Questions About the Geography Club/Russel Middlebrook Series

Is Russel Middlebrook you?

Fiction writers are never supposed to admit that their characters are autobiographical, and it's true that Russel isn't me exactly. But he thinks like me, acts like me, and looks like me (or at least he looks like I looked in high school). I tried hard to make Russel likeable, which basically means he has all of my good qualities and none of my bad ones.

I'd like to think if you like Russel, you'd probably like me. But if you don't like Russel, I'm positive you wouldn't like me (and I probably wouldn't like you!).

Did the things in these books really happen to you?

A lot of them did, but not in the same order or at the same time as in the book.

But there's one big difference between my life and the events in my book. I never told anyone I was gay until I was in college. Back when I was in high school (in 1983), it just wasn't an option to be out, at least not in the town where I grew up.

What books influenced or inspired you to write the first book, Geography Club?

Ironically, it was a lack of books that inspired me. At the time I was writing it, most "gay " novels, and especially the few existing gay young adult books, were just so mediocre (with a few exceptions). I was certain I could do better.

But my first gay young adult book, which I wrote back in 1989, was rejected by every publisher in the known universe (even after winning a whole slew of awards). I was told time and again that there just wasn't any market for a book about gay teenagers, no matter how good it was. So I honestly never expected Geography Club to sell, even though my agent was convinced that times had changed. (My agent was right; since we sold the book in 2001, lots of good GLBT teen books have been published. Here's a great blog that keeps track. And another one here.)

Believe it or not, I was also influenced by ancient mythology, which I love. I always saw Russel's journey as epic. I think of him as a classic hero who, like Odysseus and so many other Greek and Norse champions, must experience being both prince and outcast before he can claim his rightful "crown" of true belonging.

Why did you write Geography Club?

So many young adult novels are depressing or serious (especially the gay ones). I wanted to write a book that had a heart, but that was also funny and fun to read. It's up to you to decide if I succeeded.

I also knew right from the beginning that I wanted the book to say something about ethics and what I think it means to be a person of integrity. I completely agree with the Catholics and the Mormons and the Christian fundamentalists when they say homosexuality is a moral issue. But I think their take on being gay just couldn't be more wrong. Being true to yourself regardless of the personal cost seems to me to be the very essence of integrity, and it baffles and depresses me that so many people cannot see this simple truth. In fact, I think that demanding or encouraging another human being to spend his or her whole life without love, companionship, and yes, sex--well, that's downright evil.

How do I join the Order of the Poison Oak?

First read the book (otherwise, none of this will make sense). Then send a business-sized self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Brent Hartinger
PO Box 720
Tacoma WA 98401

Be sure and include a note saying you're writing about The Order of the Poison Oak. Folks outside the U.S., you don't need to stamp the envelope, but please include an "international reply coupon" (ask for them at your local post office).

If you want a bookplate (which is a sticker with my signature that you could put in the front of any book), write to me at this address too.

If I send a self-addressed stamped envelope, what will you send me?

It's a surprise! I think it's some pretty cool stuff. But keep in mind that this is a free promotion I'm offering, so adjust your expectations accordingly.

Why did you write sequels to Geography Club?

To tell the truth, I just always assumed I would. Right before Geography Club came out in 2003, I mentioned this to my editor. He sort of smiled and said, "Well, let's wait and see how Geography Club does, okay?" I guess I didn't know that publishers only publish sequels to successful books. Or maybe I just knew in my gut that Geography Club would be a hit.

Why aren't the sequels a continuation of the events in Geography Club?

Because that story has already been told (and finished!). If it wasn't already in that book, it didn't need to be said.

Here's my take on writing sequels: Everyone thinks they want to read more of the first book's story, but when most people do read a sequel that's just more of the same, they usually end up feeling disappointed. I think what people really want from sequels is to once again feel the way the first book made them feel. But to keep the new book from seeming repetitive or redundant, I felt I needed a new setting, new secondary characters, new themes, new challenges for Russel and his friends, and unexpected new twists.

Did I succeed in writing effective sequels? That's for you to decide.

