Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, October 7, 2019

An Inside Look #108 (Author INTERVIEW)


An Inside Look with Graham Salisbury
(Author of Banjo)

*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to the blog which was called "Season #ONE".  This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.  

*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017.  It was great to get back to Season #TWO.  This season ran throughout the summer.  

*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017-2018.  



*The next season (season #FOUR) of interviews took place during the summer and fall of 2018.  With each interview I became more and more impressed with the authors I was having interactions with.  

*Season #FIVE ran during the 2018/2019 school year.  I took a little break at the start of June 2019.  

*During my summer 2019 vacation I continued a series of interviews in which I put under the heading of Season #SIX.

*To kick off my 29th year of teaching, I'm adding Season #SEVEN with a whole new season of authors, books, and interviews.  


*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the FIFTH interview in which I'm calling Season #SEVEN.  

*Thank you to Graham Salisbury for being the One-Hundred Eighth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

*Here are links to the first One Hundred Seven interviews…


SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)










Interview #81 with Tony Abbott (Author of The Great Jeff)

Interview #82 with Susan Ross (Author of Searching for Lottie)

Interview #83 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Caterpillar Summer)

Interview #84 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The Missing Piece of Charlie O'Reilly)

Interview #85 with Ali Standish (Author of August Isle)

Interview #86 with Shaun David Hutchinson (Author of The Past and Other Things That Should Stay Buried)

Interview #87 with Greg Howard (Author of The Whispers)

Interview #88 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of Shouting at the Rain)

Interview #89 with Lynda Mullaly Hunt (Author of One for the Murphys)

Interview #90 with Laurie Morrison (Author of Up for Air)

Interview #91 with Jody J. Little (Author of Mostly the Honest Truth)



SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)

Interview #92 with John David Anderson (Author of Finding Orion)

Interview #93 with Lisa Thompson (Author of The Light Jar)

Interview #94 with Keith Calabrese (Author of A Drop of Hope)

Interview #95 with Alicia D. Williams (Author of Genesis Begins Again)

Interview #96 with Kim Ventrella (Author of Bone Hollow)

Interview #97 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Over the Moon)

Interview #98 with Cynthia Lord (Author of Because of the Rabbit)

Interview #99 with Tina Athaide (Author of Orange for the Sunsets)

Interview #100 with Elly Swartz (Author of Give and Take)

Interview #101 with Amy Rebecca Tan (Author of A Kind of Paradise)

Interview #102 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Count Me In)

Interview #103 with Laura Resau (Author of Tree of Dreams)



SEASON #SEVEN (2019/2020)

Interview #104 with Laurel Snyder (Author of My Jasper June)

Interview #105 with Lisa Bunker (Author of Zenobia July)

Interview #106 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Other Words for Home)

Interview #107 with Barbara Dee (Author of Maybe He Just Likes You)



*Graham Salisbury was kind, gracious, and giving with his answers to the questions.  It is an honor to post his responses here on the blog. 

*Thank you Graham for writing this incredible and thought-provoking book.

*Here is my book review...


Banjo

by Graham Salisbury (October 8, 2019)


How did you come to know Danny?
As with all my characters, I get to know them as the story progresses. Writing fiction is a kind of magical thing. I very often don't know what a character will do or say until it appears on my computer screen (MacBook). Danny's character grew as he dealt with his various challenges. I did know, however, what kind of person I wanted him to be, a boy with courage, a sense of honor, respect for his father, brother and others, and a boy who loves a good dog (as I do). In many ways, Danny is the boy I wish I had been. I almost always made decent decisions, but I could have done better. Perhaps this is true for us all, huh?



What do you think is Danny’s most admirable quality?
His sense of honor, meaning his deep desire to make his wrongs right again, regardless of the consequences to himself. Equally as admirable is the respect he holds for his dad. That respect, I discovered in writing this book, was returned in the most beautiful of quiet ways. I truly like that. Boys who have good dads should forever be thankful. I had three dads, but never really knew any of them. I raised myself with the help of a few truly good teachers and one gutsy headmaster ... and, very fortunately, I seem to have come here with a solid dose of common sense.



Is there anything you wish Danny would have changed or done differently in his story?
Nope. Danny needed the events of this story to learn more about himself, his family, and his friends ... and, very importantly, his neighbors. His personal character is built upon the way he meets his challenges.



What do you think Danny can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
I Hope Danny offers a kind of model of how to gather the courage to make tough decisions. I think we know intuitively what is right for us and what is not. But so often we do the opposite and harm ourselves, perhaps to fit in with others, or please a parent or friend. Ask yourself this question in any difficult or sketchy situation: what is the right thing to do right now ... if you ask that question, honestly, you will know the answer, you will know the right path to take. The tricky issue is, will you follow it? Just like it is for Danny in BANJO, your character is built upon your response to such tough decisions. Who do you want to be in the world? What kind of person? Danny knew the answer to that question. Unfortunately, far too many people never give that very important question much of a thought.



How did you research Danny and the circumstances he found himself in?
I did a lot of ranch research because I grew up in an entirely different environment (Hawaii). But I love the American West and can so easily feel its pull on me. A while back, I read about a dog who had been sentenced to be put down because he hassled a neighbor's horse. This was in central Oregon, an area I know pretty well. The dog owner hired an attorney and managed to save the dog's life, but the dog had to leave the state. He ended up in Utah, as I recall. I thought that was a story-worthy situation and saved the idea. Years later I wrote BANJO, based on that situation. Ideas are everywhere, floating around in the ether. If you don't grab them, someone else will.



Do you and Danny share any similarities?
For sure. In almost all ways.



What was the hardest scene to write about Danny?
Every scene was pretty much equal in difficulty and/or ease. I put myself in Danny's shoes, and more or less became him as I wrote. His sensibilities were pretty much my own. But in BANJO, I wanted Danny to be smarter, braver and more honorable than I was at his age.



Who do you think was Danny biggest supporter and why?
This may sound odd, but I think the character most impressed and supportive is Mr. Brodie. Though he is an old-school rancher, he's also a father and recognizes and respects a young person who takes responsibility for his own errors (something he does not yet find in his own boys). I like that old coot and enjoyed discovering his true nature as the story unfolded. I did not plan the way things worked out in the story. I discovered the way things worked out. As I said before, writing fiction is magic, pure and simple. Amazing things can happen between your fingertips and the keyboard, things that often surprise me, and to be truly honest, even choke me up, and I absolutely LOVE when that happens. If you can evoke emotion your readers you have given them a gift.



Why do you think humans and animals, especially dogs, have such a special connection?
Can you even imagine a world without dogs? Jeez, I can't. If you sit quietly for a moment and think -- really bend your mind a bit -- about the absolute miracle of just being alive, of the millions of miracles all around us -- water, ants, birds, thumbs, music, art, vision, electrons, jeez just about everything -- you will, I believe, come to the conclusion that everything is connected. Our connection with dogs is special (at least with those who have not had the life and love trained, neglected or beat out of them by thoughtless humans). Dogs are the essence of unconditional love. Who else greets you like a king or queen when you come home?



What do you think Danny is doing as this present time?
Hanging out with Meg and getting to know how cool a strong, caring and independent girl can be. If there is one thing I have learned in my life it's that girls are just flat-out awesome. Us guys have much to learn from them. And in many ways, they from us. 
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