Ask the Author: Ken Murray
Answered Questions (2)
Ken Murray
Thankfully, no. But some of the issues at the centre of the book are drawn from my own experiences and obsessions. One of the questions that particularly intrigues me: How does one learn to relate to the world when the religion of childhood no longer works? It’s tricky. I’ve written elsewhere about growing up in a fundamentalist Christian / televangelist world (you can find it here: http://thehumanist.com/commentary/rai... ), but the house I grew up in was not the hard lonely battleground of William Oaks. William became really interesting to me as I wrote the story the moment he decided to try to fix his parents with religion. That fascinated me and drove me.
But you could say I make a brief appearance in the book, as a cameo: In one scene a museum fundraiser appears in William’s conservation lab, annoying him to no end. Royal Ontario Museum Fundraiser is my old job, so you could say that guy was me, walking in and out of the book in the space of a couple lines. As is a writer’s duty, I test the patience of the characters I invent;)
Thanks for the question!
But you could say I make a brief appearance in the book, as a cameo: In one scene a museum fundraiser appears in William’s conservation lab, annoying him to no end. Royal Ontario Museum Fundraiser is my old job, so you could say that guy was me, walking in and out of the book in the space of a couple lines. As is a writer’s duty, I test the patience of the characters I invent;)
Thanks for the question!
Ken Murray
Inspiration comes from the images and ideas that won't leave me alone. Somebody says or does something - either in real life or within the walls of my mind - and it sticks with me. I end up writing to know more, flush it out if you will.
Some years ago I wrote a short story called "The Exception" which was published by Prairie Fire, and this evolved entirely from a moment on a late night train home. I awoke to the sound of a conversation between a father and a young son, across the aisle, then drifted back to sleep. The next day and for days and months after they haunted me, so I made up a story, taking great liberties with time and possibility, that extracted them not only from that traing, but also from my mind, and put them on the page.
Similarly, Eulogy began years ago with a short story about a trip to an amusement park and a weird ride on the bumper cars. I needed to know more about the characters, their lives, their situation, and what became of them. The novel is what emerged.
Some years ago I wrote a short story called "The Exception" which was published by Prairie Fire, and this evolved entirely from a moment on a late night train home. I awoke to the sound of a conversation between a father and a young son, across the aisle, then drifted back to sleep. The next day and for days and months after they haunted me, so I made up a story, taking great liberties with time and possibility, that extracted them not only from that traing, but also from my mind, and put them on the page.
Similarly, Eulogy began years ago with a short story about a trip to an amusement park and a weird ride on the bumper cars. I needed to know more about the characters, their lives, their situation, and what became of them. The novel is what emerged.
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Dec 16, 2015 11:31AM · flag
Dec 17, 2015 10:09AM · flag