[Félix Leclerc]

Dear Gordon Korman,

Hi my name is Felix and I’m in grade 7.  I think you are a fantastic author. I read “The Fort” and I thought it was amazing . I love the characters they are all very interesting, my favourite is Jason. I hope to some day become an author too. I love to write and am in the middle of writing my own book. 
  My class was assigned a project that we have to interview someone who inspires us and I immediately thought of you! I read somewhere that you wrote you first book and my age which I think is awesome. It would be my dream to interview you for my project. Possibly on zoom? Or I could send you the questions in one of these posts?
 Anyway that’s my question so thank you so much for reading this, you are such an inspiration to me.

-Felix

[Gordon Korman]

Hi, Felix,

Thanks for posting. I'm pleased to hear that you're a fan, and also pleased to be able to encourage you in your own writing.

I'm honored that you chose me to interview. I'll watch this space for your interview questions, and get the answers back to you as soon as I can.

                                       Best regards,                                                      -----Gordon Korman-----

[Félix Leclerc]

Dear Gordon Korman,

Thank you so much for agreeing to let me interview you!  
 Unfortunately my teacher won’t be printing the questions until Monday. I will send you them as soon as I get them. I’m so excited! Once again, thank you so much.

 

-Felix

[Félix Leclerc]

 Dear Gordon Korman,

 

I have just received the interview questions. I apologize if there are more than expected. 

 1. What is your full name?

2. Where and when were you born?

3. Where did you grow up?

4. What was your favourite grade and why? 

5. What was your favourite subject in school?

6. What is your favourite holiday and why? 

7. When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grow up?

8. After you finished high school, did you start working or go to university/collage ?

9. What was your first job?

10. Do you have a favourite book or tv series?

11.  What do you enjoy doing on your free time?

12. What are you most proud to have done in your life and why?

13. Why did you choose to be a writer?

14. Describe your day as a writer 

15. If you could go back and choose another job/career, would you? What would it be?

16. May I please have a signed bookplate?

Again thank you so much for doing this it means a lot to me!

 

-Felix

OK, Felix! Here goes!

1. Full name: Gordon Richard Korman

2. Born Montreal, Quebec, Oct. 23rd, 1963

3. Grew up in Montreal until I was 7 and we moved to the Toronto area.

4. I loved 6th grade because I had an amazing teacher. And it was the following year that I wrote my first book.

5. Math. I was always great in math. I was on a competitive math team in high school.

6. Favorite holiday: Christmas because of the time off from school. (I'd say summer vacation, but that's not a real holiday.)

7. I saw myself as some kind of scientist. Writing kids' books never entered my mind.

8. I went directly to New York University. But I was working. I was turning out a book a year back then.

9. I never had a job and haven't had one till this day. I became a writer at 12, and I'm still at it.

10. My favorite book was always THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams, and the very best TV series in my opinion was a comedy cop show called "Barney Miller."

11. Free time? What's that? Actually, I enjoy NFL football. Big Giants fan, season ticket holder.

12. I'm most proud of having helped raise 3 kids (2 boys, 1 girl) and sending them all to college. Am I proud of my work? Of course. But I'm proudest of my family.

13. I didn't choose writing. In Grade 7, I was assigned the "novelette" that became my first book. It became a bestseller, and writing chose me

14. There's not much to say. I work in a writing room on the second floor of my house. And I always try to keep normal office hours. It's the only way I can manage to have friends who aren't authorsvand live a normal family life. I do travel a lot, visiting schools and libraries and attending teachers' conventions and things like that. But otherwise I'n just like the average guy who goes to the office and stays there until he comes home for dinner around 6 PM. It's worked well for me.

15. If I could choose another career, I would probably be teaching. I like to think I'd be the head coach of the NY Giants, but I doubt it!

16. Send your full name and mailing address to my office: Info@gordonkorman.com and I'll see what I can do.

Hope this gets a good grade, Felix. Good luck!                                    -----Gordon Korman-----

[Félix Leclerc]

Dear Gordon Korman,

Thank you so much. I will send my full name and address to your office soon! I’ll let you know how my grade goes.

 

-Felix 

 

 

[Mike McDonald]

Hi Gordon, my name is Mike . Unlike Felix, who did a very informative interview, I am 47. I was talking with my wife and all of a sudden ‘this can’t be happening at macdonald hall’ popped in my head and we both remember enjoying those books and so many others. I think I still have an old paperback of son of interflux. I am going to reread all your books because I read son about 5 years ago and it still made me happy. So thank you. I appreciate all you did for my love of reading, and all the ones that came after me. 

             Thank you, Mike McDonald

Hey, Mike,

I hope you're prepared for a lot of reading. The current count is 102, with 3 in the publishing process, and me working on #106! Yes, I'm having trouble believing it myself!

Thanks so much for your return to the fold. I hope my stuff can continue to please and amuse you.

                                 Best regards,                                                                    -----Gordon Korman-----

[Darren]

Hey Gord,

Thanks for the further peek behind the curtain.

Barney Miller was slightly before my time, though I do remember watching it a little bit as a tyke. What a great theme song though. There was a Canadian band that did a combination of that theme with the Flintstones and called it "Fred And Barney Miller".

Your book count of 102 is just for your solo works and doesn't include things like Hope Wins or Guys Read: The Sports Pages, correct?

P.S. You are now one away from tying Stephen King for most books by an author in my collection.

Hi, Darren,

Thanks for posting. Little did I know that answering Felix's request would bare my entire history to so many people! Loving Barney Miller proves my age, if nothing else, and my taste in humor. I did not know that about the theme, by theway.

The magic number of 102 refers to books only. Actually, there are 3 in the publishing process, and the one I'm presently working on is #106.

And if I'm in a dead heat with Stephen King, I'm in VERY high company indeed! Thanks!

                                                                                                   -----Gordon Korman-----

[Darren]

Hi Gord,

A short follow-up out of curiosity:

You often mention football but I haven't seen you mention hockey even though it's featured in some of your works. Do you follow it?

Was it challenging writing from home when your kids were babies with the inherent noisemakers they can be?

Hi, Darren,

I'm a fan of a lot of sports, hockey included -- I even played hockey, as what Canadian didn't! But football is my favorite. It's a short season, but each year when it starts, I remember why I like it better than any other sport. And speaking of hockey, (whisper) I'm a Rangers fan now. You spend enough time in NYC and look what happens to you!                                      

My writing room is on the top floor of our house. The kids learned to stay away when I was working, so I never had any problems like that. I give their Mom most of the credit, though. (And the stairs!)                                  ---GK---