BIO

Michael Reisman was born in October 1972, in the pleasant, quite-ordinary town of Fair Lawn, New Jersey. He grew up without encountering any alien visitations, fifty-foot ants or really deep rabbit holes; his parents had a wardrobe, but it didn’t have any witches or lions inside. Instead, he fed his imagination with comic books, cartoons, movies, television and novels. When Michael was younger, he liked to spend time in the woods around the corner from his house. He never suspected that one day those woods would find their way into his first published novel. He enjoyed coming up with stories in his head and sometimes doodled them; his favorite thing to draw was a cute fire-breathing bunny spitting fire at its attackers.

Michael went to college in upstate NY at the State University of New York, Albany (a.k.a. SUNY Albany), and he graduated with a degree in Psychology and English. He’s had many jobs: a pizzeria dishwasher, a supermarket checkout boy, and spraying cologne in a department store (he got fired on his first night). He’s worked making smoothies, selling retail clothing, and he washed enormous party tents for one day. He’s worked for a software company, and temped at various jobs in the movie/ TV industry, including an assistant for Tom Hanks for a few months. He’s tutored for the SATs (verbal) and has been a script/ book reader for various movie and television companies, including Dreamworks/ Dreamworks Animation, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. Some of his friends describe it as getting paid to write book reports; they’re not entirely wrong. But he’s happy – he loves to read, and he’s making money doing it.

Michael grew up with two dogs (as well as fish, newts, hermit crabs and a bunny with dental problems), and he dearly misses them. One day, he vows, he will get a dog... but not yet. In the meanwhile, he lives in Los Angeles, where he has a small fish tank and a plant. Neither the fish nor the plant comes when he calls or enjoys a good scratch behind the ears, though.

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INTERVIEW

April 2008

In Michael Reisman's debut novel, SIMON BLOOM, THE GRAVITY KEEPER, readers are introduced to an inquisitive 11-year-old boy who stumbles upon a way to control the laws of physics. In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Brian Farrey, Reisman describes what inspired the concept behind this series and explains how the story gradually evolved over the course of several drafts. He also reveals plans for recurring characters in future installments, shares his favorite compliment from a fan and recalls the various odd jobs he held before becoming a writer.

Kidsreads.com: What inspired the storyline for your debut novel, SIMON BLOOM, THE GRAVITY KEEPER?

Michael Reisman: Hmm, a bunch of things. Sometimes I think about how the world works. Every part of life and the universe and all that, no matter how simple or complicated, has an explanation; but we just might not know what it is. The point of science is to find that explanation, but science is always changing as new discoveries disprove old laws/rules. (If you want a good laugh, look at old scientific beliefs that are now known to be false but were once widely accepted!) So, I started imagining that there’s a secret group that knows much more than we normal people do. Their knowledge lets them do things that, to us, seem magical. How could you not want to be one of those people? Maybe, if you knew how things really worked, you could do amazing things! And that’s the last big inspiration for the world of SIMON BLOOM. For example, ever since I learned how to roller-blade, I’ve wished I could just slide along instead of having to walk everywhere. Or to be able to fly! This led me to the world of the Teacher’s Editions --- books that have the answers to the universe inside them. And through Simon Bloom, readers --- and I --- can pretend we can use them to control the universe.

KRC: At one point in the book, Simon, Owen and Alysha apparently are being pursued by both the good guys and the bad guys. Given the mistrust within the Order, do you feel it's easy to figure out who is good and who is not?

MR: Definitely not. Anyone in the Union (or in the real world) can pretend to be a good person when they’re actually self-serving, sneaky, mean, etc. It’s just as possible to be a good-natured, well-intentioned person who is misunderstood or framed to look bad. It’s awful to be suspicious of everyone, but Simon and his friends learn the hard way that some people can --- and often do --- have darker sides.

KRC: Sirabetta is made out to be the villain, but you also portray her as a bit of a victim. How much sympathy should we feel for her? Do you feel she's truly bad, or is she more complex than that?

MR: She’s definitely not all bad….I don’t think of her as another villain who’s only out for power or to hurt others. She has reasons that, to her, make perfect sense. And let’s be fair…her past problems do earn her a small amount of understanding. But her suffering doesn’t excuse her behavior. Even someone with the most charmed life has faced some sort of hardship, and even people who have faced terrible difficulties can be good, honest and friendly. So just because Sirabetta has had it tough doesn’t mean she can go around attacking people and stealing from them.

