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Bestselling Author John Saul ReadersRoom: John Saul, welcome to ReadersRoom.com. It's a pleasure to be speaking with you today! John Saul: It's nice to be here! ReadersRoom: I'd like to start this off with your latest novel Black Creek Crossing. Could you tell our readers a bit about the story? John Saul: Basically, it's about a 15-year-old girl, Angel Sullivan, who has always been the kid other kids pick on. When she moves to a new town, she hopes things are going to get better, but, given that I wrote the story, that doesn't happen. Things get worse, until she meets Seth Baker. And a cat. And the cat is very strange. That's all I'm saying about the cat -- except that his name is Houdini. ReadersRoom: Unlike several of your recent novels, Black Creek Crossing is more of a "horror" novel than a "suspense" book, Do you find it easy or difficult crossing between genres the way you have throughout your career? John Saul: I've never considered myself to be writing in any particular genre. I write thrillers of all kinds and then other people try to categorize them. Basically, all I'm trying to do is come up with good, entertaining stories.

ReadersRoom: Black Creek Crossing was, I believe, released in March in hard-cover, and so is currently available?

John Saul: Wherever books are sold, as they say. Or, at least, wherever hard-cover books are sold.

ReadersRoom: I'd like to move back a book to Midnight Voices which was recently released in paperback. Could you give our readers an idea of that story?

John Saul: Midnight Voices came about as a result of doing the research for Manhattan Hunt Club. As I was wandering endlessly around the Upper Westside of Manhattan, I kept passing the building in which Rosemary's Baby was born, and wondering what else might be going on behind its walls. The result of that speculation was Midnight Voices, in which a woman finds the perfect man, but he has very strange neighbors, none of whom are liked by her kids. Nor does her son like his new stepfather, which doesn't help matters at all.

ReadersRoom: Not at all. I was going to get to Manhattan Hunt Club a little later, but I have learned to take my openings when I find them. It is, quite frankly, my favorite of your novels to date - as much for the story as for your frank and powerful portrayal of the homeless. I would be very interested in learning the genesis of that novel.

John Saul: MHC is my favorite, too. It came about as a result of being in New York on business a lot, and spending a lot of time seeing the homeless on the streets, then finding out that there are about 50,000 of them living UNDER the streets. With my writer's mind, the first question I asked myself was, "What are they doing down there?" The answer wasn't long in coming--they had to be running some kind of business. But what? Well, how about a hunt club, with the homeless being paid as game-keepers? The biggest trick was figuring out the character of Jeff, so he could be isolated from his family and friends, while the reader was always rooting for him. The most interesting thing for me was that as I was writing the book, my favorite characters quickly became the various people living in the tunnels, some of whom were based on real people I observed while doing the research. That was an adventure in and of itself. I went to tour Rikers Island, The Tombs, the court building at 100 Centre Street, a couple of precinct houses, and, of course, endless subway stations, train stations, etc.. All of it fascinating, much of it depressing, and some of it quite frightening.

ReadersRoom: Aside from the fact that MHC was a hell of a story, what made it special for me was the way you dealt with your homeless characters -- I could tell they were your favorites -- Jinx in particular. I am wondering how you went about researching her in particular?

John Saul: She's a composite of people I saw and read about, who manage to keep their spirit alive no matter how many reversals their lives might take. There are actually a lot of kids who live in the tunnels but go to school on the surface. It's a whole culture down there, with its own structure, customs and mores. I figure that Jinx will wind up as a lawyer defending the rights of homeless kids.

ReadersRoom: Now we'd like to back to the very beginning. I believe your first book, Suffer the Children, was promoted by Dell on television, a very unusual move for a publisher to use on a first-time author. Can you tell us more about that?

John Saul: It was one of those cases of being at the right time with the right people and the right project. It was a time when publishing was undergoing one of its great sea-changes (such as is happening again now) and I happened to find an agent and an editor who were among the new breed, while at the same time Dell was still under the sole control of Helen Meyer, who could personally make the decision on how to promote Suffer The Children. She was coming to the end of her career, and wanted to try one more thing before she retired: she wanted to put an original paperback onto the New York Times bestseller list. She chose my book, took a huge gamble, and it all paid off. Linda Grey, who was the editor, actually gambled her job on the book, which I didn't know until years later, when she told me the whole story of going into Mrs. Meyer's office to convince her of the potential of the book, and finally Mrs. Meyer said something to the effect of: "Fine. Let's try it. If we win, we're all happy. If we lose, you're fired. How's that sound?" Linda, being as young as the rest of us, and having no idea of how many things could have gone wrong, said, "Fine," and off we went. Needless to say, she didn't lose her job.

ReadersRoom: That is fascinating! I'm interesting in hearing about the changes you've seen in publishing. What is happening now, and how is it different than it used to be?

