Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.
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INTERVIEW
August 2011
Walter Dean Myers has written more than 85 books for children and young adults, including the award-winning MONSTER, FALLEN ANGELS, SLAM!, JAZZ and HARLEM. Now, in the second installment of his Cruisers series, Myers explores the world of competitive chess as seen through the eyes of a group of middle-school misfits. Kidsreads.com's Donna Volkenannt spoke with Myers about his own experience playing chess and how drug usage is handled in CHECKMATE. He also discusses his sixth-grade crush, the essentials of classic literature, gypsy cabs, and what's in store for the Cruisers.
Kidsreads.com: In CHECKMATE, Zander and the Cruisers are asked to intervene after a fellow student at the Da Vinci Academy for the Gifted and Talented is caught buying drugs. What inspired this plot line?
Walter Dean Myers: I've always thought that there are two aspects of all human problems. First, there is the idea of doing something we know we shouldn't, and then there is the supporting idea that we have the problem because we are somehow unique in our feelings and needs. The Cruisers recognize their shared basic humanity and, by sharing their problems and discomfits, are often able to confront them comfortably.
KRC: The game of chess and the pressure of competing in chess tournaments are highlighted in CHECKMATE. Do you play chess? If so, how old were you when you learned how to play? If not, how did you learn the intricacies of the game?
WDM: I started playing chess around 12. Chess stops being fun for me when it gets to the level of "you have to win!" or you've somehow failed as a human being.
KRC: Zander's Uncle Guy and a fellow police officer take the Cruisers --- along with Sidney and Cody --- on a ride to show them the deadly effects of drugs. What do you hope young readers will take away after reading this scene?
WDM: When I speak to fourth and fifth graders, I routinely get negative reactions to drug usage, delinquency, etc. I know by experience that many of these same young people will, however, end up using drugs and getting into other kinds of trouble. What I wanted to show in this scene is that sometimes some very good kids also have difficulties.
KRC: In one scene, Sidney and Cody arrive in a gypsy cab to meet up with the Cruisers. For those who don't live in a big city, what is a gypsy cab?
WDM: In most urban cities, the taxi industry is tightly regulated with either meters or fixed prices. However, there are often alternative vehicles on the street that negotiate fares. In New York these are often called "gypsy" cabs.
KRC: Caren Culpepper is a seventh-grader who knows how to pull Zander's strings, which totally throws him off guard. How did you come up with this sassy character?
WDM: Caren comes directly from a girl I knew in the sixth grade. Sometimes I liked her, and sometimes I hated her. The bottom line is that she was a lot smarter than I was and took advantage of the fact that I didn't want my friends to know that I liked her.
KRC: Zander becomes aware of media bias in coverage and placement of stories about minorities. What do you think we can do to change this bias?
WDM: The more we exercise and support a free press, the better it will be.
KRC: Along with Zander and the Cruisers, a few characters are introduced in CHECKMATE. Do you have plans for Uncle Guy, Caren, Cody, or any others to have greater roles in follow-up books?
WDM: Caren will always be around to torment Zander. Cody will be returning as well.
KRC: You've written more than 85 books for children and young adults. What drew you to focus your talent on books for this age group?
WDM: My answer to this question keeps changing. My latest thoughts are that I simply don't know why I write more for young people than adults. When I look at my earliest writings, I see that, although I was writing for adult magazines and newspapers, I wrote about young people. Another reason could be that my own teen and preteen years were so unusual.
KRC: In addition to being a writer, you give workshops for students across the country. What are some of the topics you cover?
WDM: In my workshops, I often discuss writing from a structural point of view. If more students understood how structure is an important tool in the process, they would become better writers.
KRC: In a previous interview with us, you suggested that young writers should read as much as possible, including classic literature. Which classics are good places to start?
WDM: What classics? A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN, BRAVE NEW WORLD, LORD OF THE FLIES, ROMEO & JULIET, PLATERO AND I, OTHELLO.
KRC: According to your bio, you joined the Army when you were a teenager. How, if at all, did being in the Army prepare you for your career as a writer?
WDM: I don't think the Army helped very much with my writing. I wished I had written more during this period.
