Interviews
On Thursday, March 5th, barnesandnoble.com welcomed Michael Connelly to discuss BLOOD WORK.
Moderator: Welcome, Mr. Connelly. Thank you for joining us. How are things this evening?
Michael Connelly: They're fine. I'm in a hotel room in Portland. I just came from a Barnes & Noble about a half hour ago, where I signed books.
Alex Phills from Hightown, NJ: Does Terry McCaleb have traits from any other characters you've read in literature?
Michael Connelly: I would say he must, but none that I can put my finger on. But I think all my characters, Harry Bosch in particular, were influenced by the books I've read and loved.
Greg Marrs from NYC: This is a great premise for a book that you've come up with! Where did the heart transplant idea come from that you used in BLOOD WORK?
Michael Connelly: The desire to write about a heart transplant has been sitting in my head for several years, since a good friend of mine received a heart transplant. And seeing the physical and emotional changes that he went through sort of inspired me to one day write about it. It wasn't until a few years passed by that the premise of how to use that in a crime novel came to me, and that is when I decided to write the story that became BLOOD WORK.
Chris H. from Ithaca, NY: Do you believe in regulation of the violence shown on television? What if one of your movies was optioned for a TV movie? Would you let the networks tone it down?
Michael Connelly: I think I personally don't see any problems with the warnings that they have at the beginning of shows, and that's probably because I recently became a father, and it stems from my sheltering ideas for my daughter. It is a part of the game that if you sell your books to a movie or TV studio, you are allowing them to do what they want. You don't have a say in the matter. I have sold my books to movie studios, so it is their turn to tell the story how they want. One of my books, THE POET, was a pretty dark book and dealt with child endangerment. It is being prepared for production as an HBO movie, and I know that they have already toned down the child-endangerment aspects of the book. I don't have a problem with that.
Fred Tombes from Alberta, BC: Who of your contemporaries do you like to read?
Michael Connelly: James Lee Burke and Lawrence Block are two whose books I never miss. I like reading fellow L.A. writers like Robert Crais, Jan Burke, and a new writer named Eddie Little. Another favorite of mine is George Pelecanos. But I'm always looking for new voices in mystery, for the hot new book.
Kayla from Texas: My 7-year-old is writing stories constantly. Most of them are about himself being a superhero, and he calls them "Super Chase." How do I continue to encourage him to write?
Michael Connelly: I think a good way would be to also encourage him to read, because reading is the best way to learn how stories work and how to write them. I wrote stories as a little kid, and my mom turned me into a voracious reader, and I doubt I'd be a writer now if I hadn't been such a reader.
John from Vancouver, Washington: Does BLOOD WORK have the same character as THE LAST COYOTE?
Michael Connelly: No. A new character.
Paula Fletcher from Virgina: What got you interested in mystery writing -- have you tried other genres?
Michael Connelly: I've never tried other genres, nor do I have a desire to. From my earliest days as a reader, dating back to reading Hardy Boys novels, I've just been fascinated with mysteries.
Jamie Clark from Glastonbury, CT: Will you be doing any book signings/appearances in the New England area anytime soon? Also, will you be bringing back Jack McEvoy?
Michael Connelly: I'm at a Barnes & Noble in Framingham at the end of this month, March 27th. That wil be my first trip to New England, as far as promoting books. I hope to bring back Jack someday. I just need the right story to do it, and so far it hasn't hit me.
Curious from LIC: Just wondering if you are a fan of Nelson DeMille? Did you read PLUM ISLAND? Another story of a detective on the trail of a criminal while in recovery and supposed "retirement." Very different stories, but I thought of the connection, so I thought I'd ask. Thanks!
Michael Connelly: No, I haven't read that book, and I'm not too familiar with DeMille, but I'm sure there are many books that follow a similar path. In writing mysteries, it is very hard to find an original idea, so what you try to do is bring some original thought to an old idea. I hope I did that with BLOOD WORK.
Harry Vicaro from Los Angeles: You were once a police reporter. Were there worse things that you saw on that beat than you have written about in your books?
