Kathryn Stockett

‘The Help’ by Kathryn Stockett was our book club title for September. Here’s the complete Q&As that Kathryn and her publisher (Penguin) contributed to our book club discussion.

Are you Skeeter?

No, I am definitely not Skeeter.  I was never that brave.  Growing up, I don’t recall giving a second thought about the situation between blacks and whites. Honestly, it wasn’t until twenty years later, after Demetrie’s death, that I started to think about how complex, and imbalanced, our relationship was. Not to mention, I am five foot two.  My hair tends to frizz year round, but I have yet to find a Shinalator that works.

Is there going to be a movie?

The option for film rights have been sold to Tate Taylor and Brunson Green, both filmmakers living in Los Angeles, originally from Jackson. I am so proud and so excited that the film is in the hands of Mississippians.  They saw and lived it right along with me.

How does the African American community feel about the fact that you’ve written in the voices of black women?

I can’t speak for the African American community as a whole.  I can only tell you what individuals have told me.  My close friend, Octavia Spencer, an African American actress originally from Montgomery, Alabama, liked the book so much that she toured with me!  I couldn’t believe it-Octavia called her agent, told her she wouldn’t be available for any jobs-and we hit the road.  We laughed our way across the South and then the West Coast, me reading the parts of Skeeter and Celia, Octavia reading Aibileen and Minny.  The African American book clubs that I’ve spoken to had only positive things to say, but keep in mind that I’m generally contacted only by people who like the book, and not those that don’t (thank goodness). That said, my own maid said she thought it was well-written, but didn’t enjoy reading it.   Her mother was a maid in Birmingham in the 1960’s and she said, “It just hit a little too close to home.”

Was it difficult to write in voices of Aibileen and Minny?

I didn’t find it difficult-I was just writing down the voices from my past, the way I remembered them.  I started with Aibileen because her voice sounded the most like Demetrie, my maid growing up.  When Aibileen had some things to say about the situation that I didn’t feel were in character, I created Minny. The voice I had the most trouble writing in was Skeeter.  She was thinking and talking about all those things I had been taught not to. In the end, I found a balance between naive ambition and a low tolerance for b.s., for Skeeter’s voice. And from that the third voice was born.

Is there a sequel in the works?

I’ve thought about writing a ‘prequel,’ showing these character’s lives before The Help.  I’ve also thought about writing the book Help, that Skeeter and the women wrote in The Help, which would be the collection of all the maid’s stories.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a story also set in Mississippi.  I have a few more things to say about that place.  It’s about a group of women living through the Great Depression, who learn how to skirt the rules-rules set by men-in order to get by.  I like writing about smart women who don’t always follow the rules. Those are the ones I always want to sit next to at a dinner party.

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by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.