| Jack Eadon began by writing a book in grade | | | | so deeply, that you don't really see it coming, but |
| school, then a short story. In high school he began | | | | as one reader of Gigolo said, "bitchin' ending. I |
| a decade long career in rock music. He then spent | | | | shoulda known . . . " |
| many years in the corporate world and opened | | | | Tyler: What would you say were your influences, |
| his own business. Today, however, he resides in | | | | literary or otherwise, in writing your books? |
| southern California and writes full-time. | | | | Jack: I absolutely love Fitzgerald, Shakespeare |
| Tyler: Welcome, Jack. I'm glad you could join me | | | | (not the writing as much as the plot and |
| today. Well, I'm sure your book's title alone will get | | | | character components), J. D. Salinger, and I like |
| attention, but could you tell us briefly what " | | | | the story-telling of Grisham and King. I love the |
| 'Gigolo' on the Row" is about? | | | | way King casually names characters who appear |
| Jack: Yeah, it's a great title, one spawned by my | | | | on-stage for brief times. I'd use that technique |
| editor back then. She lived on the same street as | | | | more but I'd be afraid using it would cause people |
| I did, and the nickname for our street was "The | | | | to say 'copy-cat.' I admire the research of James |
| Row." Short for Radon Row--long story. | | | | Michener, and I also love his use of |
| Tyler: I understand the book has a spiritual | | | | point-of-view--absolutely wonderful. I'm writing a |
| element to it? Would you explain that? | | | | book now that emulates his work in the opening |
| Jack: Sure. Since Mark is going through Post | | | | scene of Hawaii, except it's in my mother's womb |
| Traumatic Stress Syndrome and is trying to get | | | | instead of the Pacific! |
| over the shock of losing his wife so suddenly, he | | | | Tyler: Speaking of point of view, what point of |
| hallucinates that she appears to him and even | | | | view did you use for "Gigolo" and why did you |
| talks to him. But, even as you read the book | | | | decide on that point of view? |
| you're not really sure if visions of Katrina are real | | | | Jack: I used primarily third person point of view to |
| or his imagination. I like playing with the thin line | | | | allow the reader to see things closely from Mark's |
| that exists between the supernatural realm and | | | | perspective. I use a close psychic distance to let |
| fact. Even as the book ends, I leave it just a little | | | | the reader feel Mark's pain. Because Katrina |
| unclear how much is real and how much is | | | | "leaves us" so suddenly, that really works. I have |
| imagination. It makes it more interesting that way. | | | | a few nice flashbacks that drift into a more |
| Tyler: Where did you come up with the idea of a | | | | omniscient voice, but mostly I want the reader to |
| husband finding out secrets about his wife after | | | | see Mark's recollections as part of his own |
| her death? | | | | grieving process. |
| Jack: Actually I sort of fell into it by accident as I | | | | Tyler: Jack, I understand you used to work in the |
| wrote the book. It was long after I wrote it that | | | | music industry. Would you tell us a little bit about |
| I came across another excellent book called "The | | | | your musical background? Has music influenced |
| Photograph" that postulates to a similar concept. | | | | your writing? |
| It's quite a rich concept when you think of it. | | | | Jack: Well, I certainly have written a lot of songs |
| When different people who are so close have | | | | and to that extent have poured my sense of the |
| such a different spin on things; it shows that | | | | poetic into my writing. I also have demonstrated a |
| different realities can exist closely side-by-side. It's | | | | penchant for writing moralistic drama in the |
| almost spooky, but terribly interesting. | | | | musical form and put that unabashedly into my |
| Tyler: Do Mark's visions of Katrina help him | | | | writing. I love playing with morals and how they |
| reconcile his wife's secrets with the relationship | | | | affect people's judgment. I love "right" winning |
| they once had? | | | | over "wrong." |
| Jack: Actually he is in such shock after her death, | | | | Tyler: You also earned an MBA and used to own |
| Katrina's visions just forestall his getting on with | | | | your own business, yet now you write full-time. |
| the grieving process. He hangs on to his | | | | How did you make that transition from the |
| memories of her rather than sees the reality of | | | | corporate world to what must be the much more |
| who she actually was. Her duality can make you | | | | solitary life of a writer? What lessons did you |
| angry at her but it can allow you to accept her as | | | | learn in the corporate world, and were you able |
| a human being with foibles. | | | | to apply them to being a writer? |
| Tyler: Would you tell us a little bit about the | | | | Jack: Well, my business was commercial |
| protagonist, Mark, who is really the detective in | | | | photography. So, I spent long hours problem |
| that he is seeking answers about who his wife | | | | solving special effects and special lighting. That |
| really was. What makes him stand out from the | | | | was pretty much a metaphor for my writing. I |
| main characters in other thrillers? | | | | needed to learn absolute patience and realize that |
| Jack: That's a very good question that I had to | | | | every word, like every shadow, was important. |
| think long and hard about. It ends up that Mark is | | | | That gave me a sort of obsessed view of the |
| a real simple guy, and is trying to recover from a | | | | intricacies of my palette, be it film or paper. |
