>>>
>>> WHEN
>>> WHEN JAMES HORNER HAD HIS FIRST NOVEL PUBLISHED HE WANTED A PARTY TO 4@LAUNCH THE BOOK.
UNLIKE MOST WRITERS HE DIDN'T
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHERE TO
HAVE THE CELEBRATION.
THAT'S BECAUSE IN 4@ADDITION TO
WRITING JAMES HORNER OWNS THE
BRUNSWICKS WICK INN IN DOWNTOWN
BRUNSWICKS WICK, A GOOD PLACE
FOR A BOOK PARTY.
>> THE NAME OF HIS NOVEL IS
VICTORIA FALLS.
THE STORY TAKES 4@PLACE IN
AFRICA.
WE ASKED ABOUT THE EXPERIENCES
HE HAD WHEN HE LIVED 4@AND WORK
THERE.
>> I WAS THERE FOR 4@A SUMMER,
SUMMER OF '94.
MY MISSION FOR THE 4@WORLD BANK
WAS TO ASCERT4@AIN THEIR PR
PROBLEMS THEY WERE HAVING AT
THE TIME.
I WAS IN ZIMBABWE AND KENYA AND
I INTERVIEWED 40 DIFFERENT
PEOPLE DURING THAT 4@TWO WEEK
PERIOD.
ACTUALLY IT WAS MORE LIKE A
FOUR WEEK PERIOD.
>> THEY DO SAY 4@TO WRITE WHAT
YOU KNOW.
YOUR CHARACTER IS AN AMERICAN
WHO WORKED FOR THE WORLD BANK.
WHAT STORY DID YOU 4@WANT TO
TELL?
>> I THINK ALL FICTION HAS SOME
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL ELEMENTS TO
IT.
SO AT THE TIME, I WAS SORT OF
STRUGGLING AS 4@A MIDDLE AGED M
AND LOOKING FOR SOME MEANING IN
MY LIFE.
THE STORY IS 4@ABOUT A MIDDLE
AGED WORLD BANK OFFICIAL 4@WHO @
OUTWARDLY VERY 4@SUCCESSFUL BUT
INWARDLY IN CRISIS.
SO THE RESOLUTION OF 4@THAT
CRISIS IS REALLY WHAT THE PLOT
IS ABOUT.
>> AFRICA IS A LAND OF SUCH
EXTREMES, GREAT 4@BEAUTY, GREAT
HARSHNESS, GREAT POVERTY, GREAT
WEALTH.
WAS IT HARD FOR YOU TO 4@TRY TO
CONVEY THAT SENSE OF PLACE THAT
IS SO UNIQUE IN 4@AFRICA.
>> YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT
ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF 4@AFRICA.
I TRIED TO CAPTURE THAT
ESPECIALLY IN THE EARLY
CHAPTERS.
THE THING IS THAT THIS STORY
COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE
ANYWHERE.
THE FOCUS IS NOT SO MUCH ON THE
LAND.
IT IS MORE ON THE PERSONALITIES
INVOLVED AND CHARACTERIZATION
AND THE PLOT.
IT COULD HAVE TAKEN PLACE
REALLY ON ANY CONTINENT BUT IT
JUST SO HAPPENED 4@IT WAS AFRIC
>> YOUR MAIN CHARACTER FIND
HIMSELF IN A HORRIFIC 4@PRISON
INDIA.
IS THAT ANYTHING YOU 4@KNEW
ABOUT?
PRISON IN INDIA?
>> THE AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL 4@PART
KIND OF ENDED THERE.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT I HAVE DONE
VOLUNTEER WORK AT THE 4@WIND AM
PRISON IN MAINE.
I HAVE INTERACTED WITH PRISONS,
TEACHING A COURSE THERE 4@IN
FACT.
I KNOW THE ANGST PRISONERS GO
THROUGH.
OBVIOUSLY THE PRISON SYSTEM IN
MAINE IS NOT LIKE THE SYSTEM IN
INDIA.
BUT I GOT A SENSE OF WHAT IT IS
REALLY LIKE TO 4@BE A PRISON,
YES.
>> WAS IT EA4@SY TO WRITE THIS
BOOK?
YOU HAVEN'T BEEN 4@A PROFESSION
WRITER PREVIOUSLY IN YOUR LIFE.
WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO GET THIS
STORY DOWN ON PAPER, ON THE
COMPUTER SCREEN?
>> I TEACH WRITING.
BECAUSE I TEACH WRITING, I HAVE
ALMOST DAILY 4@INTERACTION WITH
STUDENTS WHO ARE ALSO ASPIRING
WRITERS.
I THINK STUDENTS ACTUALLY ARE
THE REASON 4@WHY I EVENTUALLY
WROTE THE NOVEL.
I REALIZED 4@THAT A LOT OF THE
TUTO4@RING AND WO4@RK I WAS DOI
WITH STUDENTS REALLY WAS
HELPING ME TO BECOME A BETTER 4@
WRITER AS WELL.
>> DID YOU SHOW THE MANUSCRIPT
AT ANY POINT 4@TO YOUR STUDENTS
>> I SHOWED A CHAPTER 4@TO MY
STUDENTS LAST YEAR.
>> WHAT WA4@S THEIR FEEDBACK?
>> OF COURSE THEY HAD TO SAY
NICE THINGS.
>> THEY'RE NO DUMMIES.
>> THAT WAS FUN BECAUSE 4@WE HA
THAT INTERACTION.
I HAD NEVER HAD THEM READ
ANYTHING I HAD 4@WRITTEN BEFORE
THAT WAS A 4@TERRIFIC WAY FOR M
TO GET SOME GREAT FEEDBACK.
>> ASIDE FROM 4@TEACHING
STUDENTS, YOU MENTIONED YOU DO
A LOT OF VOLUNTEER WORK IN THE
COMMUNITIES.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING 4@FROM TH
EXPERIENCE?
>> THE THING AT WIND AM PRISON
WAS A 4@COURSE ON 4@FORGIVENESS
THAT I TAUGHT WITH ANOTHER
WOMAN FROM MY CHURCH.
IT WAS KIND OF 4@EYE OPENING.
IT SHOWED ME THAT EVEN THOUGH
OUTWARDLY WE LIVE IN AFFLUENCE
AND WE LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE
THERE ARE NUMEROUS WAYS 4@TO
REACH OUT AND HELP PEOPLE,
OFTEN WE DON'T TAKE 4@ADVANTAGE
OF THE