KRC: The mysterious Miss Fanstrom plays a crucial part in helping out Simon and his friends (she also offers a startling revelation on the final page). Without giving too much away, what can you tell us about the role she will play in upcoming books?

MR: Miss Fanstrom will definitely be around more. Her position as an authority figure for Simon and his friends, as well as her position in the Union, gives her the ability --- and the responsibility --- to take action. Plus, she’s a lot of fun to write, so I look forward to having her and her special hair pop up more.

KRC: Which (if any) of the characters in your book do you think you'd be friends with in real life and why?

MR: Well, there’s a little bit of me in Simon, Owen and Alysha, so I could see myself having been friends with all three when I was younger. The Narrator is pretty sarcastic at times, but I think I could be friends with him. And I think many of the Order members might be interesting to sit and talk with, don’t you?

KRC: Will we be learning any more about the Narrator of the book?

MR: The Narrator, Greygor, will certainly be back narrating and taking an increasing part in the story, but his past won’t come into much more light. Remember, for a long, long time, he was content to sit and watch and do nothing, so his past is pretty blah. It’s only now, with Simon’s Chronicles, that he has discovered he wants more out of his work and life.

KRC: If you could become the Keeper of one of the Union's Books, what Book would you like to have a go at using?

MR: I’ve thought about this a lot. There’s a lot of fun stuff you could do with Biology, but I think Physics would be my top choice. I think Simon’s gravity powers would be great to have!

KRC: If you could use a Book to make sure that every reader of SIMON BLOOM walked away from it with one thing, what would that be?

MR: That being smart isn’t uncool and that knowledge is power. Wait, that’s two things…but they’re connected. Let’s call it one-point-five.

KRC: Writers often go through many drafts of a book before they feel it's done. What can you tell us about how SIMON BLOOM has changed from the very first draft to the book we have in our hands?

MR: Wow. The title, for one thing --- it was originally called THE TEACHER’S EDITION, and I wanted to give it a subtitle (maybe SIMON VS. THE UNIVERSE). But even Simon’s name is different --- in the very first draft, his name was Stanley Jones. I tried different approaches to the story, writing it with just Simon, or Simon and one friend (first a male friend, then a female friend). Also, at one point Dunkerhook Woods was just a normal forest. I added and cut stuff, both in my revising and while working with my editor/publisher. But the core messages --- as well as my trying to find a balance between action, real science and fun --- have always been a part of this.

KRC: On the path to getting SIMON BLOOM published, what fact has surprised you the most?

MR: How long it takes. Seriously, there are many tough things about being a novelist: all the research, the writing, the revising, the editing, etc. But one of the most important --- and hardest --- parts might well be patience. Once you’re done writing, you have to wait while an agent considers representing you, wait for editors to read your work and hopefully want to work with you, wait for notes, wait to get paid, wait for galleys, wait wait wait. I mean, does anyone like waiting, especially for something they’re really excited about? I certainly don’t, and I was amazed by how much I had to do. So, I’ve learned to be a bit more patient. But only a bit.

KRC: Of all the reviews you've received and in hearing from fans of the book, what's the best thing someone has said to you? What's the most unusual?

MR: The best thing…that’s a tough one. I love hearing when somebody really gets affected by it. I stumbled onto a seventh grader’s review on a blog many months before the book even came out (he got an advance copy through a bookstore) and he said it was “impossible to put down.” I liked hearing that so much that I put it on my website! As for unusual…I’m not sure if this qualifies as “unusual” so much as surprising, but almost everyone who knows me and read SIMON BLOOM told me that the Narrator talks like I do. I didn’t mean to write him that way…but I suppose his voice is really my voice! Um, except I’m not British, I don’t sit around in a bathrobe, and I don’t like tea very much.

KRC: Your website, www.MichaelReisman.com, says you've held a number of interesting jobs in your life. Which was your favorite? Which did you dislike? And why?

