Of the hundreds (if not thousands) of debut novels published every year, few will find the audience the author hopes for. Fewer still will feature good writing, a strong narrative voice and bring something fresh to their genre. Thomas Kaufman’s debut novel, DRINK THE TEA, is one of those rare finds. It’s a fast-paced blend of action and commentary without being preachy. As I followed the protagonist’s journey, I saw Washington, the American political scene, and the problems with youth homes through fresh, and more informed, eyes… And found myself attached to a character who, at certain points, seems unable to shake his own attachment disorder. Willis Gidney is one of the most refreshing protagonists to come along in a while, and shows there are still interesting ways to nudge the perimeters of the PI subgenre, so I cornered award-winning debut author Thomas Kaufman for a quick interview.
You’re an award-winning motion picture director and cameraman. What were some of the projects you worked on?
Thomas Kaufman: I’d rather talk about the films I didn’t shoot: Citizen Kane, Breathless, and The Bandwagon.
Okay, I confess — I’ve shot and directed lots hundreds of documentaries for NatGeo and Discovery channel, including cop shows like The New Detectives, The Prosectuors, and The FBI Files. I’ve also shot on Farenheit 9/11, Eyes On The Prize, and many episodes of Frontline and NOVA. Currently I’m working on a film about a school where Pete Seeger was a teacher, Indian Hill (indianhillmovie.org). When our interview was over, I got to play music with Mr Seeger, and that was fun.
What prompted the desire to write a novel instead of a screenplay?
For a one thing, how could I compete with films like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen or the remake of Friday the Thirteenth?
For another, there are many more novels printed each year than there are films made. I thought my chances of getting something out there were much better as a novelist.
Also, a film script is a different animal than a novel – a script has to have its conflicts externalized, which you don’t have to do in a novel. A script is like a blueprint for making a movie, it’s very structured. Most films run between 90 and 120 minutes, so a script needs to conform to that. And while structure is important, in a novel you can pretty much do whatever you want with regard to length. Having that limit isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I like the freedom a novel gives me.
Having said all that, it would be fun – and challenging – to write a screenplay of Drink the Tea. Now, whom should we cast as Willis Gidney?
So, if you were making a movie, who would you cast to play Willis Gidney?
A number of people have asked me that. I assumed they were saying — in a roundabout way — that they wanted me in the role! Unfortunately, Gidney is younger, better looking, and has faster reflexes.
Well, since I’m out of the picture, we’re limited to real actors. And I do have someone in mind to play the part of Willis Gidney. The problem is, if I name this actor, and then you read the book, you’ll imagine this actor as Gidney.
When I wrote Drink the Tea I was careful to give the reader only a few key indicators of what Gidney looks like. So I’m not interested in naming the actor I have in mind. However…
If you read Drink the Tea and think of an actor you’d like to see play the part, drop me a line at www.thomaskaufman.com, then I’ll email you back with the actor I have in mind. Sound okay?
What does your experience with film bring to your writing?
I keep yelling “Cut!” when I finish writing a scene. This really upsets the people at Starbucks. Also, because I work behind the camera, I see a lot of life through the viewfinder. This affects the way I write. I try to “see” the scene unfold, as though I were watching it on a screen. The way people move, their body language – I’m aware of all of that. And of course, spending lots of time around cops has had a big impact on me as a crime writer.
You’ve had an interesting journey to publication. Why did you decide to enter an unpublished manuscript contest, and how has winning helped you with your debut?
It’s tough getting published. So if you’re unpublished, without an agent, entering the competition makes sense. (By the way, St Martin’s has competitions for mysteries and cozies, as well as PI novels.)
I think everyone who enters the competition hopes they’ll get published. I did, and entered the competition, then forgot about it. Really. It was a Friday afternoon, I was filming a commercial in the mid-West, when my cell phone went off. I sent it to voicemail (I was in the middle of a shot, after all). When I retrieved the message, it was from Ruth Cavin. I thought, man, it couldn’t possibly be the competition? I had to wait all weekend to find out Monday morning that I had won.
The PWA / St Martin’s PI competition has been a huge help. After writing crime novels for fourteen years, it’s good to finally get something in print. I find people are impressed with the competition, and some of that rubs off on Drink the Tea.
Your debut novel, Drink the Tea, has a lot of layers to it. For you, what came first? Plot or character?
It starts with character. In the case of Drink the Tea, at first it was one of the antagonists that most interested me. Then Gidney’s character began to come through. I don’t use an outline, so understanding the characters is crucial. I find that writing successive drafts is like developing a print in a darkroom. You’re under a red light, looking a blank sheet of paper, there’s nothing there, then gradually an image comes to the foreground. Writing about Gidney and company was very much like that.
Will we see Gidney again?
I hope so. St Martin’s Press has the second novel in the series, Son of an Elephant, and they’ve told me they like it. But they want to see how well Drink the Tea does before committing to the second book. So if you happen to read Tea and like it, please tell a friend! Then maybe there’ll be a second Gidney book.
Without losing the plot, you manage to throw in some background on the problems with youth homes and even touch a little on the various types of behavior intervention plans used to deal with kids with behavior problems. Did you intend to make a commentary on the issues with youth homes and facilities, and the various philosophies that are tested out on young people? Where does your interest in the topic stem from?
Story comes first. I don’t editorialize. My background in documentary film keeps me from doing that. I present the details of Gidney’s childhood. The readers can draw their own conclusions. Having said that, I think people reading Drink the Tea may come to believe that the system in place is not doing nearly enough to provide protection to the children who most need it.
I grew interested in this subject from a good friend in the film business. She grew up without a father, and when her mother had a nervous breakdown and had to be hospitalized, there was no place for my friend to go but one of these kiddie jails I write about in Drink the Tea. She got tossed in with some hard-core delinquents, drug addicts, and mentally ill children. Her stories were terrifying, but fascinating. I also spoke with Washington Post reporters, retired cops, and lawyers who fight for children’s rights. Working on the Academy Ward-nominated documentary Promises to Keep put me in close contact with DC’s homeless population, and there’s a lot of that in Drink the Tea.
Do Gidney’s views affect your own?
I don’t think so, though he keeps trying to get me to see things his way. As a kid, Gidney’s been through the wringer. I haven’t, so we diverge a bit there. He’s had to be tough to survive, a lot tougher than I am, and his cynicism is hard-earned. Still, we do have a similar world-view. And we both have a difficult time with authority figures.
You play jazz music as a hobby. Are there any differences or similarities between playing music and writing?
Here’s one big difference: when you play music, you get a break every 45 minutes and free drinks from the bar.
One similarity is that jazz music and the detective story are both American inventions. Poe created the first private eye story in 1841. Poe’s work created a break from European traditions. And jazz music provided America with a musical break from its European past.
Another aspect is in the actual writing of the book. Like many writers, I work without an outline. In a sense, I’m improvising the story as I go along. I know the genre, know what’s expected, but try to give the reader what they want in way they don’t expect. A jazz musician will also improvise his solo within the chord structure of a song. So the detective novel can be like a jazz solo. By the way, when I write I like listening to jazz. Particularly Brazilian music. There’s something about people singing in Portuguese…
For more information about award-winning author Thomas Kaufman, visit his website.
