Congratulations, Donny!
I'm happy to tell you that my fellow author, Donny Bailey Seagraves, has just published her first children's novel, and it's a winner.
GONE FROM THESE WOODS is the story of Daniel, a young boy who goes hunting for the very first time with his beloved uncle and the tragic consequences that follow. Donny, a Southerner who lives in Georgia, understands how hunting fits into our culture and history, and she's a skillful writer who really captures the voice of her young protagonist.
This is a message story that never preaches, which is the best kind. It's also one that every young adult can and should read.
Recently I had the opportunity to interview Donny, whose picture is shown below, about her inspiration for GONE FROM THESE WOODS. Here is our conversation. Enjoy!
(Author's photo: Barry Mobley, photographer)
1. Donny, you're a native Southerner, where guns and hunting are often part of the rural life. What was it like for you as a child, growing up in this kind of culture?
I wasn't a hunter, so I never participated in this Southern tradition, though I was very much aware of the hunters around me. In the first chapter of GFTW, Daniel recalls coming upon Dad and Uncle Clay skinning a rabbit and he is traumatized by this sight. My inspiration for this scene was a real life incident that happened when I was a little girl. I was playing in my back yard and for some reason decided to look over the fence into the back yard of our next door neighbors. I saw the man who lived there skinning a rabbit and I've never forgotten that scene. I decided to give my character, Daniel, that same reaction. So basically, I grew up in that hunting culture, but I never became a part of it. Still, I do understand the part it played in our history and also what it means to those who practice what is now a sport rather than a necessity for most hunters today.
2. Early in the story, Uncle Clay tells Daniel that he'll get over those "Easter Bunny" feelings when he shoots his first rabbit. Since the Easter Bunny is a symbol of childhood, is he saying that a boy has to learn to shoot and even kill, in order to become a man? Or am I reading too much symbolism into this scene?
GFTW has been called a coming of age story and there are some symbols and themes there. With hunting being a family tradition for the fictional Sartains, of course what Clay says to his nephew can be viewed as symbolic. But this is just this one characters' words and point of view. If you read Daniel's words and listen to his thoughts, it becomes apparent that he doesn't buy into this. Still, after the end of the first chapter, he must grow up, to some extent, to survive.
3. It can be a stretch for an adult to write in a child's voice, but you do it beautifully. But how hard was it for you to write as a male?
VERY hard! When I decided to write this story, I considered how to "tell" it. After much thought, I knew that it had to be told in first person from Daniel's point of view. I wondered if I could do it. And then I decided to go for it. I used the memory of growing up with my younger brother, Mike, and of raising my son, Greg, and I observed my nephew, Joseph, when he visited, and the two boys down the street, Brian and Michael. I also gave Daniel some of my own thoughts and feelings. To do this, I imagined what I would do and how I would feel if I were in his situation. For me it was like playing an acting role. Every thought, feeling and action in the book is filtered through this young boy. It was the hardest "role" I've ever played, but I do like a challenge.
Donny's furry collaborator on GONE FROM THESE WOODS
4. When Daniel and his dad go out to cut a Christmas tree together, Dad mentions hunting--and then quickly stops and says that he probably shouldn't talk about that subject. Is avoiding talking about a tragedy like this the right way to handle it?
Probably not, but Dad is certainly not good at handling much of anything, if you judge by his words and actions in GFTW. Even though he is portrayed as a "bad guy" in the book, he still struggles with his own feelings of grief after his brother dies. I think he also realizes on some level that this is not a subject to talk about with his son. I would always urge anyone who experiences a tragedy to talk about it rather than bury it or ignore it.
5. How does Daniel's counselor try to help him by sharing her comic books? Is there something we can learn from what she's doing, if we want to reach out to someone else?
She's trying to find common ground with the troubled student and senses that sharing comic books will make him feel at ease and make it easier to talk to him. This is certainly one way to reach out to someone else.