KRC: What are you working on now, and what's next for the Cruisers?
WDM: In the next book, LaShonda is offered a wonderful opportunity, but one that might take her away from her needful brother. She faces the question: How much are we expected to give up of ourselves so that we may include others in our lives?
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INTERVIEW
November 2010
Celebrated author Walter Dean Myers is back with his latest novel, THE CRUISERS, which follows a group of talented, teenage misfits as they try to redeem themselves after publishing a controversial article in their school’s alternative newspaper. In this interview, Myers sheds light on the issues and experiences that inspired him to write about a place like Da Vinci Academy, elaborating on his own difficulties as a student and the importance of striking a balance between censorship and free speech in the classroom. He also describes his idea of an ideal teacher, reflects on the techniques --- and the books --- that have helped him become a successful writer, and unveils his future plans for his new heroes.
Kidsreads.com: Your latest novel, THE CRUISERS, is about a group of gifted eighth grade students who attend an elite school, yet they are not achieving their potential. What was your inspiration for the book?
Walter Dean Myers: I believe there are many ways to measure whether or not students are achieving their potential, and I want to explore them.
KRC: Most students at Da Vinci Academy for the Gifted and Talented are obsessed with good grades and personal achievements. A group of students called the Cruisers, who are not living up to their potential, believe that life should be more about balance and less about achievement. What are your feelings about the pressures put on students, especially gifted ones, to excel and achieve good grades?
WDM: I think that sometimes the pressure overlooks the needs and circumstances of the individual. As a student in an elite school I did very well for a while, but my grades nosedived when my family life became dysfunctional.
KRC: To reinforce a class project on the Civil War, eighth grade students at Da Vinci Academy are divided into two groups --- Union sympathizers and Confederate sympathizers. As a last chance for the Cruisers to prevent themselves from being expelled, school principal Mrs. Maxwell has assigned them to negotiate peace between the North and the South. The Cruisers quickly discover their task is not an easy one. Tempers flare on both sides, as the issue of racism gets up close and personal. What do you hope young readers will take away after learning about the Civil War, as experienced by the students at Da Vinci Academy?
WDM: History is not just a record of what happened --- it is also our perspective and understanding of what happened. The Civil War was a marvel of complexity, with many issues driving both sides. Some of the issues, such as race and slavery, can still be emotionally volatile today depending on perspective.
KRC: The balance between freedom of speech and freedom from inflammatory or racist remarks plays a big role in THE CRUISERS. The Cruisers have published an alternative newspaper called The Cruiser, which challenges the school's policies. A guest editorial in The Palette, the school’s official newspaper, written by soccer goalie Alvin McCraney --- who assumes the role of head of the Sons of the Confederacy --- has inflamed feelings among eighth grade students. Words become powerful weapons in the newspapers and in the halls. How much freedom do you believe students should have to express their opinions before being censored by school administrators?
WDM: All speech can be painful, and the school should understand the vulnerability of the students. Words can be easily sent out and less easily withdrawn. School administrators should not allow students to be hurt by insensitive remarks.
KRC: Zander Scott, the main character and leader of the Cruisers, is a tall and an athletic eighth grader attending a school for gifted students. English is his favorite subject, and he wants to write screenplays when he grows up. Zander's mother plays a big role in shaping him as an independent and a brave young man. Is Zander a bit biographical, based on someone you have known, or a totally fictional character?
WDM: Zander is, as are most of my characters, a composite of biography and fantasy. His mother, however, is a copy of an actress/model I knew as a teenager.
KRC: At Da Vinci Academy, there are good teachers who understand and encourage students to learn and grow, and there are some who are more focused on grades and achievement. How would you describe an ideal teacher? Were there any special teachers who influenced you to become a writer?
WDM: Although some teachers focus on grades, I think they are just as important as teachers who take a more personal approach. All of them want the student to do well. I perceived most of my teachers as excellent because I was so eager to learn everything. One teacher, Ms. Baron, convinced me that I had writing ability and also steered me to the right books. She helped make me a reader and a writer.
KRC: The characters in THE CRUISERS are vivid and real, especially Zander. How do you capture the essence of your characters so well?
