish I could sell those thousands of copies of books that I read about others doing? Absolutely! But I’m truly honored every time someone buys a copy and tells me what they thought. It’s a wonderful feeling.
CP: Your writing really resonates with your readers. People respond to your work. How do you make your brand of magic?
GGA: Wow, Carey. That’s a really sweet thing for you to say. And I’m not certain how to answer you. I don’t think in terms of ‘trying to write a certain way’ or ‘if I do this, then people will think that.’ I just try to stay as true and honest to myself and my characters as I possibly can.
CP: How do you handle or respond to criticisms of your work?
GGA: I turn to my modern day Algonquin Round Table friends and ask them to join me for a virtual drink! (Laughs.) As I mentioned before, we all strive for acceptance, but sometimes we’re just not going to get it. And that’s because not everyone likes all of the same things. I’ve had people tell me I write such realistic dialogue and others say my dialogue is flat and untrue. It’s hardest when it is something to do with editing or a misspelled word makes it through (and my books have gone through editors and proofers and STILL some errors made it into print). Those are rough because the person is right and it can’t be disputed. But if that word took them so far out of my storytelling then obviously I wasn’t really the storyteller for them, was I? But I don’t respond to the criticisms. It’s just not worth it.
CP: Are you working on any new projects right now? If so, what can you share about them?
GGA: I seem to have too many projects going on in my head! I actually have sequels to both of my first books that are brewing and a few chapters/outlines have been written. But first I’d like to get out a novelized version of a musical I wrote several years ago called Invisible Fences about a biracial woman living in Dalton, GA in 1964. If I can get that book out sometime in 2013, it will show the arc of my writing as someone who simply loves to write about diversity and how different my first three novels are in genre and tone. Then I’ll really mess with people’s minds about who I am as an author! J
GGA: I turn to my modern day Algonquin Round Table friends and ask them to join me for a virtual drink! (Laughs.) As I mentioned before, we all strive for acceptance, but sometimes we’re just not going to get it. And that’s because not everyone likes all of the same things. I’ve had people tell me I write such realistic dialogue and others say my dialogue is flat and untrue. It’s hardest when it is something to do with editing or a misspelled word makes it through (and my books have gone through editors and proofers and STILL some errors made it into print). Those are rough because the person is right and it can’t be disputed. But if that word took them so far out of my storytelling then obviously I wasn’t really the storyteller for them, was I? But I don’t respond to the criticisms. It’s just not worth it.
CP: Are you working on any new projects right now? If so, what can you share about them?
GGA: I seem to have too many projects going on in my head! I actually have sequels to both of my first books that are brewing and a few chapters/outlines have been written. But first I’d like to get out a novelized version of a musical I wrote several years ago called Invisible Fences about a biracial woman living in Dalton, GA in 1964. If I can get that book out sometime in 2013, it will show the arc of my writing as someone who simply loves to write about diversity and how different my first three novels are in genre and tone. Then I’ll really mess with people’s minds about who I am as an author! J
CP: What have you been doing in your “Greg” time lately?
GGA: Living right outside of NYC, I spent May attending several Broadway shows (and blogging about them) before the Tony awards. And then the first week in June was relaxing with the family in Punta Cana to share my sister’s small beach wedding.
CP: What are you reading?
GGA: I just finished Benjamin Wretlind’s Sketches from the Spanish Mustang to give him a quote for his July release. Completely different type of reading for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
CP: Seen any good movies?
GGA: I don’t actually get to the movies much. I wait for them to come on cable. Not sure if that’s being lazy or just thrifty. I think the last movie I had going in the background while I was busy doing my social media stuff was the alien flick Paul.
CP: You recently went to Sedona for a birthday break. How was that?
GGA: Amazing. Everything they say about it and more. Spiritual. Relaxing. Slower. We drove to the Grand Canyon, took a train through the Verde Canyon…and ate LOTS of good food!
CP: What’s next for you?
GGA: Heading to Maine in late June for an “author road trip” just like my characters in Patchwork of Me. Can’t wait to share both of these books with the people in that state at a few book signings. I worked up there in 1989 doing summer stock theater and I just love it! (So it’s work AND fun.)
CP: And what are you most proud of these days?
GGA: My mother. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in early May and had the strength of an army as she faced it. Never once having a pity party…only figuring out what comes next. That’s another reason I loved the Punta Cana trip to be able to spend a week with her before she goes home to Texas for her surgery and starts her treatments this summer. But she is awesome and as we say in Texas: “She’s gonna whip its ass!”
CP: Gregory G. Allen, thanks for this wonderful chat.
GGA: Thank you, Carey! I always love chatting with you. Either here on your blog, email, or online. See you out on twitter!
Carey Parrish
GGA: Living right outside of NYC, I spent May attending several Broadway shows (and blogging about them) before the Tony awards. And then the first week in June was relaxing with the family in Punta Cana to share my sister’s small beach wedding.
CP: What are you reading?
GGA: I just finished Benjamin Wretlind’s Sketches from the Spanish Mustang to give him a quote for his July release. Completely different type of reading for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
CP: Seen any good movies?
GGA: I don’t actually get to the movies much. I wait for them to come on cable. Not sure if that’s being lazy or just thrifty. I think the last movie I had going in the background while I was busy doing my social media stuff was the alien flick Paul.
CP: You recently went to Sedona for a birthday break. How was that?
GGA: Amazing. Everything they say about it and more. Spiritual. Relaxing. Slower. We drove to the Grand Canyon, took a train through the Verde Canyon…and ate LOTS of good food!
CP: What’s next for you?
GGA: Heading to Maine in late June for an “author road trip” just like my characters in Patchwork of Me. Can’t wait to share both of these books with the people in that state at a few book signings. I worked up there in 1989 doing summer stock theater and I just love it! (So it’s work AND fun.)
CP: And what are you most proud of these days?
GGA: My mother. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in early May and had the strength of an army as she faced it. Never once having a pity party…only figuring out what comes next. That’s another reason I loved the Punta Cana trip to be able to spend a week with her before she goes home to Texas for her surgery and starts her treatments this summer. But she is awesome and as we say in Texas: “She’s gonna whip its ass!”
CP: Gregory G. Allen, thanks for this wonderful chat.
GGA: Thank you, Carey! I always love chatting with you. Either here on your blog, email, or online. See you out on twitter!
Carey Parrish
posted by Carey Parrish | 6:49 AM
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