Interview: January 2010
In this interview with Kidsreads.com's Melanie Smith, Dr. Cuthbert Soup --- author and narrator of A WHOLE NOTHER STORY --- recounts the series of events that inspired him to chronicle the madcap adventures of Ethan Cheeseman and his children, and discusses the similarities between his own family and the characters in his debut. He also shares his thoughts on nurturing creativity in young minds, names a few of his favorite humor writers, and muses on the possibility of carrying on the Cheesemans' story in several sequels.
Kidsreads.com: As the inventor of the world's first time machine, Ethan Cheeseman and his family find themselves in immediate danger at the behest of all kinds of sinister covert agencies across the globe. This hair-raising, humorous adventure takes readers on a slightly silly chase of rival spies after one sensible physicist and his three charming children, as well as Steve the sock puppet and Pinky the psychic dog. Packed into their speedy station wagon, they manage to stay one step ahead of the suits, surviving by their wits alone and through Pinky's own marvelous talent. What inspired you with the idea behind this wonderfully inventive story? And how long did you spend writing it?
Dr. Cuthbert Soup: I’m so glad you asked me that question, because if I had asked you it might have resulted in some confusion.
My inspiration for writing the book came one otherwise very ordinary day when I returned to my extravagant mansion and opened my equally extravagant mailbox. (It has its own bowling alley.) Tucked between yet another request for money from Rutherford, my evil step-twin, and a coupon for one dollar off on a pizza made entirely of cheese, was a postcard featuring a photo of the World’s Largest Hat.
Flipping the postcard over to its non-giant hat side, I saw that it was from Ethan Cheeseman, an old college chum from Southwestern North Dakota State University. As I read his words I was shocked and devastated to learn that his lovely wife, Olivia, had been murdered by evil villains (for my money, the worst kind of villains), forcing Ethan and his family to go on the run. If something should happen to him or to the children, he wanted to make sure his story was told. I was honored that he had entrusted that duty to his old friend, Bertie, as I was known in those heady days at good old SWNDSU.
I began receiving postcards on a regular basis, sometimes as many as four or five per week, each one relaying in detail Ethan’s desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of an ever-growing number of pursuers while he worked to perfect his greatest invention --- one he hoped could be used to save the life of the woman he and his children loved so dearly.
And so I began the arduous task of turning a ton of postcards and letters (which may weigh the same as a ton of bricks but takes up a lot more room) into A WHOLE NOTHER STORY. The entire process took a very long time. You see, unlike most writers today, I do not use a computer. I write the old-fashioned way: on the walls of caves. (Unlike computers, they rarely crash.) Using a blend of seven different berries smooshed together, the end result is, perhaps, the only book you will ever read that is made with 10% real fruit juice.
There. I hope you were able to answer my question.
KRC: Though the tone of A WHOLE NOTHER STORY is light, education and morality play a major role thematically. The Cheeseman children are bright, happy kids who have benefitted greatly from a good education and from the knowledge and support of their parents. They believe in their own ability to make a difference and seem to have a well-developed sense of conscience. Mr. Cheeseman's specialized knowledge of science also leads directly to some of his children's extraordinary talents. Are there any specific messages about education and morality that you want young readers to take away from your book?
CS: Being that I hold a PhD in Unsolicited Advice, you can imagine that I am a great proponent of education and I always advise children to stay in school. And not just until they finish grade 12. I recommend staying in school until at least the age of 30. The real world can be a scary place, so why not avoid it for as long as possible?
As far as morality goes, I can only say that Ethan and Olivia have done a commendable job in raising such a fine group of children. Or is it a herd of children? I must look that up.
KRC: In its humor, A WHOLE NOTHER STORY reminds me of books by Lemony Snicket and Shel Silverstein. It's a silly, smart brand of comedy that makes for a cheerful, enthusiastic story that never comes off the least bit serious. It's the exact style of humor that my nine-year-old son will really get a kick out of, to the point where he'll end up retelling all the jokes in the book repeatedly. Do you find writing humor to be easy and natural? And who are your favorite humorous writers?
