Interview Topics

1) Martin Luther King Jr. has a quote that inspired a lot of the plot of the Bootleggers’ Chronicles- “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Various characters respond to the lawlessness of prohibition and the circumstances of the boy’s (Oskar’s) disappearance differently.

2) Entrepreneurship- Prohibition created a huge economic opportunity for those that were prepared to take on the risk.

3) Today’s mob-organized crime was founded on bootlegging. Would we have one if we hadn’t had the other?

4) How modern innovations can be stumbling blocks to writing your story. (telephone, automobiles, refrigerators, washing machines)

5) The role WWI played in creating gangsters.

6) The changing role of women in the 1920s.

7) Researching historical fiction.

8) The challenges of developing a character that is a ghost.

In addition to these topics, please check out my blog postings for other interview ideas.