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There is a new Peter Pan adventure.  Let's go talk to Emily Somma...she wrote "After The Rain" so that we would know what happened to Peter and Tinker Bell.  She takes up where J. M. Barrie left off.

Interview Emily Somma After the Rain esomma@cogeco.ca

Emily Somma is the author of After The Rain, a great new adventure starring Peter Pan. Wendy isn't there, but there is a whole new cast of characters.  I was able to ask Emily about her book and a few questions about herself....

 

Bev: Tell us a little about yourself, Emily...what was growing up like?

Emily: Growing up? Hmmm... I hate to admit this, but for my sisters and me, home was not a safe or nurturing place. Still, I found a niche within it: There was this one little corner in our dining room where the pipe from the furnace ran up behind the wall. I used to love to sit in that corner, warm and cozy, reading for hours on end. I was an impressionable child. I was the kind of kid who really climbs into the story and goes off to this whole other world, at least within their mind, and comes back refreshed.

 

Bev: Would I be off base by suggesting that "Peter Pan" must have been your favorite book? What other authors did you like as a kid?

Emily: I definitely adored Peter Pan as a child. "But Peter Pan" was not my favorite book. My absolute favorite fiction book (as a child) was "Ballet Shoes" by Noel Streatfield.  In my teens I read a lot of classics and very often read them more than once. "Wuthering Heights" (Emily Brontè), for example, I read it cover to cover probably half a dozen times. "The Diary of Anne Frank" is another book that I was glued to.

 

Bev: When did you know that you wanted to write a children's book?

Emily: I think I always knew that I would write for children. But not just for children, and certainly not just fiction. My previously published work was an anthology about Women and HIV/AIDS. I have roots with a number of victims rights advocates and educators, as well as with therapists and counselors who work with adult survivors of child abuse, victims and survivors of domestic violence, cultural violence, street crime, and so forth. We teamed up in 2000 and produced a series of workshops aimed at educating physicians and other health care, legal, and social service providers, about how to better work with and for people whose life experiences include loss caused by abuse and violence. Victims and survivors presented most of the segments, which included an interactive mime about elder abuse that was performed by a (Toronto based) theatre troupe of senior citizens none of whom actually spoke English. This meant that any and all communication between the participants and the performers (in that segment) had to be done through an interpreter. So, in that segment, we weren't just personifying abuse of the elderly, but learning about language and communication barriers as well. The series, which was initially offered as an accredited 18-hour professional development course, will be available in book format in 2003. I don't think that I am more suited for one kind of writing over another. I think that writing for children is fun. Writing fiction is fun. But I also do a whole other kind of writing, much more academic and fact-based writing. I can't see myself ever choosing one genre over another since both are important to me and, I hope, significant and beneficial to the reader as well.

 

Bev: Was there any person or event that was a great inspiration to you to write?

Emily: Many people and events inspire me to write, or spur me into action, to be involved. Sometimes it is positive experiences, the heroism, the humor, and the irony that we encounter in our daily lives that is the catalyst. And, at other times, it can be outrage or concern about events and conditions that provide a kick-start.

 

Bev: What do you enjoy reading now?

Emily: Definitely not fiction! When I was in my twenties and early thirties, I still enjoyed fiction. And I still read quite a lot of it -- from the late James Joyce (Portrait of the Artist), to Anya Seton (Green Darkness), to the late Margaret Laurence (Diviners), even the late F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby).  I always seemed to look for diversity in writing styles. I wasn't the kind of reader who got stuck on one author. One of my friends, for example, almost exclusively reads books by Stephen King. While my friend is a dear friend, I cannot imagine being that way -- restricting myself to only one style or genre. But, reading choices are so personal. What works for me, might not work for someone else. That's part of the beauty of books. Each writer is so different. Each reader is so different. These days I tend to lean toward fact based works. For example, Ann Jones powerful book "Next Time, She'll Be Dead," is profound. It characterizes the damage done to women not just by the men they know but by the criminal-justice system that is supposed to help them.

 

Bev: Tell us why you chose to do a Peter Pan sequel for your book.

