BABBLING BOOKS

lisa2062

Hi Everyone, Babbling Books is thrilled to be able to inform you that Chris Bohjalian author of 'Skeletons of the Feast' has agreed to take part in a Q & A session with us.

Chris will be available on September the 8th to answer any of our questions. Please make sure that any questions you want to ask him are therefore posted by that date.

For more information about Chris Bohjalian, and his books to date please visit -

http://www.chrisbohjalian.com/

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Currently Reading - Want to Play? By P.J Tracy (again)

http://www.we7.com/user/view-playlist?playlistId=537463&m=0

annecater · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:28 pm Post subject:

Damn it! I've got a meeting on the evening of 8th -starting at 6.30pm so I'll probably miss this. I'm 50 pages into his The Buffalo Soldier - and am entralled, it's as good, if not better than Midwives.

Lisa - do you want us to PM any questions to you - or post them here?
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Currently reading: The Tent The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy and Granny The Pag by Nina Bawden

1001 Challenge Books read in 2009 - 3
1001 Challenge Books read in 2008 - 8
1001 Challenge Books read in 2007 - 13

lisa2062 · Posted: Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:14 pm Post subject:

I'm not really sure when during that day Chris will be on here, due to the 6hr time difference.

Any questions you have for Chris can be posted here. Lisa x
_________________
Currently Reading - Want to Play? By P.J Tracy (again)

http://www.we7.com/user/view-playlist?playlistId=537463&m=0

annecater · Posted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 3:46 pm Post subject:

My questions for Chris, in case I miss him.

First : So far I have read Midwives and The Buffalo Soldier - your books are quite difficult to get hold of.

I read Midwives first - I saw it on Ophrah's list and wanted to give it a try. I loved every page of it and found it very difficult to put down. This is not an insult but when I 'looked you up' online, I was really suprised to find that you are male!! I am astounded by how well you write from a female perspective, I find that most male authors really struggle to convince me (with the exception more recently of Khaled Hosseini). I was wondering how you manage to write like this.

I though The Buffalo Soldier was excellent too - again with a very sympathetically written female lead, and a not-so-nice male! I am fascinated by Vermont now and would love to visit.
What made you want to write about a black child's experiences in a white town?

Which author do you admire?
_________________
Currently reading: The Tent The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy and Granny The Pag by Nina Bawden

1001 Challenge Books read in 2009 - 3
1001 Challenge Books read in 2008 - 8
1001 Challenge Books read in 2007 - 13

lisa2062 · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 1:20 pm Post subject:

Hi Chris, a warm welcome to BB and thank you once again for taking part in an author chat! I'll be on here later, but just wanted to ask a couple of questions now incase for some reason I'm not about.

Having thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Midwives' , I later discovered online that it was adapted for the television. Are there currently any plans for any of your other novels to be adapted for the small and/or big screen?
Leading on from that question, which actors/actresses would you like to see taking on some of the characters? Lisa x
_________________
Currently Reading - Want to Play? By P.J Tracy (again)

http://www.we7.com/user/view-playlist?playlistId=537463&m=0

annecater · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject:

We recently had an author chat with Ami McKay, the author of The Birth House. Her novel has a similar storyline to that of Midwives - in a different setting - have you read it?
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Currently reading: The Tent The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy and Granny The Pag by Nina Bawden

1001 Challenge Books read in 2009 - 3
1001 Challenge Books read in 2008 - 8
1001 Challenge Books read in 2007 - 13

lovely treez · Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject:

I don't know if the author chat thread has been opened yet but I have a few questions for Chris, hope I'm not too late.

I recently read Skeletons at the Feast and enjoyed it. It was interesting how it included thoughts on how German nationals experienced the war. Have you had any feedback from relatives of those who died in the Holocaust?

I saw that Skeletons was partially based on real life experiences of friends of your family - do you prefer to base your fiction on real life events? Midwives was such a different novel - what was your inspiration for writing it?

What is your next writing project?

What made you decide to become a writer?

Where do you write? Are you a very disciplined author with regular hours?
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Currently reading - The Italian Boy - Murder and Grave Robbery in 1830s London - Sarah Wise

ChrisBohjalian · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:37 pm Post subject: response to Lovely Treez

Dear Lovely Treez,

Greetings back. Thanks for your kind words about my work.

