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2109 N. Prospect Ave.
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(414) 347-4077
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Miwaukee, WI 53202
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1-800-207-0084
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Interview with Ian Rankin
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Jon
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Ian Rankin
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| Here's part one.If there is some thing you don't
feel comfortable answering, just tell me to bugger off and move on to the
next one. For people who may live in a cave and not read any of your books yet,could you give a brief rundown of the series? |
John Rebus is a police detective working in contemporary Edinburgh and exposing a side of that elegant city which tourists and visitors never see. He's a loner, a fighter, not much of a lover. The job is his only salvation. The city itself is a central character in the series, and beyond that each book tries to focus on one part of modern-day Scotland, so that the series itself becomes a jigsaw, laying out where the country's going, and how it got to where it is. |
| Is there any of Ian Rankin in John Rebus? | A bit. The music; the loner; the drinking... But I'm nicer than him; maybe not quite so fucked up. Long time ago, he was a cipher merely, a way of telling my stories, then he started infecting me... now there's more of him in me than ever before. Addictive poison. |
| A lot of authors have had some strange jobs before they get published.What kind of things have you done before you were able to write full time? | Lots of wierd jobs. I looked after pigs, but killed one by ODing it with alcohol. I collected tax from people, that was fun. I sang in a punk band, worked as a secretary in the National Folktale Centre in London; was a hi-fi/music journalist. I worked as an alcohol researcher (asking kids about their drinking habits). Lots of strange shit. |
| I really like the music references in the books.Is music a large part of who you are? | I'm listening to some new stuff right now, bought this afternoon: Arab Strap (Scottish band; you can't dance to them); Mogwai (Scottish band; you can't dance to them either). Also today bought secondhand CDs of Prefab Sprout and Hal Ketchum - I already have both albums on tape, but am a sucker for CDs. Music is the best of me. My wife hates my musical taste; so do most of my friends. |
| Are you involved in the TV production of your books, or are you just an observer hoping it doesn't get to far off track? | I have nothing to do with the TV. The actor, John Hannah, and I went out with the producer one night and got absolutely guttered. That';s the extent of my involvement. I wish them well, I think it'll be great, but it's not my Rebus. My Rebus stays with me and inside me. |
| As a Father who writes I would guess that you get to spend more time with your kids than most Fathers.Do you think that people in general should try to spend more time with there kids? | I spend v little time with my kids: too busy touring or writing. They come home from school, I'm busy in my office. I should spend more time with them; everyone should spend more time with their kids. On the other hand, adults need space and time to themselves. That's why I like pubs: no kids... |
| You seem to be a very open and honest person.Is there any thing about you that people would be surprised to find out? | I have my little secrets; bad behaviour under the influence of bad influences. Jeez, we all need a few skeletons, especially the Protestants among us. Keep feeding that guilt, keep piling it on. |
| How much control do you have on the final books? Do you have any say in the artwork and the editing that is done? | I get a little bit of say on artwork, then the publisher usually ignores me. Actually, that's true in UK; in US, I only usually see finished artwork, so I have even less say. Editing... I trust my editor, am usually fairly amenable to change. I'm not a prima donna. |
| If you could go back in time and have a chat with a 18 year old Ian, what would you say? | I'd say get out more; I'd say cheer up; I'd say don't waste your time on poetry thinking it'll get you a harem... head straight for crime fiction. That's where the meat is. |
| I have found that authors are much more approachable than people in other parts of the entertainment industry.Why do you think this is? | Authors are human beings. Other media types are not. Actors play parts; they don't have to feel things; they're all surface (in many cases). Writers reach into their own souls and those of their characters. They feel. Musicians are in another sphere entirely, somewhere non-musos cannot wander into. Mind you, some writers I've come across, you wouldn;t wipe your arse on them.... |
| Raymond Chandler died before finishing his last Marlowe book.Robert Parker finished it,then wrote another.Would you ever consider writing someone else's charactor? | I don't think so... unless the money on offer was vast. I certainly wouldn't want anyone finishing one of MY books |
| Would you ever consider geting involved in the movie business? | I'd like to try a film or Tv script (in fact, I'm aout to embark on a TV drama, if my nerve holds). Thing is, it's writing by committee, and that's not the way I've ever written. Film execs want to know everything about the plot/story BEFORE you start writing, and essentially I make things up as I go along; I'm not organised enough to make it as a script writer. Plus all those rewrites... ugh! |
| Are you a pracitcal joker? | Now and then. When some friends were away once, I stole a 'For Sale' sign and put it up next to their house as a homecoming gift. But practical jokes take effort, and these days I try to keep all effort to a minimum.... |
| What would be a perfect weekend for you? | Perfect weekend: out on the bevvy (alcohol) with some pals, maybe hit some record shops, go see a football match, then sober up in the evening, a bath and a shave, and out for a meal with my wife. That's the Saturday. Sunday, I'd stay in bed late, then assassinate the royal family. |
| What is the weirdest experience you ever had with a fan? | I've had a few. The 'fan' who painted the name WOLFMAN (name of one of my serial killers) at the scene of one of the murders. The fan who's a dentist and sent me check-lists of all the mentions of teeth in the Rebus books (she's a very nice lady, as it turns out, but I didn't know that then). Strange rambling letters from a German woman.... |
| Are there any movies you have seen that have left a real lasting impression on you? | I don't know. Instead, here are some films I love: The Godfather, Goodfellas, The Big Chill, Toy Story, Singles, Terminator, Apocalypse Now, Blade Runner.... |
| Aside from writing and touring, what occupies your time? | Reading, listening to music, pub life. My two kids take up some time, too. |
| What are some of your pet peeves? | Noisy neighbours - I imagine taking an AK-47 to them. Religious bigotry (as in Catholics v Protestants). |
| Do you ever start a book, and have something happen to change the direction from what you had planned? | Happens all the time. Like with the one I finished a couple of months back. Was going to be first book in a trilogy aout Scottish parliament... but guy who was going to be in all three books (making it a trilogy), well, I bumped him off on page 50. Didn't want to; the story made me do it. No idea who killed him or why. |
| What is the one thing always in your icebox? | $200,000 worth of cocaine and a 9mm Beretta. |
Interviews may not be used without permission of Mystery One or Jon Jordan
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