John Saul: The biggest change is that very few of the publishing houses are still in the hands of private individuals, which means that there are no more Helen Meyers who can choose to take a big gamble if they want to. It was her money, and she could spend it any way she wanted. We also all understood that the bestsellers in any house were going to carry the books that might not make a lot of money, but were worthy of publishing for other reasons. Now every editor is asked to demonstrate the profitability of every project he or she takes on. Given that no one can truly predict the performance of any book in the marketplace, this makes it very difficult for editors to take on anything but the most easily marketable projects. I think it's very sad, and it means a lot fewer writers are being published, not because they aren't good writers, but simply because their markets aren't readily identifiable.

ReadersRoom: Since we announced this chat, we have been flooded with reader's questions. Could you answer a few of those for us?

John Saul: Sure, and what's a "flood?" Three? Four?

ReadersRoom: We will only be asking a few -- but a flood is in the forties for us.

John Saul: Hmm...as in forty days and forty nights of rain?

ReadersRoom: Weston P., Manhattan: Mr. Saul, I have just learned that you enjoy the theater! What is your all-time favorite play and what have you acted in? Were you part of the onstage reading of the Empress in November?

John Saul: My last acting experience was in a production of Lysistrata in San Francisco about forty years ago. I was terrible, but then, what's a writer doing on a stage in the first place? I'm not sure I have an all-time favorite play, since I tend to love them all. I can't remember ever laughing harder then I did the first time I saw Lend Me A Tenor but then I saw another production that wasn't even worth a chuckle, let alone a laugh. As for Empress! I was too busy rewriting to be in it, but it was a great experience and I hope to see the whole show on a stage one day.

ReadersRoom: Carla L., Sacramento, CA: The Maui Writers Conference will soon be here. (Sept. 2004) How old is this event and what is the most favorite part of the weekend?

John Saul: I think we're into our eleventh year, and this year I think the favorite part for me will be a staged reading of my play, The Last Rose of Summer that we will be rehearsing during the retreat, and performing just before the conference itself. As for my favorite part of the conference, it's always the same--hanging out with all the other writers. Where else am I going to be able to go for lunch with Terry Brooks, Elizabeth George, Tami Hoag, Tess Gerritson, Michael Palmer, Gail Tsukeyama and Dorothy Alison, all at once? Of course, we quickly fall to bickering, but that's what literary people do! Just kidding!

ReadersRoom: Arlo J., St. George, Utah: In 1977, when Suffer The Children came out I was a newlywed and remember how my first Saul terrorized me! Where does your interesting inspiration come from?

John Saul: What were you doing reading Suffer the Children on your honeymoon? Actually, I'm not sure where my inspiration comes from, since it seems to come from many places. Reading about something, seeing a news story on TV, seeing an odd building or finding a picturesque town can all inspire me in different ways.

ReadersRoom: Carmen Q., Albuquerque, NM: Maui Youth and Family services is one of your passions. Are there any other groups or charities you are involved in?

John Saul: The ACLU, especially given the current political climate. I'm happy to say I'm a third generation card-carrying American Civil Liberties Union member.

ReadersRoom: And our last reader question (or at least the last one we are going to ask you)...

John Saul: Yes? The envelope, please!

ReadersRoom: James B. Cleveland, OH: Mr. Saul, I am an unpublished writer, and also an openly gay male who does not write "gay" fiction. I am wondering if you think your being open about your sexuality has had any effect, positive or negative, on your career - and if you have any advice for other gay writers?

John Saul: I don't think it's had any effect at all, except that I know I have some fans who have become far more accepting of gay people since they found out I'm gay. As far as advice for gay writers goes, I'm not sure it's much different than it is for non-gay writers. The idea is to come up with a good story and tell it as well as possible. I've always done my best to keep preaching to a minimum, but leave people thinking about things after the story is over. As one of the old movie moguls once said, "If you want to send a message, call Western Union!" Basically, too many people spend too much time worrying about who other people sleep with.

ReadersRoom: Thank you for answering those for is, and a personal thank you for your MUCH needed support of the ACLU. One of the questions our readers who are also writers always like us to ask is about "how" writers write.

John Saul: I write with my fingers.

ReadersRoom: Do you have a set schedule for your writing? A set page/word count?

John Saul: I used to write fifteen pages a day (basically, a chapter). Now, I consider myself lucky to get seven or eight pages done. Slowing down with age, I guess...

ReadersRoom: And so what is next for John Saul?

John Saul: I never, ever, talk about that...

ReadersRoom: Fair enough, but let's mention that fans get updates on what is going on with you and your books at your Web site, www.johnsaul.com . Finally -- is there anything you would like to say to your fans who might read this interview?

John Saul: Just a lot of thanks for all the support they've given me over the years, and the hope that they go on enjoying the books for years to come.

ReadersRoom: John Saul, thank you for spending this time with us today. It was truly a pleasure!

John Saul: For me, too. Thanks for having me.




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