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Meet the Author: Jacquelyn Mitchard
A native of the west side of Chicago, Jacquelyn Mitchard never studied writing beyond freshman electives, but she read everything she could buy or borrow. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was named by USA Today as one of the ten most influential books of the past 25 years. It was chosen as the first novel in the book club made famous by the TV host Oprah Winfrey, and transformed into a feature film produced by and starring Michelle Pfeiffer. Jacquelyn has continued to write bestsellers for both adults and young adults. She is also a contributing editor for the Disney parenting magazine Wondertime, as well as, writing pieces for More, Parade and Real Simple, among other magazines. Her syndicated column for Tribune Media appears in newspapers around the nation. Jacquelyn and her children, Rob, Dan, Marty, Francie, Mia, Will and Atticus, currently live in a house built by Mitchard's husband, Chris, on Story Hill in south central Wisconsin.
Q&A with Jacquelyn Mitchard
Q: Many of your novels deal with people in difficult or challenging situations. Where do you get your ideas?
A: I get them from real life, newspaper stories and stories from history that haunt me…. MOST stories are based on archetypal ancient tales: Cain and Abel, for example, or the Story of Ruth (e.g. from my work 'The Breakdown Lane'). There is no NEW story …. They are all takes on different ones.
Q: Your first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the first book chosen for Oprah's now famous book club and was also made into a movie. What was that experience like for you?
A: It was just REALLY fun. Two of my other books now are being adapted for movies - one for Lifetime, one for the screen. I hope they happen because they're books I love (Still Summer and Cage of Stars) and it's just a great way to bring a larger audience to your books.
Q: You have recently written some young adult fiction, is your process for writing young adult books any different than when you write for adults?
A: The process is different only in that the geography of life is different for a young person - it is not so large but it is emotionally much more topographic with huge peaks and valleys. I do NOT fill the book with cultural references to current movies and shoes styles because that dates the book enormously. If you think of it, some of the great books in the canon are, technically, young adult books - such as To Kill a Mockingbird.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or author? What kinds of books do you like to read for pleasure?
A: Oh, I read everything. I love the mystery writers Ruth Rendell (who also writes as Barbara Vine) and Denise Mina, who is Scots. I'd love to BE Ruth Rendell. I love Ann Patchett and Andre Dubus III. And I love many writers from my parents' generation and my grandparents' - Truman Capote, Wallace Stegner, Betty Smith, John O'Hara, Cornelius Ryan, Neville Shute, and Charlotte and Emily and all that jazz.
Interview Date: September 2008
Profile and questions compiled by Jessica B., Morrison Regional Library
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