What is his favorite quote? “Watch it, sucka.” --Aunt Esther, Sanford & Son
Enjoy!
Andrea: What is the significance of the title, 'Bereft?'
Craig: The title comes from a William Blake poem called “The Little Black Boy.” The ending lines of the poem are, “White as an angel is the English child/But I am black, as if be’reaved of light.” The novel deals with issues of self-loathing, and angel imagery is woven throughout the text.
Andrea: Can you share a little about the book?
Craig: The book is about Rafael Fannen, a 14 year old boy who gets a scholarship to an exclusive Catholic school. In addition to being one of the few black students at the school, he is also gay, but unable to accept that about himself. Rafe struggles with racism, bullying and homophobia. He also has problems at home as well. “Bereft” is a novel about how Rafe finds a way to survive.
Andrea: Where did the idea for the plot come from, and did you ever worry about how readers would interpret any aspect of the story?
Craig: The idea of the story came from my life. I went to an exclusive prep school where I was one of the few African American students, and I was miserable. While there is an autobiographical aspect to the book, it is heavily fictionalized.
Andrea: Please tell us about some of your previous writing awards, and your most recent nomination.
Craig: I received the Susan C. Petrey scholarship to attend the Clarion West Writing Workshop in 1996. My fantasy story “A Bird of Ice” was long-listed for the 2008 Gaylactic Spectrum Awards, and my debut collection, Sea, Swallow Me & Other Stories was a finalist for the 2009 Lambda Literary Award. I recently learned that Bereft was accepted for judging in the NAACP Image Awards in the Teen Lit category.
Andrea: Who is your target audience?
Craig: The target audience is black youth. I insisted that my publisher have a young black man’s face on the cover; so many book covers are ‘white-washed,’ and black people are almost always absent from YA book covers. However, the book is for everyone. Anyone who’s been treated like an outcast can identify with Rafe.
Andrea: Have you found DC to be an 'author-friendly' city?
Craig: Not really! DC is very much a company town, and the creative profession doesn’t rank high on people’s radars. That being said, there are a lot of creative folks (writers, actors, artists, musicians) in the area. But they are underground, in a way.
Andrea: What is one thing that surprised you about the publishing industry, and how did you navigate through it?
Craig: How much work you have to do to promote your work, even if you are published by the Big Six. These days, you have to be your own Publicity Agent, and it’s a completely different skill set than writing. I’m introspective and hermetic; but in order to promote your book, you have to be outgoing and more “on” than I’m used to.
Andrea: Please share your book's purchase link(s), website and social media information.
Craig: You can purchase the book at any online retailer (e.g. Powells, Amazon, Barnes & Noble). It is also on the Kindle and the Nook. My website is craiglaurancegidney.com and my Twitter handle is ethereallad. Thanks to Andrea for the opportunity to share this information to her audience.
I appreciate Craig's visit, and yours, too! Click this Amazon link to read the synopsis of Bereft, or to make a purchase. I am rooting for him to win the NAACP Image Award in the Teen Lit category.
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