Let's see:

"Have you had any feedback from relatives of those who died in the Holocaust? "

Yes, I have. And they have usually found the tale authentic in terms of either what they heard -- or, if they are survivors, what they experienced (or what their relatives experienced). And sometimes they have shared stories with me even more horrifying than what I imagined fore the novel.

"I saw that Skeletons was partially based on real life experiences of friends of your family - do you prefer to base your fiction on real life events?"

It's not based on my family's experiences. I am Armenian and Swedish and my whole family had emigrated from Swedon or Armenia to the US well before the Second World War. The novel was, however, inspired by the diary of a greatgrandmother of a girl my daughter went to school with.

"Midwives was such a different novel - what was your inspiration for writing it?"

If you visit www.chrisbohjalian.com and go to the Midwives page, you can hear me tell the whole story. Click on "Chris's commentary."

"What is your next writing project?"

A novel inspired by "The Scarlet Letter" about a dometic abuse murder-suicide involving a minister.

"What made you decide to become a writer?"

Oh, I was a little boy when I knew I wanted to spend my life writing. I didn't know if I would be so blessed, so lucky to be able to do it. But I was reading like a madman at a very young age.

Thanks for dropping by!

All the best,

Chris B.

ChrisBohjalian · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject: response to annecater

Ciao!

You asked, "We recently had an author chat with Ami McKay, the author of The Birth House. Her novel has a similar storyline to that of Midwives - in a different setting - have you read it?"

No, I have not. I see it was recently published, and it sounds interesting.

The reality is that I wrote Midwives in 1995 and early 1996 (it was published in 1997). Once I finish a project, I move on and don't tend to read much in the same vein. I have been so immersed in a topic that when I complete a novel, I want something entirely different.

All the best,

Chris B.

ChrisBohjalian · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:47 pm Post subject: response to Lisa

Thanks, Lisa for your very kind words.

Twice I have had novels become movies: Past the Bleachers and Midwives.

Currently Before You Know Kindness and The Buffalo Soldier are in development.

I would love to see Skeletons at the Feast made someday into a film. I love big, sweeping WWII epics: Atonement, The English Patient, Corelli's Mandolin.

If you can convince Kiera Knightley or Scarlett Johansson to play Anna Emmerich, please jump in!

All best,

Chris B.

ChrisBohjalian · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: additional response to annecater

Hi, again!

You asked:

"What made you want to write about a black child's experiences in a white town?"

If you visit my web site and the page there for "The Buffalo Soldier," there is a link to "Chris's commentary." There you can hear me tell you the full inspiration.

"Which author do you admire?"

Among my favorites? Ian McEwan. John Irving. Nick Hornbv. Joyce Carol Oates. Graham Greene. Stephen Kiernan. Andrea Barrett. Alice Hoffman. Lionel Shriver.

annecater · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject:

Thanks Chris for taking the time to join us and to answer the questions.

I look forward to reading more of your work
_________________
Currently reading: The Tent The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy and Granny The Pag by Nina Bawden

1001 Challenge Books read in 2009 - 3
1001 Challenge Books read in 2008 - 8
1001 Challenge Books read in 2007 - 13

ChrisBohjalian · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:26 pm Post subject: response to annecater

Oh, I thank YOU. And I am so sorry I am only getting back to you now.

lisa2062 · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject:

Yes thank you very much Chris for droping by, it's much appreciated. Lisa x
_________________
Currently Reading - Want to Play? By P.J Tracy (again)

http://www.we7.com/user/view-playlist?playlistId=537463&m=0

blueflower · Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 7:45 pm Post subject:

I haven't read any of these books, so couldn't really take part in the chat but I have now bought 'Skeletons of the Feast' and I am really looking forward to reading it.

ChrisBohjalian · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 2:07 am Post subject:

Thannks, blueflower, for giving "Skeletons" a chance. I appreciate it immensely.

katey · Posted: Thu Sep 11, 2008 11:22 am Post subject:

I really loved Midwives, and am definitely going to try and read some more of your books in the near future.

Thanks for stopping by BB Chris, it is much appreciated.

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Katey
xxx

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