Brad Herzog lives in Pacific Grove, California with his wife and two sons,
Luke and Jesse. He’s a dedicated father as well as a compassionate writer.
Whether it’s sports articles, children’s books or a travel memoir about small
town America, his prose is clean, balanced and a joy to read. His publisher
for States of Mind was impressed enough with this book to send it in for
consideration for a Pulitzer Prize (although he plays this down on his
website). It didn’t win, unfortunately. But it did win an IPPY award (one of
the ten outstanding books of the year as chosen by Independent Publisher
magazine). He’s also won the Cornell University Media Award, the Best of
Gannett Award, and several others. His articles have appeared in such
prestigious magazines as Cornell, Sports Illustrated, Attaché, Sky, Via,
Navigator, and Writer’s Digest. While chatting with Mr. Herzog, we focused on
his newest book, Small World: a Microscopic Journey, but we also ventured afield to talk about writing in general and what struggling authors should
focus on in their writings.
FWOMP: What made you decide to write
Small World: A Microcosmic Journey?
Brad Herzog: The success of States of Mind led me to write Small World. I
really liked the experience of writing States of Mind and the notion of
looking at the big picture through the prism of life in some of America's
smallest towns.
FWOMP: So States of Mind helped your prepare for
Small World?
BH: Absolutely. I’d never written a travel narrative prior to States of Mind
and the fact that I’d written it definitely helped me with Small World. The
trouble is, though, is that it’s pretty tough to write creative nonfiction.
Tough . . . but fun, too. With my travelogue writings, I really wanted to say
something while not bogging down the narrative. It’s important to keep the
reader entertained, so injecting humor with your history can really help.
FWOMP: In
Small World you seem to be drinking in America a little sip at a
time. Was it a conscious effort on your part to show the wider psyche of the
world by exposing small town America?
BH: Oh definitely. The premise of the book was to tell the reader to make sure
that they enjoy their own backyard. Doing so can help us understand other
cultures including the little subcultures within our own towns, states and
country. With all that’s going on in the world we need to be aware of this
more than anything else. There’s lots of profundity in Small World but it’s
pretty fun to read, too (or so I’ve been told).
FWOMP: You’ve been called a “Jack of All Trades”, and have written children’s
books, travel books, sports articles, newspaper articles and many other items.
Which do you prefer and why?
BH: Depends on the day of the week! Seriously! I have a bazillion things to
choose from in my brain and it basically depends on what’s at the forefront of
my mind at that moment. As far as the travel narratives go, they’re really a
labor of love. Not the best of money makers. And let’s face it, money is nice,
especially if you live around here (Pacific Grove, California, Ed.) with the
housing prices. But I’m a big sports historian so I write quite a bit about
that, too.
FWOMP: We have something in common: Bilbo Baggins. The Hobbit drew me into
literature as a young boy, similar to you. What do you think it was about this
particular book that captured us and remains with us to this day?
BH: I think part of it is we read it at the right time. I was about twelve
years old when I first read it, a pretty impressionable age. It opened my eyes
to the writing life. I mean, here’s a guy who created a whole culture,
subculture, languages, etc. in one book. One book! I appreciated the work he’d
put into it. I also liked the fact that Tolkien helped me realize that you can
create an entire world out of any subject matter. Of course, The Hobbit
helped
me appreciate The Lord of the Rings, too. I loved the fact that Tolkien went
from a children’s book (The Hobbit) to a more adult fantasy story (The Lord of
the Rings).
FWOMP: Like me, you live in “America’s Last Hometown”, Pacific Grove,
California. Do you think living in such a small and confined living area as
this influenced your writing of States of Mind and Small World?
BH: Small is a pretty relative term. I tell my friends in New York and Chicago
that I live in a small town (population about 17,000) and they say, “Yeah,
that is small.” But compared to Rome, Oregon (population 29) it’s not small at
all. But living in Pacific Grove helped me increase the scope of my writing.
Ironically, it sort of increased the size of my world, giving me a better
understanding and appreciation of the variety of life's options. When I
traveled around the U.S. with my family and then we came to Pacific Grove, we
fell in love with the place. Some people here complain about the weather, the
fog, the cool temperatures. But I’ve lived in Chicago. These complainers have
no concept of what “bad weather” is.
FWOMP: What does a normal writing day consist of for you?
BH: There’s no such thing as a “normal writing day” for me. I have no specific
schedule . . . other than to wake up before noon. I’m a night owl. With two
kids—three-and-a-half and two years old—I have to write when I can.
