Michael Grant Talks


I'm an immense admirer of Michael Grant. Since picking up Gone a few years ago, I've since moved onto his two latest series and Michael's writing is without a doubt engaging, articulate and immersive and in particular his new release Front Lines. Front Lines is an alternate history of World War II, where women are recruited to fight on the war front. It follows the lives of three teen soldiers who are faced with blatant racism, bigotry and sexism by an America that itself brutally prejudiced. You can read more about Front Lines in my review by clicking here.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask Michael about Front Lines and his strong and fearless characters. The sexism they face within the male dominated environment and the prejudice faced as women of colour and race.

Michael

I have the feeling this is going to run long, and I apologize in advance, but the question interests me.

First off, I am an American, so this is all in the context of American attitudes on race and gender. If you are playing a game of American Life Poker, two of the cards you want in that first deal are "White" and "Male." Both confer huge advantages. Now, because of the unique and frankly bizarre circumstances in which I got into writing, neither of those cards played a big part in my writing career, but obviously both play a part in my broader life.

For much of my writing career, I was essentially invisible, writing with my wife and under her name. To this day I have written more books "as a woman" than I have as a man. And I’m in a line of work where everyone in authority (editors, basically) are women. I’ve written something like 150 books, and only 2 were edited by men. I’ve also, oddly given the racial disparities in publishing, had more books edited by a black woman than by white women. (Animorphs, Everworld and Remnants series were all edited by the great Tonya Martin.) So my experience is mine, not necessarily similar to that of most writers.

For whatever reason, I have just never thought of female characters, or people of color (POC) as the "other," as somehow alien or hard to understand. I occasionally see writers agonizing over this and I don’t get it. A character is a character. Each has individual traits, a particular backstory, specific experiences. I think sometimes people don’t get the difference between individual and group. The collective experiences of every African-American or every woman don’t tell you much about a specific character because group characteristics are only marginally useful in understanding a specific individual. Characters are not somehow the perfect distillation of a group experience, they aren’t avatars or symbols, they are individuals with their own specific story. It would be malpractice to reduce characters to their pigmentation, their genitalia or even their cultural milieu.

So I don’t write a female character as a "female," I write them as a human being with particular issues, some of which may well be related to their sex or gender. I write POC as humans with particular issues, some of which may be related to their race or culture. Kinda like I write white male characters. Or Asian characters. Or gay characters.

As to FRONT LINES, I had to maneuver a bit. I wanted to be very straightforward about the sexism
and racism of the era. (And well beyond the era, sadly.) But at the same time I wanted a school librarian in Bugtussle, Arkansas or wherever, to be able to shelve FRONT LINES without the wrath of dim parents coming down on them. So I carefully masked the "f-word" and the "n-word". The first because the various religious nuts might raise a stink, and the second because even writing that word once is difficult for any decent American, and can be so easily misconstrued. I generally hate masking, but "the n-word," as we tend to say, is so fraught, so larded with unspeakable violence and deep hatred that it has lost any worthwhile use except as illustration.

But obviously I couldn’t write about a black character in a racially segregated army without including the slurs that would have been thrown at her. So I fell back on the word, "Nigra" which is what your more refined class of racist back in the 60’s when I lived in the Deep South used.

Just as obviously, I couldn’t pretend that the US Army in 1943 would have loved the idea of women soldiers. The difference in how I portray the racism and the sexism is that racism had a long history as a debated topic, so that terminology had been created, sides were more clearly defined, lines were hardened. But the notion of woman fighting would never have been debated at that point, no lines would have been clearly defined, the vocabulary of hate that is so accessible on race would not have been as present.

At least that’s my theory.

It’s been interesting seeing reviewer after reviewer praise me for being unsparing in portraying the sexism and the racism, but with the greatest respect, they are wrong: I dialed it back a good 25% from what would likely have occurred. People today just don’t really get how casually vicious Americans were on race, especially. Americans today can’t imagine that members of The Greatest Generation very often had no reluctance to call a black man the n-word, right out in the open, and with no concern for retaliation or opprobrium.

But that’s the way the world was, and although I dialed it back by 25%, I wasn’t going to lie or pretend things were different. I wanted FRONT LINES to work not just as entertainment (though I hope it is entertaining) or as alternate history, but also to be true to real history. So Rio is subjected to overt and unapologetic sexism, Rainy is subject to that plus anti-Semitism, and Frangie carries the weight of sexism and virulent racism.

And in their spare time they kill Nazis.

About Michael

Michael Grant has spent much of his life on the move. Raised in a military family, he attended ten schools in five states, as well as three schools in France. Even as an adult he kept moving, and in fact he became a writer in part because it was one of the few jobs that wouldn’t tie him down. His fondest dream is to spend a year circumnavigating the globe and visiting every continent. Yes, even Antarctica. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Katherine Applegate, and their two children.

Find Michael via


Thank you to Michael Grant and Hardie Grant Egmont Australia
Bestselling YA author Michael Grant is in Australia and New Zealand to promote Front Lines, the first book in his blockbuster new YA series, Soldier Girl.

24 comments

  1. How nerve-wracking is this? My palms are sweating just thinking about talking to Mr. Grant. Gah. In fact, right now, I'm thinking about deleting this comment for fear that he might read this.

    Hello, Mr. Grant.

    ...okay. Bye.

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    1. Psst. He's replied further down the page Joy. Be cool, be cool.

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  2. You spoke to Michael Grant? How cool is that?!? I didn't mind that it ran long at all :)

    First time on your blog and:
    1) Love you blog name!
    2) "We buckin' love books" literally made me laugh lol

    Great interview and like the commenter above me...