Emily: That's a good question! Of all of the famous children's stories coming from British authors in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, Peter Pan is the one that jumps out as very clearly having been written for adults: On these magic shores children at play are forever beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.
As you read through the original work, you begin to realize that it is a testament to the desolation of adulthood in which relationships between adults and children are portrayed very negatively. Neverland is a dark place with drunken elves and pirates to kill or be killed by. Peter forgets anything that isn't fun right now. ("I forget after I kill them," he says).  According to the original work, there is nothing to look forward to in maturity or old age because all fun comes to an end as soon as you start growing up. Can you imagine being a child in an unhappy home situation, and the message is that if you can escape to Neverland you will be fine. If not, what is life for if it only gets worse as you get older? After the Rain is the first literary sequel ever written for Peter Pan since James Barrie's death. Up until about 16 years ago, nobody could have developed the story line even if they wanted to because copyrights do not expire until 50-years after an author dies. James Barrie died in 1937. When my own children were small, close to 20-years ago I knew the copyright was soon to expire. I wanted to write something that captured and nurtured the spirit of Peter, but at the same time showed positive relationships between children and adults. Maybe in Victorian England, growing up meant immutable misery. But I don't think the same holds true today. When Wayne Gretzsky was a boy, I bet the exact opposite was true. I bet he dreamed of the day he would play in the NHL. And he worked hard to make that dream happen. Really, despite their claims to the contrary, magic does not live in Disney World. Magic is all around us every day. And growing up does not mean that we suddenly lose our imaginations, or lose the ability to dream, and the power to create. Or that our relationships with children become cheerless. Quite the contrary, when my children were small I had a great relationship with them. And that happened despite the fact that my relationship with my own parents had not been a happy one at all. My own childhood had not been a happy one. But cycles can be broken. Nothing is ever over until it's over. And life does not become desolate once you reach 13. James Barrie was a remarkable writer. And he left a great gift to the world in the characters and scenes he created. I just wanted to take that gift one step further. Now I am so glad that I did because when I read letters from kids who invariably always like the way "After the Rain" ends, it reinforces my early belief that there was a better ending for Peter Pan than the one he was stuck with for the past century.  

 

Bev: You wrote this book nearly 20 years ago. What happened between the writing of it and getting it into publication?

Emily: What happened? My life happened! I raised my children. I attended to my education…a university education that I didn't get to have 25 or 26 years ago. I stretched, and grew, and developed a lot of good friendships. From time to time, I would bring the manuscript out of my cupboard and work on it. I have other writer friends, and friends who are editors and publishers. I think that emerging writers really need to network and to link up with other writers. Back in 1998, when Chris Flora (editor) wanted to publish an excerpt from After the Rain in a magazine called the Free Spirit, he noticed that in one sentence I'd written, "Peter carefully dropped Tinker Bell into his pocket."  Chris asked me, "How do you CAREFULLY drop something? Shall I CAREFULLY drop my cup of coffee on the floor? What if I carefully drop my guitar?" He went on and on because, of course, the sentence contained an oxymoron, which I had failed to notice. In the end, we were crying and I was on the verge of a heart attack because we were laughing so hard as our examples of oxymorons became sillier and sillier. I think that aside from a willingness to cross out our own stupidity, writers also need to be able to laugh at their mistakes and overall remain optimistic. 

 

Bev: Kyle Reed's illustrations really compliment the text. Did you work together on that phase of the book?

Emily: Yes. Kyle replied to an advertisement for an illustrator. Ironically, during our first meeting, we discovered that my friend Luke (the guy who only reads novels by Stephen King) and Kyle knew each other from their days at Sheridan College in Toronto. I think that commonality helped us both feel at ease with one another from the onset. I had specific ideas for the physical attributes of the characters. (For Crystal we used photographs of my daughter) And ideas about which scenes should be illustrated. Beyond this, Kyle had a free hand in how he wanted to portray the scenes. A second edition of After the Rain is due for release this month. It contains improved graphics and, from what I know at present, Kyle will also design the cover in the second edition.

 

Bev: You do have some other published work though, don't you? Tell us what else you have written.

Emily: My first published work was a 32-page anthology of new interviews, research, and articles about Women and HIV/AIDS that was published by McMaster University in 2000. No. Actually, my first published work was an excerpt from After the Rain that was published in a local magazine in 1998. Then came the anthology. Lastly, "After the Rain," (the book).

 

Bev: Your children's novel, "Golsteinseweg 22" will be out in June 2003? Interesting title! What is it about?

Emily: "Golsteinsweg 22" is set in Holland. It is about a little girl named Laura Koole, whose life changes dramatically after her parents (Nicolas and Marlene) divorce. The title translates into English as "22 Golsteins Road," which is the address of the house Laura's mother buys when she moves Laura away from her grandparents, school, and every other thing and person that matters to Laura except for her cat - Bontje. (Bontje translates into English as "a little ball of fur.")

