10 Things We Learned at the Nick Hornby #BNAuthorEvent

On February 4, Nick Hornby kicked off his book tour at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City. He read a selection from his new novel Funny Girl, had the audience laughing out loud with his stories and observations, and left the overwhelming impression of a humble man who has done so, so much. His accomplishments include writing a multitude of bestselling books, several of which have been turned into films (High Fidelity, About A Boy); adapted other works (like Cheryl Strayed’s Wild) into screenplays; and collaborated with Ben Folds for the 2010 album Lonely Avenue. Here are ten fun things we learned about Mr. Hornby at his B&N event.
1. He decided Funny Girl should take place in 1964 after doing some quick math. “I knew I wanted to write about the peak of my character’s careers, when they were on fire. But I also knew when I started it would end with a coda and the characters would be older.” He did the math to find out that the peak would likely be in 1964 and thought to himself, “1964! That’s a pretty good time to write about!”
2. His characters Tony and Bill are a take on Paul McCartney and John Lennon—teammates who were starkly different. “And eventually the center couldn’t hold, and they split. That’s actually a good metaphor for any relationship or marriage. Unless you move at the same pace you’re driven apart.”
3. Working on film adaptations of his books helps him mold his characters. “What prompted the dynamic between Tony and Bill was many positive experiences I’ve had working on movies. When they’re over everyone finishes and goes their separate ways. It’s sad.”
[caption id="attachment_22954" align="alignright" width="400"] Photography by Jon Vachon[/caption]
4. And helped him finish his book. “The terrible thing about screenwriting is that you need endless permission. There are gatekeepers at every step. Nobody was stopping me from writing this book.”
5. Music, not lyrics, makes the song. “The old argument what makes a great song, lyrics or music? After working with Ben Folds for Lonely Avenue, I can say it’s music.”
6. He loves adapting other writers’ work for screenplays. “If you’re always writing your own stuff, there comes a point when you realize you’re stuck with who you are. You keep bumping into yourself, saying, “It’s me again!”
7. He doesn’t think about a book being adapted into a film while he’s writing it. “My first two books were clearly, to me, unfilmable.” (His first two books were Fever Pitch and High Fidelity.)
8. He loves writing about women. “I have always wanted to write about the whole human race. Cary Mulligan [who was in the film adaptation of An Education] said to me, ‘You have no idea how little is written about women who are anything other than an appendage to something else.’ That flipped a switch. Writing about women is different. Most men, if they make a mistake, they’ve done it themselves.”
9. He gets great fan mail. “I had a great letter from a kid recently. It said,’Dear Nick Hornby. I am studying Fever Pitch. I had a choice between Fever Pitch and Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice didn’t seem interesting. I have been to a bookshop looking for Fever Pitch CliffsNotes but there aren’t any. Can you provide me with a brief synopsis? Who are the central characters?’ He had a long list of questions. ‘I’m afraid it’s back to Pride and Prejudice,’ I said.”
10. He doesn’t think kids should be tested or graded on his books. “The worst thing you can do to a book is examine it. No matter how fun it is to begin with, it will be no fun by the end.”
Funny Girl is available now!