Author Interview: Jospeh Bruchac

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Joseph Bruchac is the author of Wolf Mark and over 120 books. You can find out more about him and his books on his website http://www.josephbruchac.com

1. I read you have written over 120 books. Do you have a favorite and if so which one?

I usually say that my favorite is the book I am working on at that moment--because

I put so much of myself into any new project. Right now, though, I have to confess

that I am very very fond of WOLF MARK and my main character, Luke. I wouldn't mind

writing another book about him.

2. How hard was it to get your first book published?

     "Hard" is not a hard enough word to describe how difficult it was. Excruciating might

be more on the mark. 

I don't know if you have to be stubborn or masochistic when you first start out and 

have to absorb all the rejection a beginning writer (as I was) can expect. My first book to 

be published was a collection of my own poems called INDIAN MOUNTAIN. That was in 1971,

but even though it was 40 years ago, I still remember vividly how it felt whenever that

package arrived in the mail with poor manuscript and another rejection letter in it.

  That manuscript was turned down more than 30 times before it was taken. Two years 

worth of rejection letters. Every one of them, even the polite ones, felt like a knife in my heart. 

And when my book finally was accepted I had to control myself from writing a letter to the 

publisher saying "Excuse me, but you've made a terrible mistake. I'm sure you actually mean to 

reject this book."

However that experience taught me several things. One, of course, was perseverance. But 

another was to use rejection as an opportunity to look at my own work again as if it was someone 

else's, to gain the distance to be more objective, and then to revise and make it better. 

3. Beside the fact that you are of Abenaki descent, what other reasons did you decide to inlcude Abenaki characters in your books?

     I felt that many of the aspects of Abenaki culture that I knew really tied in well with the story.

Plus, and I think other writers will understand this, my character insisted on it. It was one

of those cases where the more I wrote, the more my main character told me about himself

and his story.

4. Is Wolf Mark the first novel for young adults you have ever written?

     My first novel that could be called YA is a book called DAWN LAND that takes place in pre-

Columbian America and features a young Abenaki man and his three faithful dogs. That was

published in 1993 and crossed over between the adult and YA audiences. I'm excited

about the fact that it has just appeared in a totally new format, as a graphic novel, illustrated

by Will Davis and published by First Second Books with the same title of DAWN LAND.

Trailer for Dawn Land:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URB6gMdzvdg

 5. Is there anything about Luke that reminds you of yourself?

     I think that every writer always puts something of herself or himself into their main

character, especially when writing in the first person. Luke is very different from me

in a lot of ways (lucky for me), but he shares with me a love of and deep connection

to the natural world, and like me feels happiest and most at ease when he is in the forest.

Luke and I share a love of poetry (I've memorized and quoted poems since I was

in grade school) and for Russian literature.

And motorcycles. I've had several in my life, including a 1959 Harley with a suicide

shift (which never got over 100) and a 1972 Triumph Bonneville (which could go a little

faster). However, I sold my last motorcycle a while ago and used the money to buy a new

Guild guitar--one of seven guitars I own at present, no eight. (Hmm, another thing in

common with him.)

Like Luke I have a real passion for martial arts. I've been a student and teacher of

martial arts for over 35 years and hold the rank of Master in the Indonesian martial

art of Pentjak (or Pencak) silat. 

I also identify with Luke's romantic problems, remembering all too well the ache 

of hopeless first love. And I shall say no more about that!

 Further, like Luke, I do have what might be called a sardonic and sometimes

self-deprecating sense of humor.

6. How did you come up with the book idea for Wolf Mark?

     As has been the case with several of my books, I found myself hearing the voice of my

main character one morning when I woke up, got up and started sort of taking

dictation from him. So in a way the story found me. That said, I love fantasy and 

horror and always wanted to add something to that genre from an American Indian

perspective. And I am very interested in writing stories for the reluctant reader,

especially young men who often feel little connection to books at that stage in their

lives--even though I believe they need good stories even more in their teenage years.

7. How long have you been writing?

     Well, I remember writing poems for my teacher when I was in second grade. But I made

a real commitment to being a writer my junior year in college at Cornell University. And

I was rewarded for that commitment two years later when I was given a full scholarship,

a Writing Fellowship, to Syracuse University where I got my master's degree.

8. As an established writer, do you ever get any book rejections?

     Oh yeah! In fact (and this kind of tickles me) my initial proposal to do this book, accompanied 

by the first few chapters, was rejected by another publisher that had brought out several

of my earlier books, And that rejection was with the comment that I shouldn't feel bad because 

some people just can't write for the YA reader.

9. So many middle school and high school boys are reluctant readers. What would you say to them?

     First of all, don't feel like you are a dummy because you may have had some problems

reading or more likely, wanting to read. You just haven't found the right books yet.

     There are lots of books out here for you to read. Check out the website www.guysread.com

Don't feel bad if you don't want to read the books that people say are "good for you." 

Maybe you're not ready to read those books yet. Read the things that you enjoy reading.

The more you read, the more you'll get out of it and you'll get better at reading. And

being a good reader will be useful to you for your whole life.

     Read about sports. Read non-fiction. Read stories that are exciting. Read graphic

novels. Just read.

Click here to win a copy of the awesome young adult novel, Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac.