INTERVIEW

January 2010

Kathryn Lasky is the author of over 100 books for children, teens and adults, most notably the 15-part Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, as well as installments of Dear America and The Royal Diaries. In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Donna Volkenannt, Lasky discusses her latest novel, LONE WOLF --- the first chapter of a new series called Wolves of the Beyond --- and the surprising amount of research and attention to detail needed in order to write this fantasy story. She also gives some insight into her writing process, explains why she would prefer that her work provide a sense of validation for her readers rather than send them messages, and shares details about an upcoming film based on the Ga'Hoole series.

Kidsreads.com: In the first book, LONE WOLF, the habitats, biology and behaviors of wolves and wolf packs are realistically portrayed. Please tell us how you performed your research.

Kathryn Lasky: People are often surprised when they find out how much research I do for fantasy books such as The Wolves of the Beyond. They think it's fantasy, so anything goes. But I have to convince the reader that these are real wolves if I am going to dare him or her to plunge in and join their adventure. I have to know and really understand the natural history of a wolf before I can depart into the fantastical.
 
With The Wolves of the Beyond, I began with all kinds of books. I consulted titles ranging from beautiful photographic essays for the coffee table to highly technical works written by behavioral scientists specializing in wolf biology, behavior, ecology and evolutionary history. And then I found a fantastic video game, the first ever video game I've played in my life. It's an ingenious role-playing game called Wolf Quest, designed by the Minnesota Zoo. In this game you become a virtual wolf living in Yellowstone National Park. The first step is to customize your wolf. You name it, choose its gender and the color of its pelt. And then you begin to live like a wolf. You follow scent trails and go on hunts. You learn how to be wary of elk that are fully healthy because they can deliver mortal wounds. You learn that grizzlies are not a direct threat to wolves, but will stand guard over carcasses. There are pack rallies and all sorts of wolf-ish things to do. But the point is to survive.
 
I died.
 
Not because I was a bad wolf, but because I am a lousy video game player. I truly think in real life I would be a better wolf than in cyber space.

KRC: Which books or resources can you recommend to readers interested in learning more about wolves?

KL: Here are a few of the books that I found very helpful for my research:

OF WOLVES AND MEN by Barry Holstun Lopez
THE WAY OF THE WOLF by L. David Mech
WOLVES: Behavior, Ecology, and Conservation, edited by L. David Mech and Luigi Boitani
WOLVES & THEIR RELATIVES by Erik Stoops and Dagmar Fertl

But it wasn’t all books. I live two blocks away from the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. Judith Chupaska the curator in the department of mammalogy was so helpful. She invited me to come over and examine the wolf skeletons in their laboratories and explained so much to me about wolf anatomy, in particular their teeth and jaws! There is no substitute for talking to an expert.
 
Also, I visited Wolf Hollow, a wolf refuge and conservation organization in Ipswich, Massachusetts, and met up --- close and personal --- with Weeble, a seven-year-old male wolf. For further information about Wolf Hollow, visit their website: http://www.wolfhollowipswich.org/

KRC: I love the character names in LONE WOLF. Faolan has a sweet uniqueness about it, and Thunderheart is so wonderfully descriptive. The clan names --- MacDuncan, MacHeath, MacAngus --- have a distinctively Gaelic ring to them. How do you choose character names?

KL: Yes, you're right, Gaelic or perhaps Scottish. When I first started writing about the wolves of The Beyond in the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series, somehow I started thinking about Macbeth. I just loved the roughness of that world of MacBeth. There was something harsh and dark and kind of mystical and, of course, very clannish. I felt the temper and tone of that world of Macbeth fit well with The Beyond and the wolves.

KRC: In LONE WOLF, Gwynneth, a masked owl, plays an important role helping Faolan along his journey. Will we see Gwynneth or other owls from Ga’Hoole in future Wolves of the Beyond books?

KL: Oh yes, you will see a lot more of Gwynneth. She is really a bridge between the world of the wolves and that of the owls. I love writing about her. She has a deep understanding of the wolves. So she is going to be a very vital part of the future books.