CS: Actually I find it difficult not to write humorously, a personality trait that caused me to be unceremoniously fired from my very first job writing obituaries for my local newspaper. Apparently there is “nothing funny” about spontaneous combustion.
As far as other writers go, I have always enjoyed the humor of Douglas Adams and Kurt Vonnegut. Sadly, they have both passed away, neither from spontaneous combustion.
KRC: On the first page, you joke that your characters are real, though they may seem similar to cartoons. Dare I ask?! Though it seems risky, I must find out if there is any truth in the notion that they are based upon real people, perhaps even your family.
CS: Because we’re dealing with are real people here, it would be impossible to base them on anyone, though I do admit to some similarities between the Cheesmans and my own family. Like the Cheesemans, we also lived a very nomadic existence. You see, when I was a kid, my father was in the army so we moved around a lot because he was a deserter.
Also, while the Cheesemans have a hairless, psychic dog that drinks from the toilet, we had a hairless goldfish that eventually died and had to be flushed.
KRC: I felt that the Cheesemans make very good role models for kids. They're a kind of super-family and are certainly not afraid of being themselves. Do you view the Cheeseman family as an ideal for young readers?
CS: I do think the Cheesemans are the ideal family and the kind I wish I had growing up. Other than my evil step-twin, Rutherford, I was an only child and always desired to be part of a family in which siblings generally care about one another and don’t steal their step-twin’s shoes and throw them onto the roof.
KRC: A WHOLE NOTHER STORY plays up the power of invention. As the book's narrator, you mention some monumental inventions with a huge impact on the world. Was encouraging creative minds in children a part of your motivation for writing the book?
CS: There are those who would argue that encouraging creativity in children can be dangerous and may result in kids just making stuff up all the time. Two-plus-two equals George Washington, for instance. I am not one of these people. I, like my friend, Ethan Cheeseman, am adamantly in favor of cultivating a child’s creativity. After all, who wants to grow up in a world where two-plus-two always equals Abraham Lincoln?
KRC: The family dog, Pinky, is lovable and one of the story's greatest heroes. She's faithful to the end and has an unusual power, gained in a specific way just after Mrs. Cheeseman's death. She is psychic, which means specifically that she has the ability to sense if someone means the family harm. What inspired you to create a pet hero, and how did you choose her particular power?
CS: Who wouldn’t want a dog like Pinky? She is, perhaps, the most heroic dog since Lassie. Actually, given the choice, I would take Pinky over Lassie any day. Whereas Lassie would run and get help after little Timmy had fallen down a well, Pinky would warn little Timmy of the danger beforehand, thus averting the need for all those firemen, paramedics and network news helicopters.
KRC: As the narrator, between chapters, you intersperse friendly advice with the main story. There is much "unsolicited advice" on subjects such as time travel, safe driving, and even being a good mother. These tidbits I felt were so creative and serve as a sort of bookmark for many of your jokes. Was this writing approach planned from the beginning, and was the design meant for kids to refer back to their favorite jokes?
CS: Unsolicited advice is no joke, sir. And, as founder and president of the National Center for Unsolicited Advice, I consider it my duty to meddle in the lives of others whenever the opportunity arises. I consider the advice columns interspersed through the book to be commercial breaks for common sense of which there is simply too little in today’s world.
KRC: The story's conclusion has some pleasant surprises and is left with an open ending, leading to the immediate question about the possibility of a follow-up. Is there a sequel planned to A WHOLE NOTHER STORY, and if so, will we ever find out just what was in those mysterious pills of Mrs. Cheeseman's stash?
CS: As the post cards keep pouring in, I am currently busy working in my cave each day on the second installment of Ethan’s fabulous story, which will be titled ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY. After that will come ANOTHER OTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY and, if I have my druthers, THE MOTHER OF ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY. Hopefully, by then, the Cheeseman’s ordeal will be over and I will not be forced to write BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER OF ANOTHER OTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY.
KRC: What are your future writing plans?
CS: Once the Cheesemans’ story has been told I have plans to write a Broadway musical based on the life of Chester A. Arthur, our nation’s least famous president, a fact for which he has become quite well known. It will be performed entirely by sock puppets. On ice. In German.
