The Memories We Keep is told quite convincingly from the perspective of a young woman. Was it difficult writing in the voice of someone so far removed from your own experience? What experiences or techniques did you rely on to create such a strong female voice?
I did not use any particular techniques that I know of, but I did meet a woman, who I call Mia in my book, who told me how she suffered and what she intended to do with her life. I kept hearing her voice in my head, and I could almost see her as I wrote this book. I did a lot of research on what happened in the Warsaw ghetto and spoke to some people who were there. I also had a good understanding of how people were treated and how many died at the hands of the Nazis. Obviously the experiences in Brooklyn were easy for me. I was born and raised in that area. As a young man I dated while growing up in Brooklyn. I used some of those experiences and weaved them into the story.
The first line in the book opens us with a subtle and apt description of tension at the Lebanese-Israeli border in 1975. Given your experience fighting in World War II, what are some of your particular feelings and concerns about the current crisis in the Middle East?
When I think about the crises in the Middle East I think of so many young people dying for a cause I really don't understand. There was a purpose for World War II. You knew who your enemy was. I keep wondering how our troops recognize the enemy now. In Iraq and Afghanistan, many of our soldiers are being killed by car bombs set off by civilians who appear to be friends but then blow themselves up and kill innocent people. In Iraq, no doubt, the terrorists are not dressed in military uniforms so you don't know who they are. This is a different war. It is even more frightening than World War II. As for tension between Lebanon and Israel, this goes back to 1948 when Israel was declared a country by the United Nations. It was apparent then, after Israel obtained status as a nation, that the Arab world tried to destroy the new country. There will always be war between Israel and the Arab nations because there are people in that part of the world who don't want Israel to exist.
Were any of the novel's characters based on actual people you encountered during your tours of duty?
Some of the people I met during the liberation of Paris became characters in the book in different ways.
Many of the "evil" characters in the book—even the worst of the Nazis—are capable of human kindness. In turn, some of the novel's heroes commit unspeakable acts. Why does this theme of moral ambiguity feature so prominently in The Memories We Keep?
It is said that war makes animals of humans. During combat you lose your perspective and turn into someone you are really not. When you finally take off the uniform you become a different person. Sometimes goodness does triumph over evil. There are some Germans who hid Jews and some Germans who tried to help American soldiers. Not all were bad.
The book's narrative nearly hums with melody and rhythm—in fact music is almost its own character in the story. How has music affected you as a person and as a writer throughout the years?
I happen to love music and art. Sometimes I think I should have been an artist or maybe a musician. I remember my father playing operas on his own phonograph. My son loves music too. He played piano and organ. I am jealous of him because he played music, and I never had the opportunity to play. At the age of seventy I took piano lessons and learned to play classical music. I am now learning to play jazz. Music has been an important part of my life. For the past twenty-five years I have had season tickets to the Symphony and the Opera at Lincoln Center. I also enjoy the Ballet. I find music very relaxing and it takes my mind off work.
Though the story ends on a positive note, this is certainly not your traditional "happy ending," as Mia's tremendous loss and suffering haunt us long after putting down the book. What led you to forego the traditional "happily ever after" ending so popular in contemporary books and films?
The war was real and the people who suffered were real. Sometimes I read books with happy endings and think they are just fairy tales. I wanted everyone to understand how the people suffered and how the war affected their entire lives.
You describe the settings in the book in such vivid detail. It is as if the reader is in each of the cities. Did you revisit these cities to do research while you were writing the novel or were the details about these locations forever etched in your memory?
I visited a few of the places in the book, but I also did a fair amount of research by reading about the different cities and areas Mia traveled to. When she left the ghetto and planned a trip to Switzerland I had to research those areas, especially the lake she crossed into Switzerland. Obviously I know a fair amount about Paris. I interviewed a number of people who were in the Warsaw ghetto. The part of the book concerning the war is etched in my mind. As for Israel, I visited Israel a number of times and am somewhat familiar with life on a Kibbutz.
You have lived an extraordinary life—soldier, husband, father, publisher, world traveler, musician, author. You have achieved more than many people ever aspire to. What is next for you? Is there anything you have always wanted to do that you have set your sights on next?
We are setting up a small motion picture division in California to produce African-American films. For a long time I wanted to push Kensington into the motion picture area. We are finally moving in that direction. This is a very exciting adventure. My creative partner on the West Coast is Roy Campanella II, who has been my friend for twenty-five years. It is ironic that I watched his father catch for the Brooklyn Dodgers a long time ago. Some time in April I will be announcing another person who will be joining this venture. Frankly, I would also like to see my book as a motion picture. This would cap my many years of publishing. Seeing your own book on the screen is a dream I think most authors relish. I originally wrote the book with a motion picture in mind.
The Memories We Keep is an unforgettable, moving, and haunting novel. Are you working on a new novel or was this the one story you felt compelled to tell?
