An Inside Look with Phil Bildner
(Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)
*The first season of interviews ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.
*Season #two ran during the summer of 2017.
*Season #three ran during the school year of 2017-2018.
*Season #five ran during the 2018/2019 school year.
*During summer 2019, the sixth season ran.
*The seventh season of interviews ran during the fall of 2019.
*I'm excited to be back for season #EIGHT with brand new interviews/authors.
*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.
*This is the SEVENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #EIGHT.
*Thank you to Phil Bildner for being the One-Hundred Twenty-Seventh author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.
*Here are links to the One Hundred Twenty-Six interviews…
SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)
SEASON #TWO (Summer 2017)
SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)
SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)
SEASON #EIGHT (Winter 2020)
Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)
Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)
Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)
Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)
Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)
A High-Five for Glenn Burke
by Phil Bildner
(February 25, 2020)
Getting to know Silas was actually quite easy. Back when I taught middle school, I knew so many kids just like him. And these days when I visit schools, I encounter a steady stream of kids who share his qualities and traits.
But without a doubt, what made it so easy coming to know him is the fact that I experienced -- I lived -- Silas's journey. However, my coming out and his coming out were and are very different.
What do you think is his most admirable quality?
His sensitivity.
His sensitivity.
It's so important that kids -- especially boys -- see characters like this in books. It's important they see that there is nothing wrong with boys who are sensitive, kind, and willing to show emotion... because there is nothing wrong with boys who are sensitive, kind, and willing to show emotion. It's what makes us human.
Is there anything you wish he would have changed or done differently in his story?
No, there isn't anything I wish Silas would have done differently, but I'm sure there are lots of things Silas wishes he had. Absolutely.
No, there isn't anything I wish Silas would have done differently, but I'm sure there are lots of things Silas wishes he had. Absolutely.
In large part, this is Silas's coming out story. But coming out isn't a moment. It's a process, a journey. That's what I want to help kids to understand.
Everyone's coming out story is unique. There is no road map or instructional manual. It's something you make up as you go along. That's why there are always going to be hiccups and missteps. One moment, it's going to be brutal, and the next moment it can be beautiful. It can go from debilitating to exhilarating in the blink of an eye. It's always real.
What do you think Silas can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
Hope. Silas can provide kids with hope and the real chance for acceptance.
Hope. Silas can provide kids with hope and the real chance for acceptance.
Queer kids play sports, but this book isn't only for queer kids who plays sports. Nor is it simply for LGBTQ kids in general. It's for all kids, for everyone. I hope this book will help kids grasp the importance of acceptance. I want to help kids -- and everyone -- open their hearts and minds to the realities and struggles some of their own classmates and teammates may be living.
How did you research Silas and the circumstances he found himself in?
So there's a scene in the book that takes place at a trampoline park. How do you research that? You go to a trampoline park! And let me tell you, trampoline parks can be incredibly humbling once you reach a certain age... and I have definitely reached that certain age. Back in the day, I would bounce for answers. Today, not so much.
So there's a scene in the book that takes place at a trampoline park. How do you research that? You go to a trampoline park! And let me tell you, trampoline parks can be incredibly humbling once you reach a certain age... and I have definitely reached that certain age. Back in the day, I would bounce for answers. Today, not so much.
Also, a lot of the action in the book takes place on the baseball field. I wanted those baseball scenes to be as authentic as possible. So I spent hours talking to Cole, my friend's son who shared stories of spitting sunflower seeds and dugout chants. I spoke to John, my dentist's son, who told me all about game day prep and batter's box routines. And I Skyped with Jackson, a kid I met at a school visit, who told me all about his coaches and teammates. I used my resources!
Do you and Silas share any similarities?
Yes. Like Silas, I was an athlete growing up. I played basketball, baseball, soccer, and tennis. But that's pretty much where the similarities between twelve-year-old me and twelve-year-old Silas ended.
Yes. Like Silas, I was an athlete growing up. I played basketball, baseball, soccer, and tennis. But that's pretty much where the similarities between twelve-year-old me and twelve-year-old Silas ended.
Unlike Silas, I didn't have the internet. I didn't have his access to information, language, words, and ideas. All I knew is that as much as I loved playing ball, kids like me didn't. There were no athletes like me in the NBA, NFL, or even playing college sports. I never saw athletes like me depicted in movies or on television. And I certainly never met any in the books I read.
It's one of the main reasons I wrote this novel. No one deserves to be made to feel invisible. Visibility is critical. It leads to acceptance and respect for existence.
What was the hardest scene to write about Silas?
It's hard to pinpoint what was the most difficult scene to write, but I do know the parts of the story that cut the deepest. I'll give one example: In several instances, Silas talks about "keeping score." I don't want to give away what that means, but it's something I lived with and struggled with for years. I know it's something that many LGBTQ persons experience. They may not call it "keeping score," but the concept is one he/she/they are quite familiar with.
It's hard to pinpoint what was the most difficult scene to write, but I do know the parts of the story that cut the deepest. I'll give one example: In several instances, Silas talks about "keeping score." I don't want to give away what that means, but it's something I lived with and struggled with for years. I know it's something that many LGBTQ persons experience. They may not call it "keeping score," but the concept is one he/she/they are quite familiar with.
Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
Silas is surrounded by people who are incredibly supportive of him in all different ways. In the moment where he is in life, I don't think he realizes just how fortunate he is (actually, I know he doesn't). Upon reflection when he gets older, there's no doubt he'll be able to acknowledge all the people he had in his corner. When he does, I don't think he'll say one person was more supportive than another. He'll recognize he needed his entire village. I also believe Silas will strive to be the person he needed when he was younger. As we all should.
Silas is surrounded by people who are incredibly supportive of him in all different ways. In the moment where he is in life, I don't think he realizes just how fortunate he is (actually, I know he doesn't). Upon reflection when he gets older, there's no doubt he'll be able to acknowledge all the people he had in his corner. When he does, I don't think he'll say one person was more supportive than another. He'll recognize he needed his entire village. I also believe Silas will strive to be the person he needed when he was younger. As we all should.
Why do you think some young people, like Silas, are able to tell others who they truly are; while others keep this part of them a secret for years and years, sometimes to the detriment of their own well-being?
Safety. For many queer kids, it's simply not safe for them to share their truths. Some risk physical violence. Some risk being kicked out of their homes. For all queer kids, no matter how accepting or loving their world appears to be, there are always risks in coming out. You never truly know how people are going to react until it's out there. And once you share your truth, there are no backsies.
Safety. For many queer kids, it's simply not safe for them to share their truths. Some risk physical violence. Some risk being kicked out of their homes. For all queer kids, no matter how accepting or loving their world appears to be, there are always risks in coming out. You never truly know how people are going to react until it's out there. And once you share your truth, there are no backsies.
What do you think Silas is doing as the present time?
What's Silas doing right now? He's probably catching fly balls out in centerfield, singing karaoke with Zoey, or watching The Sandlot for the millionth time. No matter what he's doing, he's smiling. He's definitely smiling.
