Mar. 15, 2018
I was privileged to invite Mr. Clow for an interview with BooKecCenTric to discuss his latest book and his inspiration behind it. Enjoy!
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Thank you @DavidClow for your time today. What's your latest book about, and what inspired you to write it?
DavidClow: King Judy is a new look at a beloved old story: King Arthur, Camelot, and the Round Table. This time the setting is contemporary. The unlikely heir to Arthur's throne is a Judy Avery, a young American archaeologist who loves the Camelot fairy tales and hopes to find some scientific basis for them. Judy finds far more than she expects when she discovers Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur. She is given the treasure of Arthur's kingdom; falls in love with Arthur's champion Lancelot; and must take up the defense of Camelot against Arthur's ancient enemies. She thought her quest was for a career in science. Now she needs to stay alive and defend what always mattered most about Camelot: justice, hope, and goodness.
Who is your target audience, and why do you think this book will appeal to them?
DavidClow: King Judy is for anyone like Judy who loves the Arthur stories, and more important, who sees in them something redeeming and hopeful. Young adults in particular are the audience I’d like to reach. Much of their literature now suggests that they feel despair (and rightly so) with the world they’re inheriting. I dedicated it to the women in my own family whom I know to be as brave, resourceful, and resilient as the heroine of the story. I hope they’ll see some of themselves in Judy Avery, and vice versa.
What message do you wish to pass across to your readers with this book?
DavidClow: Camelot has been a staple story for centuries in Western literature, with a variety of interpretations and approaches, but it’s always a place blessed with optimism and courage. In King Judy they feel the presence of a higher power watching over the kingdom, and it’s true—but Judy and her friends still need to draw on their own strength to succeed. As she tells the readers, “Never forget that however your history began, you write your own tale and make your own ending. Stay the quest for what is fine in you even when no one else sees it. Stay the quest for what is strong in you even when no one else believes it’s there.”
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
DavidClow: I find that stories really can take on lives and voices of their own. The hard part is listening, and hearing what the story really wants to be. I did a lot of rewriting on the book because it really kept telling me no, not yet--say this instead. It got better the more I just got out of the way.
As a writer, is there anything you've learned about yourself while writing this book?
DavidClow: Technically I wouldn't say so, but then I've been wring a long time. The learning came from being patient and trusting the story to take the lead instead of pushing to make a word count every day.
For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books, and why?
DavidClow: I love hard copies. I collect books, and as good as eBooks are becoming they can't match the feeling of a well-designed book in the hand, the handsomeness of beautiful type, or illustrations by Hablot Knight Browne, Gustave Doré, or Ralph Steadman.
What is your niche genre, and if you were to write in a different genre, what would it be?
DavidClow: I've written plays, non-fiction, and now a novel, so I wouldn't say I have a niche.
What books and authors have most influenced you?
DavidClow: My favorites range from Shakespeare to James Ellroy to all kinds of non-fiction. My greatest influence is probably Ray Bradbury, but there will only be one of him and even trying to imitate his style is impossible.
Is there anything you'd like readers to know about you?
DavidClow: Only that I hope I gave them a character who seemed real and alive. I don't feel quite like I created Judy Avery. It's more like she let me help her tell her story. If the readers know her the way I do, and admire her as I do, then that's enough.
What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, Goodreads, etc.)?
DavidClow: There's a King Judy Facebook page and I'd be delighted to hear from readers there. I also have a Goodreads page.
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