FWOMP: I’ve read about some of the impressive awards you’ve been nominated for
and, occasionally, have won. It’s interesting that you put these into
perspective (for instance telling us that you were nominated for a Pulitzer,
but then discovered that you can nominate a grocery list for a Pulitzer). Do
you ever let any of these things go to your head?
BH: No. Well, I try not to let it go to my head. I admit that I have an ego. I
think you have to have a substantial ego to be a successful writer, though.
But I always—well most of the time anyway—write what interests me. If I write
what I think is good, then that’s good enough for me, whether I win an award
or not.
FWOMP: Your travel narrative books are published by Pocket Books, a branch of
the publishing giant Simon and Schuster. Can you tell us about any negative
and/or positive aspects to being with someone like Simon and Schuster?
BH: Give me a couple of days and I’ll try to come up with something positive.
Well that’s not entirely true. Let me put it this way: they’ve got a pretty
good PR department which has some clout in the news industry. I’ve been
interviewed on NPR thanks to that. But editing-wise, I was pretty much on my
own, which didn’t bother me that much. I think I’m a pretty good self editor,
probably a better editor than anything they have for someone like me. I do get
tired of my emails and phone calls going unanswered, though.
But my children’s books publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, is fantastic. I just
got back from Book Expo America in Chicago and the folks at Sleeping Bear
Press made me feel like part of the family. Whenever I go into a bookstore in
the U.S., I can usually find five or six of my children’s books titles stacked
on the shelves, while the Simon and Schuster published titles might only have
one or two copies.
FWOMP: You’ve traveled across America (a few times) but always manage to land
back in PG. Has traveling, ironically, helped ground you to this place?
BH: No matter where I go, I marvel at the beauty of the United States. But I’m
always happy to come back home to Pacific Grove, too. I think that Big Sur and
the Monterey Peninsula are the most beautiful places in our country. And
whenever I travel and people ask me where I’m from and I say “the Monterey
Peninsula”, they say “Beautiful.” Of course if I say “Pacific Grove” they have
no idea where that is! (laughs)
FWOMP: Your subject material can sometimes seem harsh but you maintain a light
and even tone in your narrative. Can you tell us if this is just a normal part
of Brad Herzog or if it’s a conscious effort?
BH: A little bit of both. Some travel narratives ‘talk down’ about the people
and places they encounter. I try to be both fair and respectful when I write
about someone or someplace. When you’re a writer, writing about a place where
people have set down roots, you owe them a balanced approach. People across
the U.S. invited me into their little worlds, so it was all about fairness. I
want to be able to send these people my books, and I want them to enjoy
reading them.
FWOMP:
I can see writing comparisons between you and Bill Bryson (author of NY Times
Best-selling books A Walk in the Woods and In a
Sunburned Country). Do
you think that’s a fair comparison?
BH: Bill Bryson is a funny and excellent writer but there are some differences
in our approaches. I think I go more into depth about the places I go, while
Bill Bryson tends to go deeper into irony. Don’t get me wrong! I am a fan of
his writings! I’m also jealous of his book sales. What writer wouldn’t be? I
do think we’re similar in that we both poke fun at ourselves. We don’t take
ourselves too seriously, which is important when you include yourself in the
narrative.
FWOMP: Can you give some writing advice to the struggling author out there?
BH: Write about what you want to write about—what interests you—not what
others think you should or what you think might sell. Whenever I take on an
assignment just for the money it’s almost never good. But when I write about
something that I want to write about, the compassion comes shining through.
It’s all about the ideas. It helps you find the “Big Picture” of your story.
It all starts with an idea and you need to make it unique, attack it from a
different angle to engage your readers. But you have to write well, too.
FWOMP: Who were the writing influences in your life?
BH: Tolkien, of course, for introducing me to the possibilities of writing.
Steinbeck for the sheer beauty of reading the written word. Cannery row is one
of my favorite novels because it shows this small community with all its
foibles, a perfect little mess with problems and successes.
FWOMP: Any new Brad Herzog projects coming soon that we should watch for on
the bookshelves?
BH: A new children’s book,
T is for Touchdown coming out this Fall and P is for Putt in 2005. Beyond that, just about a billion ideas that are trying to
rise to the top of my mind. I’m thinking about writing another travel
narrative, but who knows. Time will tell.
Copyright Byron Merritt/FWOMP and Brad Herzog, June 2004
Revision Date: 26 Jul 2004