Michael Connelly: I was out on the streets a lot during the riots in 1992 and saw a lot of bizarre and awful things, and I've never really captured the surreal atmosphere of those nights in a book. It is something I want to do someday.
mary.keller@cna.com from Los Angeles, CA: Last year I was privileged to meet Mr. Connelly at the L.A. Times Book Fair at UCLA. Will he be attending and signing again this year?
Michael Connelly: Unfortunately, I'll be in Europe on a book tour. I'm sorry to miss it, because it is a very good and enjoyable festival.
John from Vancouver, WA: Are you doing any more signings in the Portland area before leaving?
Michael Connelly: I'm doing a reading tonight at Powell's in Beaverton, 7pm.
Veronica Barnes from New London, CT: If you could go out to dinner and drinks with Harry Bosch, what would you guys talk about? What would he order?
Michael Connelly: It's kind of like I do that every night. [Laughs] We might talk about jazz, and I might want to ask him about why he is so unyielding in his moral code. Why he never practices the philosophy of "go along to get along." Because I think that is what makes him interesting to me as a writer. In real life we all make compromises with ourselves, but Harry doesn't, and it usually ends up costing him. A beer! But I think Harry's a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. And if he ordered a steak, it would be well done. [Laughs]
Tom Bishop from Stamford, CT: Where do you draw your inspiration from? What about Terry McCaleb drew you away from standby Harry Bosch?
Michael Connelly: What I want to do as a writer, and what I want to say, I think I can say through Harry Bosch, but it is my duty and my burden to make sure Harry stays fresh and interesting. I have found that one of the best ways of doing this is to take time away from him and do something else. So writing about a new character, like Terry, is fun and also therapeutic, and ultimately helps make Harry Bosch better the next time. I anm just finishing a Harry Bosch novel now that will be out near the end of this year or early next year.
Anne from Toronto: I notice all the mystery writers you mention are American. Do you have any favorites from the British scene?
Michael Connelly: Yes, I do: Peter Robinson, John Harvey, Ian Rankin, and Val McDermott.
Mark from NYC: How has the Internet impacted your life?
Michael Connelly: I think it has impacted it in that it has helped spread word about my work through venues like this and other chats that I've done and so forth. As a writer, it has given me something to explore in terms of its uses in books. The Internet has played a part in my books THE POET and, to a limited extent, BLOOD WORK. It plays a big part in the Harry Bosch novel I am just finishing up now.
Will Schott from Cleveland: How are you enjoying being a dad? Does writing afford you a lot of time to be with your family?
Michael Connelly: I am enjoying it quite a bit, and yes, I am very fortunate in that I have a job where I can set my schedule and I can also work at home. So I am around my daughter quite a bit. Except when I'm on tour, like right now.
Steven Shonts from Jonesboro, GA: Which writer or author inspired you to become an author?
Michael Connelly: Raymond Chandler. I discovered his books while I was in college at the University of Florida. That was when I pointed my schooling in the direction of me becoming a writer.
John from Vancouver, WA: Are there any movie plans based on Harry Bosch?
Michael Connelly: There is a lot of interest in Hollywood, but it seems things never get started. The first four Bosch books have been optioned by the studios, but they are in what they call the development stages, so in my mind it is still a long shot.
Curious from LIC: What is the significance of Harry's real first name, "Hieronymous"?
Michael Connelly: He is named after a painter from the 15th century, who painted some very bizarre canvases. I happened to study him a little in college, and the work always stayed with me. When I was creating this Bosch character, I used the name because I think in a way the painter's work could be seen as metaphorical for today's Los Angeles.
Howie from Nashville: What book was the most fun to write?
Michael Connelly: Probably THE LAST COYOTE, because it was a book I knew I would write from the beginning, a story I knew I had to tell about Harry Bosch. I waited four books to write it, so when the time finally came to do it, I was very happy and excited to write it. I think it is still my favorite book.
Roger B. from Miami, FL: What kind of mindset do you have to be in to write about brutal crimes?
