Q & A with Gerald Mercer

1. What was your favourite book(s) when you were a child?

I loved Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. I also read a series of Science Fiction books by Raymond Abrashkin and Jay Williams. The main character was Danny Dunn, an interesting young fellow that used ingenuity and science to create and solve problems.

2. What are you reading now?

As a school principal, I like to read a variety of children’s books and youth novels. I particularly enjoyed A Single Shard by Avi. I try to read some light novels in those rare times I have a few moments to read. I just finished John Grisham’s Bleachers and am reading The Innocent man: A True Story.

3. What character from your book(s) is the most like you? What one would you most like to be?

That is a hard question. Emma has many of the curiosity traits that I have, but Thomas and Jeffrey have keen interests like I do. Hmm-m-m . . . perhaps I’ll have to say that I am a bit of them all.

4. When do you like to write (time of day, day of week)? Where do you do your writing (location)?

I am a morning person. I write in a place that is organized and without too many distractions. Sometimes that is in my shed in Musgrave Harbour, in my summer house (we call it “The Getaway” and I have been threatening to put a flap over the word “The” so that I can flip it over when I have a lot of work to do), and in my basement office at home in Mount Pearl. I like natural light, so the window over my right shoulder when I sit at my writing desk is important to me. 

5. What was your first piece in print (book, review, or article, etc)?

I remember writing a poem that was published in my school’s newsletter. That experience drove me to continue to write. I always thought I could write and prided myself in putting words on paper that were legible and well laid-out graphically. When someone looked at my writing, they knew it was mine because of the way in which the words were placed on the page.

6. What other jobs have you had besides being a writer?

I have worked at student employment jobs, such as being a special constable. I have also worked as a tourist information officer, a photographer, a teacher, and a school principal.

7. What kind of music do you listen to?

I have listened to almost every genre possible. Unfortunately, I have not really kept up with contemporary music, although I do like it a lot. I enjoy music that plays in the background when I am working. That music cannot be too loud or dramatic. Instead, I like music that I can hum along with and that makes me feel relaxed.

8. What is your favourite movie(s)?

I love the classic musicals such as The Sound of Music. Recently, my writing projects and school work have not given me the opportunity to sit and watch many current movies. I have enjoyed the Harry Potter movies, though. And, I agree with what most people say, reading the books is better than watching the movies.

9. What is your favourite food?

I have too many favourites in this category. I do enjoy trying different cuisine. If I choose to go out for dinner, I would choose to go to a restaurant that serves a dinner that is unlike anything I could ever prepare at home. I like Thai food dishes, moderately spiced dishes, and the traditional. Variety is my choice.

10. Make a question of your own and then answer it.

Why did you write a children’s book set in Newfoundland and Labrador?

There is something unique in this province that can be found inside each and every person who lives here. As I think about our history and the things that we take for granted as Newfoundlanders and Labradorians, I begin to wonder how and why we are letting that uniqueness erode and slip away. As a society, we have always compared ourselves to our neighbours. We have relied on the water and used the land to advantage, even under the most challenging of circumstances. Yet, as the world becomes smaller, our children are watching and partaking in the cultural delights offered by our neighbours. Our neighbours see our uniqueness, enjoy it, and often celebrate it. We need to celebrate our own heritage, too, and rekindle the value that we used to have in things from our pasts.