Wishin’ and Hopin’
By Wally Lamb
Published November 10, 2009 (Hardcover) Harper
It feels like a zillion years since Wally Lamb and I talked. It was just two days ago, and yes, I had promised when I reviewed the book, that I would report back to you on our conversation.
You can listen in, too, if that’s your preference. Wally and I had a great time. And, if you’re a writer, this was a very writerly-conversation. Wally says normally it takes him a really long time to write a book. Like nine years. That makes sense when you consider the depth and weight of his tomes – I Know This Much Is True and She’s Come Undone.
Wally says this sweet little number, Wishin’ and Hopin’, took him all of four months. The spark for this rare departure from his usual novels…? His editor at Harper suggested he write a Christmas book. Not his favorite suggestion! However, the oddest thing happened — a friend of his – out of the blue – asked him about writing a Christmas book. Wally’s the kind of guy who is open and aware — so he make the leap…
Back to 1964.
He poked around YouTube. Everything is there – he watched the grainy black and white news coverage of life-changing events – the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the British invasion aka The Beatles, the civil rights battle. The ten-year old kid in the book is about fifty-percent Wally. Felix is more “rascally.” Both have two older sisters.
Wally says he just finished book tour, which was so much fun – people “laughing like crazy.” His next book, however, reverts back to the deep, long efforts.
Wally and I talked about what writing does for him. In my favorite part of our interview, Wally said that when he takes on a character, “I know things about life that I wouldn’t have known had I stayed within the confines of my life.”
I just love that!
