PB: I am for almost anything that can get children to read. Sometime in the eighties I read that about a third of adult women were functionally illiterate (the figure was better for men, but not much) - meaning that their reading level was third grade or below and they could not fill out a job application. Reading is such a basic skill, and it takes practice. If peer pressure forces children to read - especially good books like Harry Potter, then I'm all for it.
DL: Movies are a different medium, but do you think any of your books would make a good movie?
PB: If a good producer and a good scriptwriter (not me) got involved, found good actors and cinematographers, yes. When Demons Walk, in particular had a number of very visual scenes -- though I'm afraid the temptation would be for a producer to turn it into a horror movie. I'd like to see what the special effects people would do for Caefawn's tail in The Hob's Bargain . But in any case, the stories would have to change to work well on the screen - and I'm not a screenwriter.
DL: Will the events of 9/11 change or influence your writing?
PB: I spoke with many of my fellow writers though email lists shortly after September 11th and found that most of us had had the same initial reaction: writing fiction seems amazingly trivial in the wake of such large-scale acts of hatred. But in the months that have followed I revised my opinion. Watching well-educated people who should know better (both terrorist and American citizens on the street) spit hatred and blame at each other for cultural differences neither can change gives me, with degrees in German and history, cold chills. I think that storytelling has become even more important -- helping to educate ourselves so that we don't become the enemy.
DL: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
PB: Make sure you are doing this because you want to write - not because you want to be a writer. There are many, many authors who only ever publish one book, and still more who never publish any.
If you can't take criticism , learn how. Or don't show anyone your book, ever. I've yet to see a book that hasn't garnished a few nasty comments from someone.
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