Wringer (14 page)

Authors: Jerry Spinelli

BOOK: Wringer

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Questions for Jerry Spinelli

1.
WRINGER
is based on such a unique event: the annual Pigeon Day. Where did you get that idea, and what made you decide to write a book about it?

Every September I would read about the annual pigeon shoot in a town about a hundred miles away. I knew there was a story there, but I didn't know the way into itâuntil I read of the wringer boys. I asked myself the question, What would happen if, in a town that kills pigeons, one kid doesn't want to? I followed that question into the story.

2.
Palmer takes very good care of Nipper, and your writing about their relationship is so realistic. Have you ever had a pet bird or other animal?

I've never had a pet bird, but I have had pet rats, which I've written of in other books.

3.
Some of the characters' names in
WRINGER
are pretty unusual (Palmer, Nipper, Beans, Mutto).
How did you nameâand nicknameâyour characters?

Creating names to me is like shopping for clothes: you keep trying on stuff until you find something that looks right, feels right, fits. Kids, of course, nickname each other. Sometimes nicknames are merely descriptive or evocative (Beans, Mutto). Sometimes they carry a connotation. With Palmer, aka “Snots,” I wanted to emphasize his craving for group acceptance by happily accepting a derisive nickname.

4.
Are any of the characters in
WRINGER
based on real people?

I'm sure there are bits of real people, including myself, in most of the characters, but none of them as a whole was inspired by any particular person.

5.
Which is your favorite character in
WRINGER
, and what is it about him or her that you are especially proud of?
I guess I'm partial to Dorothy. Her spunk helps steer Palmer in the right direction. No offense to Palmer, but I guess my second-favorite character is Nipper.

6.
Have you experienced any of the situations or events you wrote about in
WRINGER
?

Yes, I've been knuckled!

7.
There's so much detail in the description of Nipper and the pigeons. How much research did you conduct about pigeons before writing the story?

I went to a city park and sat on a bench and watched pigeons walk by and took notes one day. And I read a few books.

8.
What reactions have you had from readers about
WRINGER
?

Many readers seem to identify with Nipper and wish a pigeon would land on their windowsill too.

9.
How do you want readers to react to Palmer and his story?

I would like readers to make the same decision Palmer does: to value life and humanity over group pressure.

About the Author

JERRY SPINELLI is one of the most gifted storytellers in contemporary children's literature. His books include the Newbery Medal winner
MANIAC MAGEE; LOSER; STARGIRL; CRASH; SPACE STATION SEVENTH GRADE; JASON AND MARCELINE; WHO PUT THAT HAIR IN MY TOOTHBRUSH?; THERE'S A GIRL IN MY HAMMERLOCK; THE LIBRARY CARD;
and
KNOTS IN MY YO-YO STRING
, his autobiography. Jerry Spinelli lives with his wife, Eileen, who is also a writer, in Williamstown, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Gettysburg College.

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Other books by Jerry Spinelli

M
ANIAC
M
AGEE

S
PACE
S
TATION
S
EVENTH
G
RADE

J
ASON AND
M
ARCELINE

W
HO
P
UT
T
HAT
H
AIR IN
M
Y
T
OOTHBRUSH
?

T
HERE'S A
G
IRL IN
M
Y
H
AMMERLOCK

C
RASH

T
HE
L
IBRARY
C
ARD

S
TARGIRL

L
OSER

Copyright

WRINGER
. Copyright Â© 1997 by Jerry Spinelli. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

ePub edition January 2008 ISBN: 9780061757525
Version 12102012

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