| very difficult circumstance. So, to that extent he's | | | | Tyler: Do you think photography, which is about |
| a benign guy in a complex world. HE is not the | | | | how we see or view and frame objects, has |
| point of his own drama. Instead, he finds himself | | | | affected how you see the world and how you |
| in a rich drama that he isn't totally aware of till the | | | | depict it in your novels? |
| end. That's what keeps "Gigolo" suspenseful | | | | Jack: One of my biggest strengths is the way I |
| throughout, even though it is basically a quiet | | | | can move the camera in a scene. If the reader |
| book. It is also one of my favorites in that as I | | | | pays close attention to the details, they can see a |
| wrote it, I borrowed some of Shakespeare's tools | | | | lot of my work as a film, and to see it on that |
| as I constructed the plot and drew the characters | | | | level is quite enjoyable, but they must be willing to |
| like Penelope and Bryce and others. But actually I | | | | read a bit slower and savor the journey, not just |
| did very little plot construction; I basically put | | | | dash past it. |
| well-defined characters on stage and let them do | | | | Tyler: On your website, you bill yourself as "Jack |
| their thing; I didn't get in the way with plot-driven | | | | Eadon, the world's most famous unknown author" |
| thinking at all. | | | | yet you also state how rich your life has been. |
| Tyler: Do you feel it's true what many writers | | | | What do you see as your biggest disappointments |
| say--that you can't make the characters do | | | | and your greatest joys about being a writer? |
| anything--they do what they want to do? What | | | | Jack: I'd say the greatest disappointment is the |
| kinds of struggles have you had in creating | | | | occasional realization that all I'm doing is writing |
| characters? | | | | words on a page. It's very existential. My greatest |
| Jack: It is easy to want all characters to be nice | | | | joy is when just one reader can quote a line or |
| people. But they aren't and can't be. You have to | | | | feed back a scene in just the way I wrote it and |
| let them be creeps if they are creeps. Take | | | | imagined it for years. Then I know that I've really |
| Katrina for instance. It is easy to want her to be | | | | gotten to them--penetrated their head and soul! |
| the perfect angel that Mark always envisaged, but | | | | Tyler: That sounds like a wonderful compliment to |
| she is not that and THAT realization is a key | | | | your writing, Jack. What advice would you give to |
| element of what makes "Gigolo" so real and | | | | other writers trying to get published or to |
| bittersweet at times . . . and makes her | | | | establish themselves? |
| exceedingly real. | | | | Jack: Write because you love it. Because you can |
| Tyler: Where does the "Gigolo" fit into the book? | | | | create something from nothing that someone else |
| Jack: Because Mark is guilty for NOT being real | | | | can read and share. Don't write to become |
| supportive of his dead wife, he is VERY | | | | famous or rich. If that is to come, that will come. |
| supportive of other neighbor women. As a result | | | | Enjoy the journey! And learn your craft well. |
| he gets a reputation in the neighborhood for being | | | | Because writing appears so easy, many people |
| a real ladies man. One neighbor man even said "if | | | | don't study it intensely. The more you study it, |
| we paid Mark for his services I guess we go call | | | | the more you realize you can learn. |
| him a " 'Gigolo' on the Row." That line is what I call | | | | Tyler: Jack, will you tell us about your website and |
| the title line in the title scene. That concept of | | | | what further information can be found there |
| burying the title in a particular scene was made | | | | about " 'Gigolo' on the Row" ? |
| popular by J. D. Salinger in the "Catcher in the | | | | Jack: I have a number of web sites, my main one |
| Rye," one of my favorite books, and Salinger is | | | | is At my main site I list all seven of my books |
| certainly a mentor of mine! | | | | with links to several of my other sites. I also have |
| Tyler: Jack, I know you've written several other | | | | excerpts of each of my books. |
| books. Would you tell us a little bit about your | | | | Tyler: And finally, Jack, what can we expect next |
| past books? What sets " 'Gigolo' on the Row" | | | | from your pen? |
| apart from the others? | | | | Jack: I'm currently working on a nonfiction expose |
| Jack: Well, without exception my books are | | | | of my peppered health history, which is quite |
| fiction-based-on-fact dramas. They spin from a | | | | dramatic at times, and a second edition of my |
| well-defined setting and characters into a | | | | book, "The Charm from Delhi," where I will |
| suspenseful conflict of sorts, and in some way | | | | rewrite much of the lead character to make him |
| are spawned from my own experience. Then the | | | | more likeable. It is true that a book is actually |
| main characters must find their way out of a | | | | never done. It just gets revised and revised as |
| dilemma. "Gigolo" is just a simple story that could | | | | new thoughts occur to the author. |
| happen to anyone. I usually twist reality in some | | | | Tyler: Thank you, Jack, for joining me today. I |
| fashion, and people like that twist because it is a | | | | wish you continued success with your already |
| surprise, but as Shakespeare would say, it is a | | | | successful writing career. |
| fully expected surprise: you stop and say "I | | | | Jack: Thanks, Tyler, and please invite me back to |
| shoulda seen that coming." But I bury the reality | | | | Reader Views again! It's always a pleasure. |