Upcoming in The Writer’s April issue, due out in early
March, is an engaging, three-page interview by Luke Reynolds with David
Wroblewski, author of the hit novel The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. After many
years of crafting his debut novel, Wroblewski saw it become not only a New York
Times bestseller but an Oprah Winfrey pick, which, of course, is the ultimate marketing boost for a novel.
Luke asked the author just what it’s like to win Oprah’s
imprimatur. Wroblewski’s answer, in part:
“It was a very cool thing--it
was a shock. I probably wouldn’t tell you anything you wouldn’t be surprised
by. It’s certainly nothing you plan for, and I didn’t see it coming. The book
had been out for four months and had been on the New York Times bestseller list, and so it already felt surreal. The day we
talked on the phone, she said she liked the book, expressed her enthusiasm, and
said she thought it would be a good selection for her list.
“It felt like a very discreet
step away from reality. Usually, it’s a slow drift. She is a genuine reader,
she has so much passion for books, and her choices come out of her passion and
tastes and nowhere else. I was thrilled.”
By the way, Luke--that's him at left--is one of our newer contributors at The
Writer and has quickly proved himself a reliable, enthusiastic "recruit"; Wroblewski is his third article for the magazine. A former
English teacher, he is currently living in York, England, where he is a writer
and a stay-at-home dad to Tyler, 2, while his wife, Jennifer, works on a
doctorate in sociology at the University of York.
“I have enjoyed being a stay-at-home dad, and my son's nap
times provide a perfect, disciplined block of hours each day where I force
myself to get my butt in my chair and just write, write, write,” Luke reports.
“I've been blogging about our journey--its ups, downs, and all-arounds, at http://reynoldsluke.blogspot.com."
Luke has a master’s degree in creative writing from Northern
Arizona University, where fiction writer Ann Cummins was an inspiring mentor.
He says his “amazing” agent, Joan Paquette, is currently shopping two of his
middle-grade books. He’s also the editor or co-editor of a number of
anthologies, including Dedicated to the People of Darfur: Writings on Fear,
Risk, and Hope, which includes contributions from Nadine Gordimer, George
Saunders, Frank McCourt, Robert Pinsky, Jane Smiley and other writers. The anthologies,
he says, “have been a great way for me to both hone my craft and also feel like
I am making a difference with my words (the proceeds from the anthologies I do
go to charity).”
--Ron Kovach, senior editor, The Writer