[Sari]

Hi Gordon Korman! You are by far our favorite author. Our uncle just interviewed you for the Cincinnatti Jewish Home and we really enjoyed reading it. Our parents, uncles, and aunts grew up on your books and now, we are loving them too! We play games where we go around in a circle and each person has five seconds to name a character from your books- no repeats. We have gone as far as to include Rudy Miller\'s younger brother Jeffrey, Vera and Cindy from No Coins Please, Daphne from Don\'t Care High, and Sheldon the bear trapeze guy in Semester! And of course, Pete Ogrodnick. 

We have some things we\'ve been wondering about:

1) Why isn\'t Gavin Gunhold in any of your new books? We miss him! (We did laugh at Wexford-Smythe University in Linked though)

2) What was your favorite book as a kid?

3) What is your favorite book you have written?

4) WHo\'s your favorite character in all of your books?

5) What was the inspiration for Raymond Jardine, Mike Otis, and Querada? We can\'t even begin to imagine...

6) What\'s your current favorite book?

7) How do you choose names for your characters?

8) What did Rudy Miller become when he grew up?

9) What did Artie say when he went into the Road Hogs Tent in No Coins Please?

10) And what in the world is the Abiotic System of Synthetic Compounds (D0n\'t Care High and Ungifted and Operation Do-over) 

Thank you so much!

From your #1 fans

 

 

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, #1 Fans!

Thanks for posting. I'll try to answer your questions, even though you seem to know my work better than I do!

1.) I guess I just outgrew Gavin Gunhold. Sorry.   2.) My favorite book(s) as a kid -- a series called THE GREAT BRAIN by an author named John D. Fitzgerald. Mostly because they were really funny.    3.) Asking me to pick a favorite among my books is like asking me which of my 3 kids I like best! I can't choose. I do like some better than others, (books, not kids!) but I love them all. I'm usually the most "into" the most recent release. So my current "favorite" is soon going to be my 100th book, THE FORT.   4.) I have 2 favorite characters: Rootbeer Racinette from LOSING JOE'S PLACE, and Malik Bruder of the MASTERMINDS series, Rootbeer because he's so crazy and Malik because he's so human.   5.) Mike Otis, Raymond Jardine, and Emile Querada all suited the story I was writing. No big mystery or inspirational lightning bolt. The characters helped tell the story, that's all.     6.) Current favorite of my own? Probably OPERATION DO-OVER, soon to be THE FORT. Of someone else's it's still Douglas Adams' THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.   7.) Names are easy -- everybody gets at least one. It's the one thing I can't explain -- why Rudy is right, but Steven would have been wrong; why Bruno suits my first main character; I only know the name has to ring a bell with me, but I can't say what rings that bell because I honestly don't know. But I'll recognize the "right" name when I hear it.   8.) Rudy Miller would probably have become a lawyer and, ultimately, a judge. It suits a person who is so firm in his belief in human rights, mainly his own.   9.) And whatever Artie might have said to the Road Hogs will forever remain a secret. I don't know myself. I was just trying to show that one of his many talents was the art of persuasion.   10.) That's the Abiotic Synthesis of Organic Compounds. I haven't a clue. When I was a 7th grader, I was in a science fair competition. The winner had that project. I never saw it, never knew what it meant, and I still don't. But doesn't it sound impressive??? I use it a lot, mostly when I want to sound pretentious.

There. I hope that helps you understand a little bit about the author you have honored with such loyal support! Thank you so much, all!                                                                  -----Gordon Korman-----

[gabby]

Hi!

For starters, my sister and I really enjoy your books, keep up the great work! My sister and I had a question, and we don’t mean any harm by it, but why are so many of your characters described as blonde or something similar that usually implies they’re Caucasian? Of course, we haven’t read all of your works- believe me, we’re working on it. But a lot of your characters seem to follow that description, and we were just wondering why there aren’t more POC described in your stories. Seeing as you’re such a popular author and a  great writer, we would just like to see more people like us represented in your books. Thanks for your time!

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, Gabby,

Thanks for posting. I'm glad you and your sister are fans.

Great question. I guess my characters are largely Caucasian because I am, and I tend to think and plan stories and people in terms of myself. There certainly are POC characters throughout my 100 books, but the only ones who come to mind as I write this letter are Michael from LINKED, the FBI agent from the ON THE RUN series, and the Sherpas from the EVEREST series. So you definitely make a good point, one that I'll certainly keep in mind. 

Thanks again for your comments. Keep reading!                                                    -----Gordon Korman-----