Why is The Order of the Poison Oak steamier than Geography Club?

Well, it is summer camp, so some skinny-dipping seemed required. As for the rest of it, Russel is getting a little older, a little more sophisticated, and I wanted to explore his maturation (and temptations) a little bit. Plus, I wanted to touch briefly upon the notion of safer sex (which you can read more about in the Being Gay section of this website). It all seemed very appropriate to the story.

That said, there's nothing too explicit in the book, nothing that a typical teenager hasn't heard before, and nothing that a reasonably open-minded straight person would find offensive or objectionable.

Did you ever go to summer camp?

Like Russel, I only ever went to Day Camp. I was never a camp counselor either. Fortunately, my friend Bret Tiderman (who I met while on tour for Geography Club) was a camp counselor for many years, and he was able to provide me with all the necessary details.

What's the song that Otto sings around the campfire?

Well, it was going to be "Landslide" by Stevie Nicks, but she wouldn't give us the rights to reprint the lyrics. So then it was going to be "I Believe in Love" by the Dixie Chicks (this is the song in some early versions of the book). Things were all set to go, but at the last minute, there was a legal problem, and it turned out we couldn't use those lyrics either. So I sat down and wrote a song myself, called "Is It Okay if I Need You Tonight?"

Frankly, I'm really glad the book ended up with this song. I think the new song (which, in the book, Otto wrote) tells us a lot more about Otto than either of the other two songs did.

How can I hear the complete song?

I'm working on uploading a sound file here. The music itself is printed in the back of the paperback version, which is out now.

Is the Rainbow Crow story real?

Did it really happen? Well, I can't say for sure, but I can say that it's definitely a real Native American legend. I found it in a book called The Grandfathers Speak: Native American Folk Tales of the Lenape People by Hitakonanu'laxk. I wish I could say I wrote it, because I think it's a beautiful, very moving story. But I didn't. (I did write the part that Russel adds later, about The Order of the Poison Oak.)

Oh, and the novel about the American frontier that Russel says is where he heard the story? That's my partner Michael Jensen's novel, Firelands. (Because we both use the same legend in our two books, we're calling our joint publicity tour the "Rainbow Crow Tour"!)

Sadly, quite a few times. Apparently, there is a group of people who not only wants to decide what their kids are reading, they also want to decide what everyone else's kids read too. In all the challenges that I know of, these people have not been successful in getting my book removed from school or public libraries, mostly because courageous librarians took a stand. But I'm sure there are lots of cases that I never hear about where the self-appointed censors won, and the book was removed (and burned?); and I know there are many many other cases where the librarian was too afraid to buy my book in the first place.

For the record, never say to a writer, "Wow, a book challenge! That must be good publicity!" You really have to hate or fear a book to want it removed from a library, and it feels horrible to be the object of that hate. Intellectually, you know it's not about your book at all, it's about their agenda. But there is a frustration on the part of all the writers I know who have been challenged, an eagerness to engage in some kind of "good faith" dialogue that is simply not possible with most of the folks on the other side.

Finally, to anyone reading this who is thinking about challenging my books: if it offends you and your religion, fine, I'll respect that. But you need to respect me and my supporters too. In the past two years, I've received over a thousand emails and letters from teenagers and adults thrilled that my books have found a place in the world. In some cases--and I am so not trying to brag, because it's really not about my book at all--it seems to have even kept kids from killing themselves.

Will there be a Geography Club movie?

Yes!  Or I should say, hopefully. The rights have been optioned by a great production company, and a feature film is now in the works! Check back for more details soon.

I also wrote a play based on Geography Club. We premiered at Seattle's FringeACT Festival of New Plays, and it was a big success (thanks, in part, to a terrific cast!). Now my play agent is shopping it around forfull productions, so look for it soon on a (stage) theatre near you! (If you're involved with a theater and want a copy of the script, contact me .)

I have to write about one of your books for a class project. What should I write about?

Check out my Discussion Guides (click on "Discussion Guide" for the book you want). Hopefully, you'll find lots of good ideas there.

Have another question about my books? Then email me!
 

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