KRC: I was moved by how vividly the powerful need for love, belonging and acceptance is portrayed in LONE WOLF. What message do you hope readers will take away after reading it? 

KL: Oh dear, I am not really into messages in that sense. I just want to write a good story, and although it is a fantasy, I have tried very hard to stick to the natural history of the wolves. So one thing I hope is that readers will come away with a real sense of how extraordinary wolves are in their own right. I do feel that the need for love and acceptance is a universal one, so it is something that can be written about over and over again, and it never seems to grow old. If I can write about it, recognize it in a convincing way in my stories, that's great! So perhaps it is not a message that I’m conveying, but simply a recognition of this need, a validation of this urge we all have. That, I think, is one of the reasons people love to read --- a reader should of course always be challenged with new ideas, but should perhaps gain a sense of validation of some of our deepest and most human feelings. Of course I don't limit these feelings to just humans. I do think that animals such as wolves, with their elaborate social structures, share many of these feelings. And how cool is it to think that we can share certain instincts and emotions with other species!

KRC: You’ve won many awards throughout your writing career, including a Newbery Honor, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, a Washington Post-Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award and others. Is there any award that stands out among all others?

KL: Yes there is. This is an award that no one has ever heard of. It is called The Golden Trilobite Award. I received it for a book that I did on human evolution called TRACES OF LIFE: The Origins of Humankind. It was conferred by the Palaeontological Association and it has a very elegant little embossed golden trilobite on the certificate. I'm not sure why but I just love this award. It's a bit quirky.

KRC: Please describe your writing process and schedule. What does a typical day look like for you? 

KL: Well, I get up and I eat breakfast very fast, and then I go to my study and read my email, and then I start writing. Now by "writing" I might mean outlining stuff for a book I am working on or just starting. I am a big-time outliner. I might have more than a dozen outlines for a book. They are sort of what I would call progressive outlines that advance the action or it could mean researching stuff. I spend enormous amounts of time researching. It is kind of an addiction with me. By mid-morning I am swamped with books all over my desk, falling off my desk, burying my feet. Then I try and go to my health club and work out --- so boring! And then I come back and often eat my lunch at my desk and usually work until around dinner. And that’s about it. Exciting life --- huh?

KRC:  Most writers grew up reading and loving books. Who were your favorite authors or books growing up? What books or authors do you enjoy reading now?

KL: Well, when I was growing up there was not really a young adult or teen market the way there is now. I mean, I'm a few years older than S.E. Hinton and Lois Lowry and Judy Blume. So I read a lot of the stuff my parents were reading. Historical novels were my favorite, and novels about World War II. I loved EXODUS by Leon Uris, about the establishment of Israel. I read a lot of books about Africa, and I loved Edna Ferber, who wrote about Texas, and anything James Michener wrote.

KRC: What advice do you have for young writers --- or writers of any age? 

KL: I think the most important thing a young writer can do is keep reading. Read widely in all genres --- fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction. Read newspapers, magazines. Just read!

KRC:Your writing and research must keep you very busy, but I’m curious: What hobbies do you have, and what do you do in your spare time?

KL: I love to garden, and my husband and I love to sail. We have a sailboat and often cruise in Maine where we have a summer home. I'm not a big hobby person per se. Can I call it a hobby if it’s having lunch with my friends? I love to go out to lunch with my friends. That's my kind of a hobby.

KRC: What can you tell us about plans for a movie based on the Ga’Hoole   series?  

KL: I can't tell you too much because I don't know that much. Here's what I do know. The movie will come out on September 24, 2010. The actors who are doing the voices are absolutely fantastic --- Helen Mirren, Sam Neill, Geoffrey Rush, Ryan Kwanten, Jim Sturgess, Hugo Weaving, Rachael Taylor. The director is Zack Snyder. I understand from those who have seen little bits and pieces that the animation is extraordinary. It is 3D CGI. So that's all I know.

KRC: How many books are planned in the Wolves of the Beyond series? What are you working on now?

KL: So far there are four books planned, and I have just finished book two, which as of now is untitled.

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