Tim Tharp
The Spectacular
Now
Alfred A. Knopf
Interview conducted
by Rita Williams-Garcia.
RWG: Which story decision are you most proud
of?
TT:
My best story ideas are not so much decisions as they
are gifts. Or perhaps they are rewards for spending
so much time mulling over the story. In any case, Sutter
Keely's voice was certainly the most important ingredient
in concocting The Spectacular Now. Several
years ago, I wrote a short story that eventually became
the scene in The Spectacular Now in which Sutter,
while hiding in the closet with a lit joint, accidentally
sets fire to his brother-in-law's thousand-dollar suit.
However, in that version, the main character was very
surly, alienated, and cynical. He wouldn't have been
much fun to spend an entire novel with. Then one night
the voice of Sutter came upon me all at once. In contrast
to the earlier character, Sutter was unflaggingly upbeat,
charming, and fun, despite his life coming unraveled
around him. I couldn't wait to wait to get to his story,
and that's how I felt the entire time I was writing
the book. When it was finished, I couldn't write anything
else for months. Sutter Keely was a hard, hard character
to let go of. I hope readers feel the same way.
RWG: You pack a lot
of wit in Sutter’s flasks. What is your favorite
“Sutterism” and why?
TT:
I enjoyed having Sutter Keely's voice in my head throughout
writing the book, so it's hard to choose just one "Sutterism,"
but I certainly relate to his motto, "Embrace the
weird." Embracing the weird means remaining curious,
non-judgemental, and open to new experiences and people,
despite their strangeness. It also means, accepting,
even celebrating, the weirder sides of ourselves. Life
would be very bland without the weird.
RWG: Uncommon
heroism is a thread that runs through the novels of
the 2008 finalists. Tell us about Sutter’s brand
of heroism (without giving away the ending, of course!).
TT:
If Sutter has any "uncommon heroism," it must
be the same kind that the fife player for Custer's Seventh
Cavalry had. Charging toward the Little Big Horn, he
keeps playing the relentlessly jaunty and rousing melody
of "Gary Owen" despite what terrible fate
might lie ahead. If asked whether it would be best to
retreat, Sutter would only wave one hand in the air
and shout, "Full speed ahead and damn the potatoes!"
 Rita
Williams-Garcia is the author of six distinguished novels
for young adults: Jumped, No Laughter Here, Every
Time a Rainbow Dies, Fast Talk on a Slow Track, Blue
Tights, and Like Sisters on the Homefront.
She has also published a picture book and has contributed
to numerous anthologies. Williams-Garcia's works have
been recognized by the Coretta Scott King Award Committee,
the PEN/Norma Klein Award, the American Library Association,
and Parents' Choice, among others. She recently served
on the National Book Award Committee for Young People's
Literature and is on faculty at Vermont College for
the MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults program.
Rita Williams-Garcia lives in Jamaica, Queens, NY and
is the mother of two daughters.
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