Deborah Wiles | Writers' Voices

Two time National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles is leading the way in writing documentary novels for young adults (and adults too) as well as middle grade fiction and children’s picture books. Her 60’s trilogy, “Countdown”, “Revolution” and “Anthem” recount historical events of her own childhood from the perspective of a fictional narrator. Talking with Deborah about her books reminded me of Forrest Gump – she had a close connection with many major historical events, such as spending the summer with family in Mississippi during Freedom Summer.

I can’t say when I’ve enjoyed an interview more. Deborah has so much insight into both the writing process, and the topics that she has researched extensively, then found a way to convey the information through story. Her current book “Kent State” is told from six perspectives, all unnamed but easily identifiable – students, townspeople, Guardsmen. Sadly, our conversation was recorded the same week that our current President pledged to send in the National Guard to dominate the streets once again in reaction to the Black Lives Matter protests.

This is a good reminder that “those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.”

You’re growing up in an environment that you understand as a child, you are bombarded perhaps with lots of stimulation or sensory input or whatever it may be, but to parse that out and understand it later may be the task of a lifetime, and it sort of turned out to be that way for me as a writer.

Deborah Wiles

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