|
BIO
Tim Green has always been an avid reader, and he followed his years as a star defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons with such New York Times bestselling books as THE DARK SIDE OF THE GAME and a dozen suspense novels, including EXACT REVENGE and AMERICAN OUTRAGE. Tim Green lives with his wife, Illyssa, and their five children in upstate New York.
Back to top.
AUTHOR TALK
 March 2003
In this interview, Tim Green, author of THE FIFTH ANGEL discusses his latest book, THE FIFTH ANGEL, children's safety in our current environment, and balancing work and family.
Q: THE FIFTH ANGEL tells the tale of every parent's nightmare. What are the inherent flaws in the system that allow Level-3 sex offenders to repeat their crimes? As both a parent and a lawyer, what do you see as the solution to this incredible problem?
TG: First, and foremost, the system punishes them as if they were a murderer or a thief who might not commit the same crime again because they are somehow deterred by the thought of punishment. However, it is generally accepted that level-3 sex criminals will never stop their aberrant behavior. In my opinion, the justice system needs to better protect the rest of us from these criminals through some permanent form of either incarceration or constant house arrest combined with electronic monitoring.
The second problem with the current system is that it fails to proactively warn the innocent public when Level-3 sex offenders are in their midst. This information is available, but a person would have to regularly go to the local police station and review the sex-offender registry. Currently, these criminals can move into a community and live next to a school or playground without the parents or children in the area knowing of the imminent danger. I think police should be required by law to publish the whereabouts of any sex offenders within a community so people can be forewarned.
Q: Jack and Janet's compelling story seems tragically ripped from recent headlines. Is America becoming less safe for its children?
TG: I don't think we are necessarily less safe. I think the national media has the power to focus on these stories. Sometimes they do and our awareness is heightened. Often times they don't and we lapse into a false sense of security. These monsters have been with us always, and while I think it's not unlikely that the depravity on the fringes of our society has increased and thereby fostered more of this aberrant behavior, I also believe that parents and children are better educated and therefore better armed to protect themselves.
Q: Do you see parts of yourself in Jack Ruskin, the main character of the novel?
TG: I relate to Jack Ruskin's lust for revenge as well as his moral dilemma at taking another human life. If my children, God forbid, were ever harmed by anyone, I believe I would feel justified in killing their tormentors. I'm sure, however, that I would also feel great unease with the blood of another human being on my hands and experience the same doubts and despair that plagues Jack. I also believe that, like Jack, because I know the intricacies of the law, I would be able to commit a vengeful act without a high probability of being caught.
Q: THE FIFTH ANGEL refers to a passage from Revelation. How does that passage speak to you as a novelist, a father, and a member of the legal community?
TG: In the book of Revelation, we are promised that in the end of time, God will inflict pain on the minions of evil as retribution for their heinous acts. As a lawyer, I realize that retribution is an important part of our criminal justice system. If people don't feel that the law has inflicted enough punishment on the perpetrators of crimes, then they are more likely to act outside the confines of the law, thereby breeding more crime. As a writer, and as a person, I also crave justice in part through retribution. I must admit, although the spiritual side of me begs to differ, there is a certain satisfaction in seeing an eye taken for an eye.
Q: Besides your careers as novelist, sportscaster, and lawyer, you are a devoted husband and father. What's your advice on balancing work and family?
TG: Family first. This is easy to say, but difficult to do in our complex and demanding world. I do know, however, that it can be done. The trick is to put family events into our schedules as if they were important business or doctor's appointments. If my daughter has a concert, that goes on my calendar weeks in advance. I do the same thing with sporting events, dinner dates with my wife, and reading to the third grade. I then schedule the rest of my life around those things. It doesn't mean you don't have conflicts that arise from unusual circumstances or other essential responsibilities, but superseding a family event must be the exception rather than the rule. Prioritizing our lives according to the things that really matter most, gives us an equanimity that engenders creativity and strength. Nothing is truer than the adage: I never met anyone who on his deathbed said, "I wish I'd spent more time at the office."
Q: You've run the gamut of men's dream jobs, from NFL football player, to Comedy Central host, to author, to corporate lawyer. What's the secret to your success?
TG: Hard work and humility. Hard work is the foundation of every true success. There is no easy way to succeed and stay there. I never buy lottery tickets. If what I really wanted was $100 million, then I would devise a plan and devote every free hour I had outside my family to getting it. The odds might only be ten to one or even a hundred to one that I would succeed, but they would be much greater than the ten million to one odds of winning a lottery. Humility is important because no success comes without failure. To attain great heights, you must expect to fall many times over. Getting up is the key, and humility allows us to do that without becoming embittered. Some people are successful but angry, and to me, that is an empty existence.
Q: What's next for Tim Green?
TG: I know I will continue to work hard at being the best father and husband I can be. I would like to continue traveling to Italy every few years with my wife and even see some other places around the world. I plan on continuing to coach my children's sports teams. As an author, I aspire to be a franchise novelist for Warner Books, to become a perennial number one bestseller, and never to lose my fervor to advance my craft as a writer. I'd also like to see my books made into major motion pictures.
The world of television I liken to a board game where a cast of the die can prove to be more important than years of carefully honed skill. I will continue to cast my die and see where that takes me, but without losing a minute of sleep over where that will be.
I will also continue to work at my law firm. I enjoy the people I work with, the challenges of the profession, and the financial foundation it affords me.
There are other things I hope to try in the coming years. This spring I will teach my first honors writing class at Syracuse University and would be surprised if that doesn't lead to more teaching. Politics are a possibility, so is a Ph.D. in History. So, the truth is, I don't know exactly what's next. I can only hope that it will be as satisfying and as adventuresome as what already has been.
© Copyright 2003, Tim Green. All rights reserved.
 Click here now to buy this book from Amazon.com.
© Copyright 1996-2010, Bookreporter.com. All rights reserved.
Back to top.
|
