| Interview with Deb Caletti |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com! My name
is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your
writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to
be a writer?
I knew I wanted to be a writer not long after I fell in love with books. Ramona the Pest made me want to write. So
did Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock; so did The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the third
grade, I had this hippie teacher, Rich Campe, who used to write “Groovy!” on my stories. Groovy, you, know, is a
pretty good thing, so I figured I might be on to something. If you’re out there, Rich, drop me a note. I owe you a
thank-you.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I never studied creative writing in college, because I was too intimidated. All those intellectuals made me
nervous. So when I finally decided I was going to get serious about this dream of mine, I had to teach myself. I
read and read and read, wrote and wrote and wrote. It took me two full novels before I got an agent. Five novels
before one was finally bought by Simon & Schuster. This is not an easy business – it’s one of the big dreams. I
call it a “99% profession” because those are the kinds of odds you’re up against.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about
the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
My latest release is WILD ROSES about a young girl whose step-father is a famous violinist who is losing it. One
thing? Besides the sex and violence? Kidding! What I think is most interesting is the exploration of the
connection between creativity and madness, seen through the eyes of this spirited, cynical teen who’s just trying
to survive the lousy step-family situation her mother’s gotten her into. I think anyone who has experienced
divorce will relate, even though most of our situations aren’t this extreme.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My kids are not only my greatest inspiration, they give me terrific lines to steal.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My daughter, Sam, is eighteen, and my son, Nick, is fifteen. They both are smart and funny and down to earth,
and are my favorite people to hang out with. My Mom and Dad both vie for top spot on the “thrilled” list. At local
book events, Dad takes pictures and raises his hand and asks me questions he already knows the answers to.
It’s hugely embarrassing and highly endearing.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Easy. Brownies. Preferably warm.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
1. Think about how entirely grateful I am that there’s such a thing as coffee.
2. Make coffee.
3. Drink coffee.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the
most?
1950’s prom dresses, an old flight attendant uniform from the same time period, a hat made from quail feathers - I
like vintage clothes.
Oh, and the priest collar a friend once wore in a play.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you
could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Blue. It’s the color of sky and water, varies in shades from light to deep, and is the best flavor in the box of Otter
Pops.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I like Casper, but for no good reason except that he’s cute. Same goes for Elmo, who I adore, but is Elmo a
cartoon? Discuss that amongst yourselves. As for which is most like me, it would have to be Belle, from Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast. She’s a bookworm who tends to get involved with difficult men. Enough said.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history, where
and when would it be—and why?
Mid to late 1920’s, Paris. Why? Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Gertrude Stein, and other
expatriate writers, all in one place at one time, fighting censorship, writing freely, discussing writing and literature
and changing it forever.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re
writing?
I listen to and love all types of music, depending on my mood. I’m a sucker for good, smart lyrics – Alanis
Morissette, Neil Young, Green Day, U2, Bruce Cockburn, Sheryl Crowe; poetic lyrics – Lucinda Williams, Billy
Bragg & Wilco, Coldplay, Indigo Girls. Favorites lately are Beck, The Bodeans, Franz Ferdinand, The Jayhawks,
etc., etc. I also like the Gorillaz, which maybe is a confession. You can tell what I’m ticked off at by which Alanis
song I’ll play over and over. I’ll listen to music when I write if I’m needing help getting into a particular mood. I
listened to classical music for writing some fast and frenetic scenes in Wild Roses, even if I generally don’t listen
to classical music, which is maybe another confession.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw
at the theater?
I’m not a very good T.V. watcher, as I get too restless. My kids, though, got me hooked on CSI. The good news
is, I now know what GSR is (gun shot residue – come on, people!), and I’m pretty sure I could dust a scene for
prints, given one of those little suitcases with all the necessary stuff.
The only movie I’ve ever watched a gajillion times was “Dances with Wolves,” and only because my ex-husband
played it over and over:
Stands With Fist: The chief thanks Dances With Wolves for coming.
John Dunbar: Who is Dances With Wolves?
Stands With Fist: It is the name people are calling you now.
Oh, man. If I ever had critical information for the enemy, they could just threaten to play that one more time and
I’d spill everything I knew.
The last movie I saw in the theater was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Since that is 17;d spill
everything I knew.
The last movie I saw in the theater was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe., I ate all the popcorn before the
movie started.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Respect yourself.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
My next release is scheduled for spring of next year. THE NATURE OF JADE is about a girl who suffers from
anxiety, who, while working with the elephants at a local zoo, becomes involved with a young boy and his baby.
It’s about fear and human nature and the ways we struggle to care for ourselves and others. I hope you’ll look for
it.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks, guys!
is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking time out of your
writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you wanted to
be a writer?
