ReadWonder: An Inside Look #135 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Emily Blejwas

(Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)

*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.

*The fourth season ran during the summer/fall of 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 Fifteenth interview in which I'm calling Season #EIGHT.

*Thank you to Emily for being the One-Hundred Thirty-Fifth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.

*Here is my review of the Novel...

Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened

LIke Nothing Amazing Ever Happeded

by Emily Blejwas

(April 14, 2020)

How did you come to know Justin?
Slowly. I started with the idea of a 12-year-old boy who is set apart from his peers somehow. Then I just started writing and the details filled in as I went along. Writing is a strange and magical process that way. It feels like Justin already existed and I learned about him bit by bit. Sometimes he would even surprise me.

What do you think is his most admirable quality?
Kindness. Justin cares deeply about people, both those close to him and those he hasn’t met, like the Kurdish refugees he sees in a newspaper photo. He doesn’t take things lightly. It matters to him that people are treated with equity and respect, that the world is just.

Is there anything you wish he would have changed or done differently in his story?
No, I think we all just do the best we can with what we know and what we’ve been given, and Justin certainly does that!

What do you think Justin can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
Justin is a master of finding the good in his life. He doesn’t take small kindnesses or acts of generosity for granted. He realizes that all the little things add up to big things. For other kids experiencing grief, they can learn from Justin how to look for small glimmers, because sometimes that’s all you have, and nothing is too small to hang onto.

The other thing Justin does well is to look ahead. He learns that things always change; nothing is permanent. He won’t always be in seventh grade, he won’t always feel this way. I don’t think grief ever goes away, but Justin learns to hold grief and hope alongside each other.

How did you research Justin and the circumstances he found himself in?
I set this novel in my hometown (though renamed) in 1991, when I was Justin’s age, so a lot of it was just remembering. I did research Dakota history, Minnesota history, and the history of the town. And I asked my stepdad about police protocol, so I would get the incident report right!

Do you and Justin share any similarities?
Justin and I both take things seriously. We think deeply and feel deeply. We are both natural learners, and always looking to expand our worlds and our understanding. We like words and the images they create. Justin’s funnier than I am, though.

What was the hardest scene to write about Justin?
When he was so upset about his older brother, Murphy, not playing baseball so he could work more hours to support the family. Murphy playing baseball becomes a symbol of life before their dad died, and Justin wants that life back so much, but there is just no way back. There’s nothing you can say to comfort him in that scene. It just is.

Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
He has many! His mom and brother, his friends, his bus driver, Benny H. I think Justin’s an easy kid to support because he’s so kind and honest and authentic.

Why do you think some young people, like Justin, put so much responsibility on their own shoulders when their family is dealing with loss and/or stressful situations?
I think Justin is trying to shield his mom and brother from any additional stress. He wants to make their lives easier, but he’s not sure how to do it. He doesn’t realize that he already makes their lives better just by being himself, by being such a sweet person.

What do you think Justin is doing at the present time?
I think he’s in 8^thgrade, still funny and sweet and enjoying time with his friends and thinking seriously about the world. I think maybe he’s picked up a new interest or hobby. Maybe the violin.