    Hi Mr. Grant! lol

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    1. A massive thank you to his Australian publisher Hardie Grant Egmont as well. I'm a huge fan of Michael too Jenn and was completely starstruck even composing the post. He's such a incredible author, but it's been Front Lines which really has touched me most. If you've yet to read it, it's a book I recommend to everyone. It's empowering.

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  3. How odd to think anyone would be nervous about meeting me. Am I intimidating?
    - Michael Grant

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    1. Hi Michael. Not intimidating, but you do inspire awe in readers. You're an amazing author that incites fangirling in your wake.

      Thank you so, so much for not only posting but for stopping by as well. It's been an absolutely pleasure.

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  4. I really really want to read Front Lines. It sounds fantastic. As an American, I'm pretty aware of what history was like in the past. No, I didn't live it, so I'm sure I'd be sickened by it, but I've learned a lot to know that people were vicious and hateful and that racism (and sexism) ran rampant. I'd like to say it's different now - and it is, in some ways - but it's also not completely the way it should be.

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    1. So true Lauren. I think this generation is far more aware of labels and the destruction it creates in our communities, how hate, racism and sexism should have no place within our communities. I think the world is a very different place now than it used to be, but we've still got such a long way to go for equality for it.

      Frontlines is a phenomenal read, a book that has stayed with me even months after reading.

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  5. " I occasionally see writers agonizing over this and I don’t get it. A character is a character."

    Exactly! I've heard of authors talking about submitting a book with a black female MC and be asked to change that, the same with a gay character when it was only mentioned in passing. So I understand why some authors fret over this, but I think it's stupid that they feel they have to. Anyway, I love this post!

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    1. I couldn't agree more, great characters are more than the colour of their skin, their socioeconomic status or sexuality. Great writing should always come first and no one in young adult is more capable than Michael Grant.

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  6. Oh oh this is an amazing post and I LOVED the question you asked Kelly!! *flails* My post goes up super soon and AHHHH IT'S SO SO EXCITING. Michael Grant is amazing and I was a huge fan of his books even before I was blogging. Front Lines was pretty incredible. :D

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    1. I couldn't agree more Cait. He's incredible and for me, Front Lines is his best work to date. The hubby loved it too after listening to it on audio. I love how well developed his characters are and the empowerment they find in the face of such adversity.

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  7. "A character is a character."
    "I write them as a human being with particular issues, some of which may well be related to their sex or gender."
    LOOOVE THIS.
    This is such a great attitude to writing characters. I haven't read Front Lines yet but it's on my TBR and it's definitely one I want to read even though it sounds like it will be hard book to swallow at times even if it's realistic.
    Thanks for sharing, Kells!

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    1. So perfectly put isn't it. I think a lot of authors could learn from having that attitude. I can't wait until you read Front Lines, would love to see what you think of it.

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  8. OMG. OMG. I'm so saving this post! I loved everything he talked about! And as a writer myself, he put a lot of things into perspective for me! I love how he said he doesn't think about this characters as "male" or "female" but that he just thinks of them as a person with problems associated with his or her race! AND HOLY CAKE BALLS, I was sure I read that wrong but this guy legit wrote 150 books?? I have to step up my game! Thank you tons for sharing this lovely! <3

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    1. He's amazing isn't he. And such valuable advice too. To see the character beyond their skin colour or sex and I think that could be where so many authors tend to concentrate on wanting to represent diverse characters within our communities and it can sacrifice the storyline. I love diversity within our young adult characters, but great storytelling should be first and foremost.

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  9. LOVE THIS. It's what I think about when I'm writing as well - not writing a character as bisexual or disabled or whatever but just as...that character. And the more you write about them the more it's just part of who they are. I think America has a really different racial history to us here but we're still so guilty of that racism and sexism. Which is why we need books like Front Lines :D

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    1. We have our own history and as Aussies we need to fix what's in our own backyard, rather than taking on the worlds problems. The strength of a character should come first and foremost and I think most readers would probably agree too. I completely agree.

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  10. I've been wanting to read the Gone series for years now but I just have never gotten around to it. Michael Grant is sort of a big thing in the book world so it's so cool that you got to have him on the blog. You've definitely made me reconsider pickering up Gone now.

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    1. Gone was incredible. The premise is something that would normally pique my interest, but it came so highly recommended and it definitely lived up to the hype Lily. I would love to see what you think of it too.

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  11. Wow, this is AMAZING! Can I please just frame this whole post on my wall? It's gorgeous. There's so much I can take from this, and I can't wait to start on Front Lines. Michael Grant is a brilliant writer, and you can't help but become a fan after reading six books by him (and one shared between him and his wife).
    I will definitely be keeping some of this in mind. Thank you Kelly for such an interesting and eye-opening question!

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  12. What an interesting and thought provoking post. I remember when you posted that book review, and I thought 'Could I read that? I should probably read that' which I still haven't done (no real shock there). I don't really know what else to stay, I'm kind of struggling for words but I really enjoyed reading this, so thank you very much for sharing :)

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  13. Wow! I'm so glad I stopped by to read this fascinating interview with Michael Grant! I can't believe I hadn't heard of Front Lines either! I love books that circle around WWII. I'm curious to see how he tackles these subjects; especially from a male perspective.

    "So I don’t write a female character as a "female," I write them as a human being with particular issues, some of which may well be related to their sex or gender. I write POC as humans with particular issues, some of which may be related to their race or culture."

    This right here though, simply intrigues me because he's right! In the end, we all wrestle with the same issues and emotions; we just filter these ebb of emotions differently and process them through different frameworks y'know?

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  14. I had, without really doing any reasearch about it, decided that I wouldn't read Front Lines. I'm not one for books with historical setting, but after reading Micheal Grant's explanation of Front Lines, I am SO interestd!
    I've read other books my Michael Grant and if this one is as well written and as the others, I'm sure to have a GREAT time!

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