I knew I wanted to be a writer not long after I fell in love with books. Ramona the Pest made me want to write. So
did Nancy Drew and The Secret of the Old Clock; so did The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. In the third
grade, I had this hippie teacher, Rich Campe, who used to write “Groovy!” on my stories. Groovy, you, know, is a
pretty good thing, so I figured I might be on to something. If you’re out there, Rich, drop me a note. I owe you a
thank-you.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
I never studied creative writing in college, because I was too intimidated. All those intellectuals made me
nervous. So when I finally decided I was going to get serious about this dream of mine, I had to teach myself. I
read and read and read, wrote and wrote and wrote. It took me two full novels before I got an agent. Five novels
before one was finally bought by Simon & Schuster. This is not an easy business – it’s one of the big dreams. I
call it a “99% profession” because those are the kinds of odds you’re up against.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one thing about
the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
My latest release is WILD ROSES about a young girl whose step-father is a famous violinist who is losing it. One
thing? Besides the sex and violence? Kidding! What I think is most interesting is the exploration of the
connection between creativity and madness, seen through the eyes of this spirited, cynical teen who’s just trying
to survive the lousy step-family situation her mother’s gotten her into. I think anyone who has experienced
divorce will relate, even though most of our situations aren’t this extreme.
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
My kids are not only my greatest inspiration, they give me terrific lines to steal.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My daughter, Sam, is eighteen, and my son, Nick, is fifteen. They both are smart and funny and down to earth,
and are my favorite people to hang out with. My Mom and Dad both vie for top spot on the “thrilled” list. At local
book events, Dad takes pictures and raises his hand and asks me questions he already knows the answers to.
It’s hugely embarrassing and highly endearing.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Easy. Brownies. Preferably warm.
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
1. Think about how entirely grateful I am that there’s such a thing as coffee.
2. Make coffee.
3. Drink coffee.
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the
most?
1950’s prom dresses, an old flight attendant uniform from the same time period, a hat made from quail feathers - I
like vintage clothes.
Oh, and the priest collar a friend once wore in a play.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know: If you
could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Blue. It’s the color of sky and water, varies in shades from light to deep, and is the best flavor in the box of Otter
Pops.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I like Casper, but for no good reason except that he’s cute. Same goes for Elmo, who I adore, but is Elmo a
cartoon? Discuss that amongst yourselves. As for which is most like me, it would have to be Belle, from Disney’s
Beauty and the Beast. She’s a bookworm who tends to get involved with difficult men. Enough said.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!"), during any time in history, where
and when would it be—and why?
Mid to late 1920’s, Paris. Why? Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, Gertrude Stein, and other
expatriate writers, all in one place at one time, fighting censorship, writing freely, discussing writing and literature
and changing it forever.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while you’re
writing?
I listen to and love all types of music, depending on my mood. I’m a sucker for good, smart lyrics – Alanis
Morissette, Neil Young, Green Day, U2, Bruce Cockburn, Sheryl Crowe; poetic lyrics – Lucinda Williams, Billy
Bragg & Wilco, Coldplay, Indigo Girls. Favorites lately are Beck, The Bodeans, Franz Ferdinand, The Jayhawks,
etc., etc. I also like the Gorillaz, which maybe is a confession. You can tell what I’m ticked off at by which Alanis
song I’ll play over and over. I’ll listen to music when I write if I’m needing help getting into a particular mood. I
listened to classical music for writing some fast and frenetic scenes in Wild Roses, even if I generally don’t listen
to classical music, which is maybe another confession.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie you saw
at the theater?
I’m not a very good T.V. watcher, as I get too restless. My kids, though, got me hooked on CSI. The good news
is, I now know what GSR is (gun shot residue – come on, people!), and I’m pretty sure I could dust a scene for
prints, given one of those little suitcases with all the necessary stuff.
The only movie I’ve ever watched a gajillion times was “Dances with Wolves,” and only because my ex-husband
played it over and over:
Stands With Fist: The chief thanks Dances With Wolves for coming.
John Dunbar: Who is Dances With Wolves?
Stands With Fist: It is the name people are calling you now.
Oh, man. If I ever had critical information for the enemy, they could just threaten to play that one more time and
I’d spill everything I knew.
The last movie I saw in the theater was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” Since that is 17;d spill
everything I knew.
The last movie I saw in the theater was “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe., I ate all the popcorn before the
movie started.
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Respect yourself.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
My next release is scheduled for spring of next year. THE NATURE OF JADE is about a girl who suffers from
anxiety, who, while working with the elephants at a local zoo, becomes involved with a young boy and his baby.
It’s about fear and human nature and the ways we struggle to care for ourselves and others. I hope you’ll look for
it.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
Thanks, guys!