 

Bev: How do you see your future in children's books? Do you have other projects planned?

Emily: Other than Golsteinsweg 22, I am committed to one additional children's book (Peter's First Christmas). I can't see me stopping there though, at least not permanently.

 

Bev: Since kids are so computer savvy now, and it's getting more difficult to get them to pick up a book, how do you feel about the new trend to create interactive websites to go along with printed books?

Emily: Bev, I didn't feel qualified to answer this question. So I asked my daughter's friend, whose name coincidentally is also Emily, to assist. Emily is a major bookworm. In her email to me, she wrote: "I think the websites, if properly advertised, will make kids more interested in reading. They give you the option to experience the novel, and then interactively participate in games, etc., provided by websites, or visit the site prompting interest in actually reading the novel. I still think that nothing will ever replace the experience you get from actually reading a book, but as books are forced to compete with computers and television more and more, it is important to try to incorporate things like interactive websites to start kids reading again." So, there you have it, from an 18-year old expert. And, really, when it comes to what works for kids, it is young people who can provide us with the most qualified answers. I think the key to making these websites work is in finding ways to get people to visit them. Harry Potter gets TV airtime (advertising).  In fact, if we went with what we see advertised on TV, basically we would all know that there are only two books for children in existence today: The Harry Potter series and Hooked on Phonics. When, of course, nothing could be further from the truth. There are so many excellent books written by excellent writers out there that kids simply don't know about. I would like to see the government giving advertising and operating grants to help promote the interactive book-related sites on TV. It would help the situation if some of the big corporations would get behind the websites and all the good work they do to encourage reading and to give kids a better idea of how many great books there are out there for them. As is, kids are bombarded with media hype about the latest computer games or action movies. I think a lot of these big corporations see our children as wallets with pigtails on either side and really don't care much at all about the overall long-term development of the child. They just care about what will make them the big money. As parents, writers, and promoters of reading, we need to start fighting back before we do end up with a generation of kids who simply can't appreciate the ambience and joy of the written word at all.

 

Bev: Do you have any other thoughts that you would like to share with us?

Emily: I want to take this opportunity to thank you for inviting me to give this interview, Bev. I do love books. And this is such a well organized and informative site showcasing so many good books, as well as their authors, that I must say it truly has been a pleasure to me to spend time here.  

 

Bev: Emily, I really appreciate your taking the time to visit with us, and wish you the best of luck with all your writing endeavors.


 

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Reviews

After the Rain By Emily Somma Illustrated by Kyle Reed Publisher Daisy Books Release Date August 2002 ISBN: 0-9730639-0-4 Children / Fiction Reading Ages 8-14 Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com Buy a Copy

Remember Peter Pan and Wendy, and the infamous Captain Hook? Wendy doesn't show up in this new adventure of Peter's, and there is a new batch of villains: the Keeper and his army. He is actually created by Peter himself. Peter is feeling sorry for himself because he is in Neverland with just the fairy, Tinker Bell--forgotten by the rest of the world. Peter wants to get even with the world, especially the children, and he wishes away all the magic that children enjoy on earth. Because of that wish, the Keeper, a spirit who needs Peter to survive, sends his army to bring Peter to him.

The soldiers manage to capture Tinker Bell and take her to be made into a statue, frozen in time forever.

Crystal, Buddy and Sean, three contemporary children who still believe in magic, are filled with wonder when they rescue Peter and find that he is the legendary Peter Pan from their bedtime stories! Peter introduces them to the joys of flying, and in the Children's Hospital, trying to avoid adults, a new fairy, Oliver, is created, and the small patients, too, learn to fly.

Crystal, Sean, Buddy and Peter, along with Oliver, embark on a trip to Neverland to rescue Tinker Bell. What would it be like to be frozen in time, immobile forever?

Peter has lived in Neverland for a hundred years as a child who did not grow to adulthood, because he really wanted to retain the wonder and magic of childhood for eternity. These modern children whom Peter meets on earth are able to understand that growing up is not a bad thing; it is their goal.

J. E. Somma has written a story filled with wonder, adventure and a cast of great characters...some old friends like Peter and Tinker Bell, and several new, exciting characters. The dark villain and his evil henchmen are frightening, but these modern children come up with some new ideas to foil The Keeper.

Escape to Peter's Neverland and be a child again; read this book aloud to younger children, share the spell of magic with older children.

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