I am working on an outline for a new book that I have in mind. It has absolutely nothing to do with WW II or the Holocaust.
I did not use any particular techniques that I know of, but I did meet a woman, who I call Mia in my book, who told me how she suffered and what she intended to do with her life. I kept hearing her voice in my head, and I could almost see her as I wrote this book. I did a lot of research on what happened in the Warsaw ghetto and spoke to some people who were there. I also had a good understanding of how people were treated and how many died at the hands of the Nazis. Obviously the experiences in Brooklyn were easy for me. I was born and raised in that area. As a young man I dated while growing up in Brooklyn. I used some of those experiences and weaved them into the story.
The first line in the book opens us with a subtle and apt description of tension at the Lebanese-Israeli border in 1975. Given your experience fighting in World War II, what are some of your particular feelings and concerns about the current crisis in the Middle East?
When I think about the crises in the Middle East I think of so many young people dying for a cause I really don't understand. There was a purpose for World War II. You knew who your enemy was. I keep wondering how our troops recognize the enemy now. In Iraq and Afghanistan, many of our soldiers are being killed by car bombs set off by civilians who appear to be friends but then blow themselves up and kill innocent people. In Iraq, no doubt, the terrorists are not dressed in military uniforms so you don't know who they are. This is a different war. It is even more frightening than World War II. As for tension between Lebanon and Israel, this goes back to 1948 when Israel was declared a country by the United Nations. It was apparent then, after Israel obtained status as a nation, that the Arab world tried to destroy the new country. There will always be war between Israel and the Arab nations because there are people in that part of the world who don't want Israel to exist.
Were any of the novel's characters based on actual people you encountered during your tours of duty?
Some of the people I met during the liberation of Paris became characters in the book in different ways.
Many of the "evil" characters in the book—even the worst of the Nazis—are capable of human kindness. In turn, some of the novel's heroes commit unspeakable acts. Why does this theme of moral ambiguity feature so prominently in The Memories We Keep?
It is said that war makes animals of humans. During combat you lose your perspective and turn into someone you are really not. When you finally take off the uniform you become a different person. Sometimes goodness does triumph over evil. There are some Germans who hid Jews and some Germans who tried to help American soldiers. Not all were bad.
The book's narrative nearly hums with melody and rhythm—in fact music is almost its own character in the story. How has music affected you as a person and as a writer throughout the years?
I happen to love music and art. Sometimes I think I should have been an artist or maybe a musician. I remember my father playing operas on his own phonograph. My son loves music too. He played piano and organ. I am jealous of him because he played music, and I never had the opportunity to play. At the age of seventy I took piano lessons and learned to play classical music. I am now learning to play jazz. Music has been an important part of my life. For the past twenty-five years I have had season tickets to the Symphony and the Opera at Lincoln Center. I also enjoy the Ballet. I find music very relaxing and it takes my mind off work.
Though the story ends on a positive note, this is certainly not your traditional "happy ending," as Mia's tremendous loss and suffering haunt us long after putting down the book. What led you to forego the traditional "happily ever after" ending so popular in contemporary books and films?
The war was real and the people who suffered were real. Sometimes I read books with happy endings and think they are just fairy tales. I wanted everyone to understand how the people suffered and how the war affected their entire lives.
You describe the settings in the book in such vivid detail. It is as if the reader is in each of the cities. Did you revisit these cities to do research while you were writing the novel or were the details about these locations forever etched in your memory?
I visited a few of the places in the book, but I also did a fair amount of research by reading about the different cities and areas Mia traveled to. When she left the ghetto and planned a trip to Switzerland I had to research those areas, especially the lake she crossed into Switzerland. Obviously I know a fair amount about Paris. I interviewed a number of people who were in the Warsaw ghetto. The part of the book concerning the war is etched in my mind. As for Israel, I visited Israel a number of times and am somewhat familiar with life on a Kibbutz.
You have lived an extraordinary life—soldier, husband, father, publisher, world traveler, musician, author. You have achieved more than many people ever aspire to. What is next for you? Is there anything you have always wanted to do that you have set your sights on next?
We are setting up a small motion picture division in California to produce African-American films. For a long time I wanted to push Kensington into the motion picture area. We are finally moving in that direction. This is a very exciting adventure. My creative partner on the West Coast is Roy Campanella II, who has been my friend for twenty-five years. It is ironic that I watched his father catch for the Brooklyn Dodgers a long time ago. Some time in April I will be announcing another person who will be joining this venture. Frankly, I would also like to see my book as a motion picture. This would cap my many years of publishing. Seeing your own book on the screen is a dream I think most authors relish. I originally wrote the book with a motion picture in mind.
The Memories We Keep is an unforgettable, moving, and haunting novel. Are you working on a new novel or was this the one story you felt compelled to tell?
I am working on an outline for a new book that I have in mind. It has absolutely nothing to do with WW II or the Holocaust.