MR: Is it too boring to say that my current “day” job --- reading scripts and books for movie companies --- is my favorite? I mean, I get paid to read…how great is that? And I often get to read books long before they’re published! My second favorite was probably my first job in Los Angeles --- I worked in the feature casting office at 20th Century Fox. On my first day, they brought in an orangutan for a mock interview with my boss…how many jobs have that? I got to meet a lot of TV and movie stars, as well as a few musicians, sports figures, models… It was a hectic place to work, but it was never dull (on my last day, I got to meet Elle McPherson…that was a good day). I had a lot of temporary jobs that I disliked, especially those with really mean or rude bosses. Those were the worst --- worse than the one where I washed tents --- because these bosses made me feel like I didn’t matter --- like I was less than them…and that’s no way to treat anyone. I was happy to be done with those jobs!

KRC: Writers vary on how they like to write. What is your ideal set of circumstances when you need to get some writing done?

MR: I write from home a lot, but I prefer going to a certain café that’s open all day and late into the night. I even have a favorite table there. I’m friends with the owner and a lot of other patrons of the place, and they often grab the table for me when they see it open up. (I’m at that café right now, though I’m not at my favorite table…) I like it when the café isn’t too crowded or noisy, but there are some customers around so I can glance around and people-watch.

KRC: What do you find the most exciting thing about writing novels? What's the most difficult thing?

MR: The most exciting thing is probably that feeling of joy and accomplishment when I’ve figured something out that was stumping me. (For example, one night during the process of writing SIMON BLOOM, I was having trouble falling asleep. Suddenly I jumped up and jotted down several pages of notes that took me from where I was stuck through the last few chapters of the book. I was thrilled and fell asleep with no problem.) I don’t know about the most difficult thing, but certainly one of them is that there are so many ways to tell the story you want. So many different choices to make, avenues to explore, etc. Sometimes I’ll write the same chapter(s) many different ways just to see if it works better in another style/format. If you don’t explore like that, you might be left wondering if the finished product is as good as you could make it. And that’s not fun….

KRC: In the acknowledgments, you mention your appreciation of Douglas Adams's THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. What other books and writers have influenced you as a novelist?

MR: As far as children’s books, I loved THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH and A WRINKLE IN TIME (as a kid and as an adult). Both found great ways of splicing intelligent and informative material into engaging adventures in an entertaining way. More recently, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events reminded me just how good and smart books aimed at children could be…for people of all ages. Plus I loved how the narrator intruded in the story with clever comments. I also loved the narration of the title character in Jonathan Stroud’s Bartimaeus Trilogy. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books (both his YA and adult-aimed ones) definitely influenced me a lot (and I love GOOD OMENS, by Pratchett and Neil Gaiman).

As far as writing aimed strictly at adults, I’m a huge fan of David Sedaris’s wit, Shakespeare’s storytelling and dialogue (MACBETH is my favorite of his plays --- before reading that, Shakespeare was just school work; but after that, I learned to appreciate how magical words could be), and the seamless way certain novels thread sci-fi concepts into a complicated story (such as THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE). I love reading and re-reading Kurt Vonnegut (especially CAT’S CRADLE) and Joseph Heller’s CATCH-22.

KRC: I, for one, am anxious to see the continuation of Simon's adventures. What can you offer by way of a sneak peek at what's ahead?

MR: There are some unanswered questions at the end of THE GRAVITY KEEPER, such as how Sirabetta got her tattoos, who else might be in league with her, and what would come of having a second --- and youthful --- Keeper for the Order of Physics. The sequel, called SIMON BLOOM: THE OCTOPUS EFFECT, will explore these matters. Simon and his friends will learn more uses for their current abilities and will also gain new ones in an adventure that eventually takes them away from Lawnville, to the domain of the Order of Biology. There will be some new powers, new friends, and plenty of new dangers.

KRC: Are you working on any non-SIMON BLOOM projects that you can tell us about?

MR: At the moment, no, but there are two books I’d written before that I want to fix up and hopefully get published. One is a humorous middle-grade fantasy adventure, and the other is a darker piece of writing aimed at teens and older. I think both need a fair amount of work, but I intend to revisit them. I have ideas for another couple of books (both possible series), too, but I also definitely want to keep going with SIMON BLOOM. I have some wild directions I want to take the series in!

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