Question and Answer with Jordan Sonnenblick

Question and Answer with Jordan Sonnenblick, Author of his main books Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, After Ever After and Notes from the Midnight Driver.

All of these books are in the Curtis MS Library.

1) What inspired you to be a writer?

Well, there were a few things. One is that my grandfather, a great-aunt, and my mom were all published writers, and I wanted to be like them. Another is that as a kid I had several teachers who saw my talent and encouraged me. The third was that, in my adult life as a middle school English teacher, I started meeting kids who needed stories that didn’t exist. When I couldn’t find those stories anywhere, I started writing them myself.

2) What do you do when you're not writing?

I’m basically a regular suburban dad. I play tennis with my 16-year-old son, ride bikes with my 13-year-old daughter, play my musical instruments, read a lot, and hang out with my wife. But the writing and revision, not to mention traveling around to promote my books, do take up a lot of time.

3) Where do you most often write? Do you have a certian place where words come best?

I can write anywhere as long as I have earbuds in. For each novel, I tend to have a playlist, and I listen to that playlist over and over while writing that book. The music becomes a “place”, in the sense that as soon as I hear it, I am transported to my writing zone for that particular novel. For example, my next book to come out is about a tiny sixth grader who decides to stand up to the worst bully in his school. Because of the book’s heroic themes, the playlist I made is a bunch of theme music from heroic movies, like the Hedwig theme from the Harry Potter films, the credit sequence from The Incredibles, etc.

4) What super power would you most what to have?

Flight. No doubt about it. That would just feel so, so cool!

5) If you could go skydiving, would you?

Not right now, but possibly when my kids are grown and self-supporting.

6) If you had the ability to save one person's life when they needed it, who (besides yourself) would it be and why?

Because I have met so many children with cancer due to the themes of my most popular books, this list would be pretty long, and also quite personal. I will just tell you that I would definitely have a lot of people to choose from.

7) If you were stranded on a deserted island alone for 35 days, what three things would you want to have with you (excluding any living beings and technology considering that it wouldn't work on the island anyway)?

Fresh water, safe food, and pictures of my family. If I could cheat and get a fourth thing, I’d go with an acoustic guitar.

8) If you could be any color, what would it be and how would this color portray your personality?

Blue, because it’s my favorite color and what I value most is serenity.

9) If you had a time machine that could only be used three times to travel anywhere (not counting the return to the orignial era as one of these three times), how would you use it and where would you go?

An original performance of a Shakespeare play; Woodstock; and a few days before my dad died of a preventable heart attack.

10) Do you have anyhting to say to your fellow readers and fans?

Thank you for reading my work. It’s an amazing honor knowing that enough people care about what I write that this career actually supports my family!

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