Michael Connelly: I think any kind of mindset. You just have to want to say something about it, not just write about brutality for the sake of brutality. I like to explore the reasons behind things happening. It is a fact of life, and I know from my own experience as a reporter that the cruelest things on earth are people, and that to me is a fascinating concept that can be and should be explored. I think that is why mysteries or crime novels are one of the most popular genres of books going these days.
Jim Donovan from abroad in Ecuador: What mysteries did you read as a kid? Do you remember your favorite Hardy Boys mystery? How about the Boxcar Children?
Michael Connelly: I didn't read the Boxcar Children, and the Hardy Boys are really far back there in the mist. I remember the MYSTERY OF THE FLYING EXPRESS. Since I remember the title, maybe that was my favorite one?
Christopher Hardt from NYC: Do you ever write short stories or other types of pieces? Or do you stick to novels? What is it about the novel format that interests you?
Michael Connelly: I haven't written a short story yet. I'd like to do it sometime, but I think I'm kind of intimidated by it. I wrote an essay about becoming a father for an L.A. magazine last year. Other than that it has just been the novels.
Mark from NYC: TRUNK MUSIC really put you on the map with a lot of people. Do you welcome the recognition?
Michael Connelly: Sure. I think writers obviously seek to be published because they want people to read their stories. So as the books become more popular, it is obviously more fulfilling to me as a writer. This is not to say that's why I do it, because I think I'd still be writing these stories even if I had a minuscule audience. I feel it is something I should do, because I enjoy it.
Francine Wilkes from Los Angeles: Does good still win out over evil in this world anymore? It sure doesn't seem that way -- in fact, human morals are on the decline, big time. How do you reconcile this within yourself, that the material you draw upon to compose your novels stems from the unraveling of people's morals?
Michael Connelly: Well, I think in your question is the value of mystery novels, because you are right -- the moral fabric is unraveling, yet if you pick up a mystery novel, 95 percent of the time, right overcomes wrong, good overcomes evil, and therefore these books can in a way reinforce those notions that good should win. And they can be reassuring to us. For example, in L.A., where you and I live, the criminal justice system is suspect at best and is arguably completely broken down, when people get away with murder and other things. So it is sometimes good to enter a fictional world, where someone believes in a moral code and sticks to it, like Harry Bosch. I find that reassuring. Maybe that's why I write about him.
Sal Marinello from Ft. Lauderdale: I remember your bylines from when you wrote for the papers down here. I see that you've moved on to full-time writing -- do you miss the journalism beat?
Michael Connelly: I actually miss my days at the Fort Lauderdale News, because it was a very fun time, and I was new to the business. But overall, I don't miss being a daily journalist. It was a good and fun job, but I think what I'm doing now is better and a lot more fun.
Mike from Winston-Salem, NC: McCaleb is a highly interesting character. How would he interact with Harry Bosch?
Michael Connelly: I think they are kindred souls. I think Bosch is a little more reckless, a little more psychologically damaged, but I think they would work well together if they were on an investigation, and someday I want to come up with an idea where that might happen.
Veronica Chin from Dayton, Ohio: So what did it feel like to win the Edgar Award? Congratulations. That is prestigious company. Where do you keep your awards?
Michael Connelly: It was a thrill to win it, especially for my first book. It was a great way to start out. I keep the actual award on a shelf in my office. Edgar sort of looks over me as I write.
Ben O. from Slam Magazine: Many mystery and crime writers love New York for its characters and setting. Why do you like to use L.A.? What is it about that place that makes it a worthy backdrop?
Michael Connelly: L.A. is many different cities and societies in one. It is also on the front edge of all things good and bad about society. My wife calls it "having front-row seats on the apocalypse." But the point is, if something is going to happen in our society, or in one of our cities, there is a good chance it is going to happen in L.A. or New York, so this makes these great places to write about.
Moderator: Thank you again for setting aside some of your time for us this evening, Mr. Connelly. We enjoyed having you as our guest. Any final thoughts or remarks before we go?
Michael Connelly: I am just happy that there is this kind of interest in the discussion of books. Generally in the media, the discussion of books is sort of usurped by more popular kinds of media, like movies and music, so it is neat that on the Internet there is this niche for book discussion. Goodnight to all. Thanks.