6. Who or what does Daniel really encounter in the woods the day he goes into the woods with the gun?
He encounters himself, of course, and his guilt. He also finds his strength and courage. During his years of idolizing his uncle and looking up to him like a father figure he has internalized his uncle. And it's this "uncle inside him" that helps him get through the trauma of what has happened earlier in the story and brings him through this scene.
7. How does Daniel find the courage to say what he says to his dad near the end of the book?
He has grown and matured after the tragedy that happens near the beginning of the book. He has gotten help from his school counselor. And to a certain extent, he has worked through his fears. He has been pushed to his limit by Dad and decides to do something about it.
8.Are guns "bad," in and of themselves?
No, I don't think guns are bad. I do think some people who use them are bad and I encourage anyone who picks up a gun to follow safety rules and always keep in mind that a gun can kill.
9. How can kids help other kids who are going through a hard time, as Daniel does when he returns to school?
That's a very good question. I think it's okay to let a young person know that you are there for them and you care. Maybe trying to re involve the troubled child in activities they enjoyed before they became troubled is a good idea or maybe not. I think we all struggle with how to help someone we know who has gone through a traumatic experience. Do we shower them with love or try not to bring up the subject, which is like ignoring what has happened? On page 98, Daniel's classmate and friend, Nicole, tries to console him, but is scolded by her twin brother, Eric, for bringing up the accident. I guess that's why we have professional counselors. This is such a delicate subject.
10. Is it ever normal to think about suicide? What should you do, if you're a young person and you are thinking about it?
I think many of us have thought about suicide, but not seriously. It certainly wouldn't be normal to experience a tragedy as the result of a person's own carelessness, as Daniel did in his family, and not have serious thoughts about whether or not you deserved to live. But, as I've heard many times, suicide is a permanent solution for a temporary problem. If you're a young person, or a person of any age, and you're thinking about suicide, you should get help. Talk to your parents or your teacher or your counselor. If you're thinking suicide, you should not keep your thoughts to yourself. There is help available if you let someone know what you're thinking.
11. Can anybody ever have a good life after a tragedy like Daniel's happens? What can help you go on?
I got the idea for my fictional story from a real story I heard as a child. My second grade teacher's husband was accidentally shot by her nephew. That real boy did go on to have a productive and hopefully good life after he recovered from that tragedy. So I guess the answer to your question is yes, but I'm sure it's difficult and takes a very long time to get to that good life.
12. What do you think Daniel will be like when he is 10 or 15 years older? Where will he be, and what will he be doing?
In one of my earlier versions of this book, I actually wrote an afterward in which Daniel was a grown man. He and Mom had sold the family land. Mom had moved back to Soddy Daisy, Tennessee and Daniel had gone on to college and become a teacher in Newtonville. He still felt like people in his home town thought of him as "that boy who shot his uncle." But he had learned to live with that and to help others. Of course that afterward doesn't appear in the published book, but in my mind, that's what happened.
For more information about Gone From These Woods or the author, Donny Bailey Seagraves, visit her website: www.DonnySeagraves.com
Thanks for having me on your blog, Lynn.
Donny, thanks for being here!Look for GONE FROM THESE WOODS wherever books are sold, including
Amazon,
Barnes and Noble, or your favorite local bookstore!
GONE FROM THESE WOODS, ISBN: 978-0-385-73629-9, is available at your local bookstore (if not, ask them to stock it!) or at the following websites:
IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780385736299
Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/These-Woods-Donny-Bailey-Seagraves/dp/0385736290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253032461&sr=8-1
Amazon.com Kindle edition: http://www.amazon.com/Gone-from-These-Woods-ebook/dp/B002L9MYZ2/ref=ed_oe_k
Random House: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl/9780385736299.html
Borders: http://www.borders.com/online/store/SearchResults?type=1&contrib=Donny+Bailey+Seagraves
Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Gone-from-These-Woods/Donny-Bailey-Seagraves/e/9780385736299
Junebugbooks.com (signed copies): http://junebugbooks.mybisi.com/product/0/GONE-FROM-THESE-WOODS-by-Donny-Bailey-Seagraves-SIGNED_985488.html
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