Gammon Irons: We Are Who We Are Because We Read
The author of The Compass Book Collection talks to Twin Rivers News and Rachel Bassett, journalist-at-large, about his immediate success and reader’s response. Gammon and Rachel meet for an expressive interview on writing stories about nature. The resulting conversation was so captivating and profound, we decided to publish the interview on Gammon’s blog-site. Rachel: What message do you want to give to your readers by basing so many of your books on nature? Gammon: I don't want to give a message to readers. What I want is to tell a story to readers, and then I want the readers to make of it what they would like to make of it. But, there's no doubt about it, I have a particular take on nature, and that comes through in my stories. But I don't write my stories to make you believe something. I suppose if I'm honest, when I write a book that I know people are going to read, what I would like is that it makes them think. Because that's what books are all about: to make us think and understand ourselves and the world about us better. I'm not in the message-passing business – you'd need a pigeon for that. Rachel: How does writing about nature help you cope with your feelings about it? Gammon: That's a really good question: it is one of the main reasons I write about nature. I was born in 1950’s, so I grew up in an entirely different world than we have today, with the sights and sounds of what that world left behind, both in terms of personal dreams and functional families and a dependant society on nature – yes, there was a lot of grief and happiness when I was growing up; a lot of people were left out of society because of the color of their skin and a lot of people excelled in life because of the color of their skin. But at the end of the day, we all knew we were dependent upon nature. And I think it's quite true that I do write a great deal about nature because I'm still trying to work out why it is we abuse our planet and its resources in the manner we do. Rachel: Are the characters from The Compass Book Collection based on real people and real animals? Gammon: They're all based on real people and real animals but not people and animals I actually knew. The idea for the collection of stories came from one man who left his journals behind; stories of his everyday life and living with nature. Fortunately for me and readers who follow my writing, I happen upon this one man’s message to future generations. Rachel: Why did you decide to write The Compass Book Collection from an animal's point of view instead of a human's? Gammon: There have been many books written about nature from one side or the other. So I thought, if I’m going to write about nature, why am I writing about it? And the reason I was writing about it was because I wanted to create a story which showed the universal suffering of nature. Now, millions of souls, both human and animal have died, so it's important to remember them all, somehow I thought if I’m going to write a story, I should try and tell it from a neutral point of view, and the animals in The Compass Book Collection, for me, was the perfect way of doing this. Because I could have a particular animal represent the life’s struggle of all the animals. Rachel: Sales of your books seem to be generated by youth. Did you aim for your books to be read by younger readers? Gammon: No, I'd like them to be read by lots of people, because the story I am telling needs to told – no matter what the generation. So, I enjoy the crossover of generations. I love that youth do read my stories – I believe the reason they do is because youth can relate better to animals than grownups. But the best stories are the ones we all read. Rachel: What is your favorite book from the ones you have written? Gammon: I wish you wouldn't ask such good questions, it's making me think. Honest answer: what I love is when the people I love like a book. My wife loves East of Bliss; she thinks it's the best book I've ever written. Well, it's not – but she loves it, therefore I love it. There are other books I love because everyone else hated them, which is bizarre. But a book, when you make it, is quite like a child: you feel very protective towards it. I'll give you two more answers. The book I've just published is always the one that's buzzing around in my head. My real favorite has nothing to do with The Compass Book Collection but a book I wrote many years ago entitled Iron Cross / Iron Will. It is a true story of a young boy who was a Hitler Youth during World War II and chronicles his life from 1945 until his death in 2011. The book was well received by readers in Europe but not in the U.S. I think because European readers enjoy journal format stories and the U.S. readers enjoy novel format stories. The other answer to give you is that they're all my favorites, as they would be if I was a parent. Rachel: I consider you a legend. How does it feel to be a reader's hero? Gammon: These words are very over-used, if I'm going to be honest with you. I'm not a hero, I tell stories. I love telling stories. It's enough for me that readers like the stories. Shall I tell you who the real heroes are? The real heroes are the people I write about and no one knows about them until I write their story. Up and down this country and everywhere, what you will find is that there are people in their homes looking after people who can't look after themselves, and they do this quietly. If there is such a thing as a hero, it's these people because they live selflessly. You really can't count me as a hero. Choose someone