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[Closed] Author Q&A: JD Spero
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What inspired you to write Catcher's Keeper?Do you have any new projects in the works you can tell us about?
Who inspires you most?
Catcher's Keeper is about the Catcher in the Rye; is that your favorite book? If not, what is your favorite book?
The answers:What inspired you to write Catcher's Keeper?
Years ago as a student teacher at Andover High School, my mentor handed me a VHS tape of an old Dateline video that featured Mark David Chapman’s fixation on The Catcher in the Rye and its influence in his murder of John Lennon. Every subsequent year I taught Catcher, I would play that video for my class—and found myself equal parts enthralled and horrified with the tragedy again and again.
This book was born from that fascination of mine—how a novel could move someone to act in such an extreme way. I also couldn’t help but wonder what Holden would have thought if he knew what his words triggered. One of my writing teachers once said it is sometimes easier to outline your novel from the “crisis” backward. In order to place Alden (Holden) where Lennon was shot, I had to publish the report he wrote in the mental clinic (his journal aka The Catcher in the Rye) and somehow have him meet Mark David Chapman. As the book evolved, it no longer became about this incident, but how three siblings had to overcome serious familial issues.
Do you have any new projects in the works you can tell us about?
I just signed with Xchyler Publishing to publish my YA Magical Realism titled LOCK 12 which I hope to launch Spring/Summer 2015. Here is the official blurb:
Sami, a 15-year-old piano prodigy, finds herself in the middle of a bitter rivalry between the artists and the jocks as she begins freshman year. When Coach Payne positions her at the volleyball net, a jolt of supernatural athleticism makes her the team’s superstar. The catch? After a winning season, Sami loses her ability to play piano. As Sami tries to break free of Coach Payne’s magic, she also learns the importance of staying true to herself, and loyal to her real friends.
Who inspires you most?
There's a scene in Catcher's Keeper when my protagonist steps away from a party to get a cold beer and sees his girlfriend in the next room comforting a quadriplegic little girl (daughter of a party guest). Amazed at her kindness as well as his cowardice, he remains hidden behind the fridge until he manages to break away and cry in the bathroom, pull himself together. That scene was based on a true story. Except it was my husband rubbing the feet of a quadriplegic boy and I was the wimp behind the fridge. I know it's hokey, but my husband inspires me to be a better person...every day.
Catcher's Keeper is about the Catcher in the Rye; is that your favorite book? If not, what is your favorite book?
The Catcher in the Rye is not my favorite book, although I appreciate its literary merit. Phoebe Caulfield, however, is one of my favorite female characters in all of American Literature, however. As a matter of fact, I originally wanted to write only about her. That is why my Fiona is such an important character in my book.
But to choose a favorite book? There are so many favorites! I have to say, I'm a traditionalist when it comes to choosing a favorite, and will always go with a classic. As a high school English teacher, my favorite classic work to teach was without a doubt Romeo and Juliet. I still have all my lesson plans, from finding the sonnet in Romeo and Juliet's first exchange, to comparing balcony scenes of Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli. Don't believe what they say, folks! Shakespeare can be fun!
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Synopsis:
What if Holden Caulfield was around when John Lennon was shot?
In 1980 John Lennon was killed by Mark David Chapman, who believed he was Holden Caulfield. Chapman waited at the scene, calmly reading the classic The Catcher in the Rye, which he later offered as “his statement.”
What if Holden had been able to meet Chapman, learn of his terrorist plan, and stop the tragedy from happening? Catcher’s Keeper follows Alden (Holden) to New York City after he discovers his brother has stolen and published his journal. But when one fan misinterprets the journal-now-book as an order to kill John Lennon, can Alden and his brother work together to prevent the killing?
Inspired by a true story yet told from the point of view of Holden and his siblings, Catcher’s Keeper calls into question the sanctity of the written word—and the lengths a person will go to for his family.
Please post questions by December 7.