WDM: I think I like my characters so much that I’m drawn to finding out everything I can about them. I go through hundreds of photographs looking for just the right character and then post the picture on a board behind my computer. Every morning I sit down, and my characters are there to greet me.
KRC: Please describe your writing process. Do you use an outline or plunge ahead?
WDM: I use an outline, which I flesh out over a period of one or two months.
KRC: Which of your books has brought the most response from your readers?
WDM: FALLEN ANGELS and MONSTER bring the most responses.
KRC: You've received numerous awards for your work, including two Newbery Honor Awards, a Michael L. Printz Award, five Coretta Scott King Awards and dozens of others. Does any award hold a special significance?
WDM: I write by myself, alone in my lonely garret, with just an unfeeling computer to comfort me. The awards tell me I’m doing something right.
KRC: How has the Internet changed the way you connect with your readers?
WDM: I get emails from readers, and I’ve done workshops with students across the country.
KRC: What are some books that have influenced your life?
WDM: The books I read in high school --- PÈRE GORIOT, PENGUIN ISLAND, THE LOWER DEPTHS and the poetry of Gabriela Mistral, Yeats and Coleridge --- told me that there was a world of literature that I needed to find.
KRC: What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received, and what advice would you give young readers who want to become writers?
WDM: The best writing advice I’ve ever received is to read as much as possible and then write as much as possible. The two go hand in hand. Every book I read influences my writing to some degree. I would advise all young writers to read classic literature.
KRC: What are you working on now, and when might readers expect to see it?
WDM: I’m currently working on a third book in The Cruisers series. The second book is due out in 2012, and this one is scheduled for 2013.
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AUTHOR TALK
June 2003
Walter Dean Myers is an award-winning writer of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. He has received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his contribution to young adult literature and is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. In this interview, Myers talks about how growing up in Harlem has influenced his writing and the important lessons that can be learned from his latest novel, THE DREAM BEARER.
Q: To what extent does your own childhood, growing up in Harlem, influence your writing?
WDM: My memories of the Harlem of my childhood are dominated not so much in the places I knew but the sense of community and family that surrounded me, nurtured me and made me feel secure within myself. Both my personal identity and my values are represented in this community and it's important for me to identify that identity and those values in my writing.
Q: You left school at just sixteen years of age. Did you have any desire then to become a writer? What brought that about?
WDM: I wanted to write and did write but had no idea that this could be a way to make a living. Writing, for me, was a natural extension of my love for reading and books.
Q: Nate "Tiny" Archibald said of your novel HANDBOOK FOR BOYS: "I've been waiting for somebody to write this book." And you yourself describe it as the book you wish you could have read while growing up. What would you have learned from it, and what do you hope your readers today will take away from it?
WDM: I would have learned that the responsibility for any success I hoped for was dependent primarily on my own choices and willingness to do what I knew was right. Further, that the gap between my actions and what I knew was the right thing to do was also my responsibility. And I would also have learned that there were people before me, people like the characters in HANDBOOK FOR BOYS, who had accepted that responsibility and had been successful.
Q: Your latest novel is THE DREAM BEARER in which young David Curry meets Mr. Moses, an elderly man who tells him that dreams are the key to understanding reality. "There are special dreams," Mr. Moses says, "dreams that fill up the soul, dreams that can be unfolded like wings and lift you off the ground." Can you tell us a little more about Mr. Moses's message, and whether you have any "special" dreams?
WDM: Mr. Moses is telling David that people are not just what they seem at a given moment, but the result of all of their history and even the history their parents might have lived through. When David begins to understand that his father's strange behavior is rooted in a troubled past and his thwarted hopes, he has a clearer understanding of his father and of life in general. I can tell when my dreams reflect the day's anxieties, or if I am working out problems by dreaming of similar situations. Some of my very best ideas for books come to me in my dreams.
Q: Compassion and humanity run deep through all your novels. Would it be fair to say that these are qualities that you admire above all others?
WDM: I most admire people who act on what they believe, who approach life with compassion and an appreciation of our common humanity, but who also make a sincere effort toward positive contributions whenever such contributions are practical.
© Copyright 2003, HarperCollins. All rights reserved.
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