else. Rachel: Can you give a message to people from my generation about why we should keep reading about nature despite all our computers and gadgets? Gammon: Yes I can. I don't know any other way that readers, especially young readers can come to an understanding of themselves and relationships and other peoples and the world around them, other than in books. It's the most extraordinary way of communicating. When I write a book, that's my job, to complete a book; then as a reader, you read the book and your mind meets my mind. What we are doing is making the story come alive in our own head: learning massively about things we don't know about. It may be the past, it may be the future, it may be geographically a different place, it may be people from another religion, another culture: all these things we can learn in books. And as we are growing up, the more knowledge we have – the more understanding – the more chance we have of coping with a world that is potentially joyful, but also very complex and very difficult. Rachel: How do you think youth should be introduced to the obscure endings of your stories, and at what age? Gammon: I have to be very sensitive, but in no way patronizing to youth. There is no need to talk to youth as if they don't know anything and as if I endlessly have to instruct them. I think it's very important not to avoid subjects because they're difficult. We have to know how wicked and evil people and life can be, but also how strong people can be to survive. Survival begins the moment we are conceived, thus the earlier we learn how others cope with survival the better for all of humanity. Rachel: Is it really important to have a happy ending in every nature book? Gammon: All the stories I write end harshly, with death. There can be no darker ending to a book, and the entire preparation for that death, will build from the beginning and all the way through the book. Is this a subject for youth? Yes, because death is a part of life. Although characters in the books I write die, they have a real determination to survive. So even then, in the bleakest of stories, I think it is important to have some sense of redemption. Rachel: Do you agree we should be more concerned with our environment? Gammon: The concern lies with our cultural mores. Here in the U.S., our culture is extremely materialistic and our way of life depends on capitalism. I have no problem with material possessions but when owning objects becomes an obsession – therein lies the problem. Should we be less dependent on fossil fuels? Certainly! However, the problem with our environment is not switching from non-renewable to renewable fuel resources but who will gain the most financial reward from ownership. In this example, if we switched tomorrow we would not resolve how we respect nature. First, we need to control our consumption habits. Rachel: Iron Cross / Iron Will, which you mentioned earlier, was well received in Europe, especially in Germany. How does this make you feel? Gammon: Proud. I am more proud of this one work than I've ever been of anything I have written. This one book has given me the most satisfaction. Here in a land of two world wars the people are realizing that even though their history isn’t politically correct, we can all learn a lesson not to be repeated. Yes, I have critics from certain groups who were tortured, maimed and murdered by National Socialism but to deny this history creates a guilt complex upon the generations who were never involved. If anything, this one book is bringing together a fractured people. Rachel: Stories such as Iron Cross / Iron Will and The Compass Book Collection have moved many people and brought them to tears. Have you ever cried when reading one of your books? Gammon: Frequently. The stories are never the same with every reading, but when it's perfectly right: yes, it leaves me in tears, as it does an awful lot of people. When I'm writing stories that touch on poignant subjects, I am also emotionally moved. The more difficult a book is to write, emotionally, for me the better it is, because it means I'm lost in it completely. Rachel: Do you think in fifty or a hundred years from now people will still be talking about your stories? Gammon: Oh yes, they'll certainly be reading the stories and talking about them. Basically, because we can never return to the days of my youth and my parent’s youth: the days when there were still uncharted territories to be discovered; days when there were still isolated woods and the unknown wild. When humanity landed on the moon in 1969, this was the death toll of nature for me. The one sacred place we considered never to be violated was spoiled. Humanity longs to be a part of nature no matter how dependent upon technology we become. Rachel: What advice would you give to your readers? Gammon: My one advice is summed up in the following sentence: You can’t read all day, if you don’t start in the morning. Simply put – read, read, read. And don’t just read your favorite stories, read something that you don’t like, or is controversial. If we don’t expose our mind to the endless possibilities of life, how will we ever reach our full potential? Rachel: Thank you Gammon for your time and insight. It has certainly been a pleasure discovering the source of the exciting stories of The Compass Book Collection. Gammon: Rachel, the pleasure has been all mine. You can read Gammon Irons’ stories of The Compass Book Collection by purchasing from Kindle. Please go to the PRESS page for a direct link to Gammon's published works on Kindle.
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