BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we interviewed Christopher Gould about his writing and his recently released novel, The Boys & Girls of America, a character-based twisty mystery. (Read the review here.)  

The Boys & Girls of America is described as the “quintessential novel of Generation X.” Where does this descriptor come from? Do you consider this novel a love letter to a time of your life?

The Boys & Girls of America is undoubtedly a love letter to my college years. It was a pretty formative time in my life and I’ve always wanted to write about it. As for the descriptor, it’s a term a lit agent used after having reviewed my work. I’m of the opinion that most novels/films/television depict Generation X in a stereotypical manner. As such, I’ve tried to render Xers in a more accurate light.

Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?

I’ve always wanted to write a novel centering on the Gen X college experience. I had the title in my head way back when I was writing my first novel, The George Stories, but I wasn’t sure I’d ever get around to it. The real springboard, though, was a Vanity Fair article about Generation X written by Rich Cohen. It’s probably the finest article about Generation X I’ve come across. As for the character arc of my protagonist, James Castle, that was something that developed during the pre-writing stage. I always knew James was going to be an outsider, but his precise circumstances were something that evolved over time.

The Boys & Girls of America isn’t your first foray into publishing and authorship. What did you learn from publishing your first novel, The George Stories, that you carried into the process of publishing The Boys and Girls of America?

I certainly learned a ton from the publication of The George Stories. Foremost, though, was simply having the confidence and wherewithal that I could write another novel since I’d done it once before. Writing fiction, regardless of how much you believe in yourself, is a form of madness and there’s always a degree of self-doubt. I tend to be an emotional, instinctual writer so I’ve had to learn to harness that. It’s the kind of thing that only comes from experience—from pecking away at the keys, by the hour.

What’s one thing you wish you had known about writing before you started publishing your work?

I didn’t start writing fiction until my mid-twenties. So, my single biggest wish is that I discovered writing sooner. I had a lot of catching up to do in order to get my writing to a publishable level. Regrettably, if I’d gotten an earlier start, I might well be further along than I am.

What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?

In no particular order, Capote, Salinger, and Nabokov come to mind. It’s an exhaustive list really. As for contemporary writers, DeLillo and Dave Foster Wallace are featured heavily on my bookshelf. DeLillo’s Underworld was especially vital when it comes to The Boys & Girls of America. Not so much in terms of plot, but rather from a structural standpoint—of taking a fairly straightforward opening chapter and making what follows anything but.

Is there something you have learned from your students that you carry into your writing?

My students are a constant reminder of youth and all that adolescence entails. There’s a Pearl Jam lyric that posits, “All that’s sacred comes from youth,” and I’m no doubt a firm believer in that statement.

What’s one thing about ‘90s pop culture that you wish was still popular today?

This is a difficult question because there’s so much I love about that era. I guess I’d have to say the music. Whether it be the grunge scene or alternative rock, there’s not a lot of those bands around anymore. There’s an earnestness to that era of music that seems much harder to find today.

What’s next for you?

I’m in the very early stages of my next novel. It’s a topic I’ve always wanted to explore. As much as I’d like to share more, that would be premature.

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