Peter McDade
Author Interview - Peter McDade
Author of Songs By Honeybird
Atlanta couple Ben and Nina plan to move in together, but their relationship unravels when Ben dismisses Nina’s surprising claim that her dog can talk. Songs By Honeybird follows the pair as they move on without each other. Doctoral candidate Ben dives into research on the tragic story of Honeybird, the South’s first integrated rock band, while spiritual savant Nina searches for the elusive truth about her father’s death. Will the buried secrets of the past bring Ben and Nina back together—or send them down entirely new paths?
Author Interview - Peter McDade
Author I draw inspiration from: Robertson Davies. His books are populated with fully formed characters, people who are funny and flawed and smart--people who sometimes perform great deeds and sometimes make huge mistakes. I am especially inspired by the way he manages to make the worlds of his novels feel so very unique, simultaneously recognizable and wholly their own.
Author Interview - Peter McDade | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: Our screened-in porch, perhaps with a beverage and a cat nearby.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Rob Fleming, from Nick Hornby's _High Fidelity_. I'm not sure how reliable he'd be as a friend for an extended period of time, but we could easily riff away the hours waiting for rescue by making "Best Of" lists. Top 5 Opening Songs on an Album, Top 8 Worst Novel Endings, Top 7 Airplane Reads: the possibilities are endless, and the time would pass quickly.
Author Interview - Peter McDade | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: 3rd grade, when I banged out a Sherlock Holmes spoof on my mother's typewriter. My detective's name was Sheerluck Homely--I was ever so proud of that. What I enjoyed most, though, was having these people in my head appear on the paper, and once I figured out I could do that I was hooked.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Paperback. Lighter, cheaper, and the form I have been predominantly using since first grade.
The last book I read: Mouth to Mouth, by Antoine Wilson
Author Interview - Peter McDade | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Computer. Why was I typing in third grade? My handwriting was already that bad.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: When I was younger, I always imagined that David Copperfield (Charles Dickens) and I would be great friends. Now I like to imagine that we would have stayed friends, as we got older.
Author Interview - Peter McDade | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: Bookseller
Favorite decade in fashion history: Has to be the 1920s. It seemed to be a time when people were paying homage to the past, but also trying out brand new approaches to what was and was not "allowed."
Place I’d most like to travel: Italy, preferably the Southern Coast. Amalfi, with a room looking out on the Mediterranean.
My signature drink: Coffee, cream no sugar.
Favorite artist: Today, the first name that comes to mind is Joan Miró. I love the way his work can be so surreal and yet also still connected to our world.
Number one on my bucket list: To go see the Mayan ruins.
Anything else you'd like to add: I'd like to thank Hasty Book List for the great questions, and everyone for reading.
Find more from the author:
peterjmcdade.com
Author Bio: As drummer for the rock band Uncle Green, Peter McDade spent fifteen years traveling the highways of America in a series of Ford vans. While the band searched for fame and a safe place to eat before a gig, he began writing short stories and novels. Uncle Green went into semi-retirement after four labels, seven records, and one name change; Peter went to Georgia State University and majored in History and English, eventually earning an MA in History. He teaches history to college undergrads in Atlanta, plays drums for anyone who will have him, and lives in Atlanta with his family.
