Interview with Evan
Kuhlman, Wolf Boy
Interview by
Jacob Malewitz
Evan Kuhlman won the Glimmer Train award for new writers
in 2005. He is also the author of the recently published novel Wolf Boy.
In this interview he talks about the development of his first novel from a short
story, the reasons he wrote it, his favorite graphic novels and comics, how he
creates dialogue, the challenges of creating a comic, advice for other first
time novelists, and more.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Is
this the career you dreamed of?
I don't recall when I first consciously decided that I wanted to be a writer. No
mystical awakening here, just an awareness from an early age that writing was
something I enjoyed doing and was sometimes pretty good at. It may be in the
genes. My mother and two uncles on her side were all writers.
The story of Wolf Boy came from a short story you
wrote. When did you know it could be a novel?
I think the proof of a short story's success is when most readers, and for that
matter the author, don't ask "what next?" The story, whether three pages or
thirty pages, feels complete. With the story version of Wolf Boy I kept asking
myself "what next?" When I decided that it was time to try a novel, Wolf Boy
was a natural choice.
Why did you write Wolf Boy?
My time as a police reporter for a daily newspaper woke me up to both the
universality and individuality of responses to the sudden loss of loved ones.
The smack is as hard to Person A as it is to Person B, but they may grieve in
completely different ways. I wanted to write a book about the variety of
responses to loss and throw in an unexpected one, the creation of comic books.
What was your intended audience for this novel?
Everyone! I think most writers want as large an audience as possible and I'm no
exception. With Wolf Boy I was hoping to write an accessible novel and
graphic novel that both the guy working at the comic book stop and an English
professor could enjoy.
Your novel is filled with pages of Wolf Boy comics,
providing an excellent backdrop to the actual story, and enticing many comic
fans to read more. Do you read comic books? If so which ones do you read now?
And which ones did you admire most as a child?
I read new release graphic novels but generally only read older comic books like
Superman and Spider-Man, the same comics I enjoyed as a child. In my opinion
many new comics have lost the balance between the written word and art-- they're
almost all art. Personally, I like characters that are allowed to rant and rave,
and I don't mind when a narrator slips in and tells us some back story. I know
there are exceptions, but generally that's easier to find with older comics.
You have an ability to create imperfect characters that
readers can sympathize with. How do you make your characters so real?
I'm not sure I completely understand the process, but I know I have a believable
character when it seems like I'm transcribing dialogue instead of creating it,
and when I can easily "see" the character and know how he or she might respond
to a certain situation. Unfortunately that doesn't always happen.
Is it harder to write a novel or a comic book?
Page by page I'd say it's harder to write a comic book. A novel is more
forgiving. With a comic book everything has to work right in every panel, and of
course the dialogue must be tighter and I have to maintain an awareness of how
what I'm writing might play out visually. In a novel I can write three-pages
worth of a person's thoughts about a given subject. In a comic book I may have
only one little thought balloon to work with. Having to be that succinct and
dead-on all of the time is a big challenge.
What writers-- if any-- do you pattern yourself after?
The writers I admire the most are those gifted souls who at the heart of it are
great storytellers. My list of favorite authors includes John Irving, Michael
Chabon, Jonathan Lethem, Jonathan Franzen, D.H. Lawrence, Antonya Nelson, and
Annie Proulx. I tend to shy away from some of the post-modern and experimental
works where the author maintains a presence in the book. In my opinion the best
writers know how to disappear.
What would be the best advice you could give another
first-time novelist?
Write every day, even if you can only spit out a few paragraphs. You'll get more
work done and feel like a working writer, even if no checks or contracts have
arrived yet. Most importantly, if you believe you have something to say, and
that you have talent, keep fighting to get published. It should just be a matter
of time before doors start opening.
Jacob Malewitz is is a lifelong fan of
the story. He has two blogs, one for writers which can be found at
www.jacobmalewitz.blogspot.com, and another for readers which can be found
at
www.areaderseye.blogspot.com. He is the editor of the Arts & Entertainment
section of his college newspaper. He also has written articles for the news site
AssociatedContent.com, which can be found at
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/54620/jacob_malewitz.html. He is also
currently working on building a site and making freelance writing his career.
