>> ERIC: IT'S ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SEGMENTS.
ABOUT ONCE A YEAR, AUTHOR KATE DICAMILLO STOPS BY FOR A VISIT.
WE TALK ABOUT HER NEW BOOKS AND PROJECTS.
SHE MAKES FUN OF ME.
AND A GRAND TIME IS HAD BY ALL.
>> YOU MAKE FUN OF ME, YEAH.
>> Eric: HER LATEST BOOK, "THE PUPPETS OF SPELHORST," IS DUE OUT NEXT MONTH.
IT'S THE FIRST INSTALLMENT IN A TRIO OF NOVELLAS ENTITLED "THE NORENDY TALES."
HERE TO TALK MORE ABOUT WRITING, FAIRY TALES, AND HER RECENT PROFILE IN "THE NEW YORKER" MAGAZINE, KATE DICAMILLO.
ALL RIGHT, PUN "THE PUPPETS OF SPELHORST."
>> I'M LOOKING AT YOUR NOTES, AND I'M THINKING, OH BOY!
>> Cathy: YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE THIS.
>> Eric: TALKING ANIMALS AGAIN, BUT THIS TIME THEY'RE PUPPETS.
>> SOME OF THEM ARE ANIMALS, SOME OF THEM ARE PEOPLE.
>> Eric: A WOLF LOSES A COUPLE OF TEETH.
>> THAT'S TRUE.
>> Eric: THE BOY GETS TALCUM POWDER DUMPS ON HIS HEAD.
>> Cathy: AT LEAST HE READ THE BOOK.
>> I WAS PLEASED.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE HE'S ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS AT THE END OF READING IT IN CLASS.
WHO GETS TAL KU78 GETS TALCUM POWDER -- WHAT'S GOING ON?
>> Cathy: HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.
HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE BOOK.
[ Laughter ] >> HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE BOOK?
WHAT?
>> Eric: ARE YOU YEAM EMMA IN THE BOOK?
>> I'M NOT IN THE BOOK.
NO, NO, AND SOMEBODY ELSE ASKED ME THAT QUESTION.
SO IN ORDER FOR -- I MEAN, TO TALK ABOUT EMMA, I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE AWAY BIG PLOT POINTS AND EVEN THOUGH THINK THERE AREN'T ANY, THERE ARE PLOT POINTS IN THERE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE 'EM AWAY.
>> Eric: YES, MA'AM.
>> YEAH, SO A LOT HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK.
A LOT OF IT INVOLVES PUPPETS.
I DO HAVE A STRANGE MIND.
IT IS A STORY THAT EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER AT THE END.
AND PEOPLE AND PUPPETS REALIZE THEIR DESTINIES.
>> Eric: MORE SERIOUSLY, YOU'VE GOT JOY AND DESPAIR, ONE OF THE CHARACTERS FEELS THAT TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME.
YOU GOT TRUTH, WONDER, AND SORROW.
NOW, I HAD READ YOUR NEW YORKER PROFILE AND YOU TALK ABOUT AN ABUSIVE FATHER AND, YOU KNOW, SOME REAL TOUGH PERSONAL STUFF.
IS ANY OF THIS REFLECTED IN THESE KIND OF CHARACTERISTICS?
>> YES.
YEAH.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING ALL ALONG.
EVER SINCE I STARTED WRITING.
THOSE THEMES HAVE -- I'VE BEEN WRESTLING WITH THEM THE WHOLE TIME.
AND, YOU KNOW, MY DAD IS PASSED, SO I CAN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE THINGS NOW.
AND, YEAH, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO TELL STORIES IS THAT I CAN FIND A WAY TO MAKE SENSE OUT OF WHAT HAPPENED TO ME AS A KID.
AND MAYBE HELP ANOTHER KID FEEL SAFE AND LESS ALONE.
>> Cathy: I ALWAYS FIGURED THERE WAS MORE TO THE STORY ABOUT WHY YOU WENT TO FLORIDA WITH YOUR MOM AND YOUR BROTHER.
I'M GLAD YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, SHARING DARKER PIECES OF ONE'S SELF WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD IS NOT EASY.
OBVIOUSLY.
THAT NEW YORKER PIECE WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SHARE NOW?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T LIKE I SAID, COME OUT HERE, NEW YORKER, I'M READY TO TALK, YOU KNOW?
"THE NEW YORKER" SENT CASEY SEPT, THE WRITER, TO DO A PROFILE OF ME.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING.
AND I JUST BECAUSE OF MY DAD HAVING PASSED, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY ECENTLY, I FELT MORE COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF IT.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE BOTH JOURNALISTS.
YOU ASK THE QUESTIONS.
AND -- AND I ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS.
SO IT WASN'T LIKE I EVEN -- YOU KNOW, AFTER SHE LEFT, I THOUGHT, OH, BOY, I'VE SAID EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW?
>> Eric: BUT WITHOUT THE EXPERIENCE AS A YOUNG PERSON, YOU WOULDN'T OBVIOUSLY BE THE ARTIST YOU ARE TODAY, AND SO IN A WEIRD WAY, IT SHAPES INCREDIBLE SUCCESS.
>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE IN ALL THE TIMES THAT I'VE GONE AND TALKED TO GROUPS AND KIDS AND STUFF, THAT COMES UP.
YOU KNOW, YEAH, I WAS SICK A LOT.
AND THAT HELPED ME TO LEARN TO LIVE IN MY IMAGINATION, LIVE IN MY HEAD.
AND YEAH, THIS SORROW WITH MY FATHER ALSO -- I DON'T KNOW THAT I'D BE A WRITER WITHOUT IT.
SO -- WE'RE HAVING A SERIOUS CONVERSATION.
SHOULD WE TALK ABOUT ERIC'S HAIR?
>> Cathy: WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT IN JUST A MOMENT, YES.
BUT FIRST, JUST GETTING BACK TO ONE MORE QUESTION ABOUT THE FAMILY ISSUES, ECAUSE THEY CAN SEEP INTO YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AND YOU CAN CARRY THAT BAGGAGE WITH YOU FOR YEARS AND YEARS AS AN ADULT.
DO YOU THINK YOU FINALLY HAVE PURGED SOME OF THIS?
AND DO YOU FEEL A LITTLE MORE WHOLE NOW?
>> YEAH, I'VE SET T DOWN.
I'VE SET IT DOWN.
AND IN THE SHORT TIME THAT "THE NEW YORKER" ARTICLE HAS BEEN OUT, PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO ME, THAT IT HAS HELPED THEM TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S THE THING IS YOU TELL YOUR HARD TRUTH, AND IT HELPS SOMEBODY ELSE WITH THEIR HARD TRUTH.
YEAH.
[Overlapping conversations] >> Eric: I WENT TO THE BARBER, AND I SAID GIVE ME A MODIFIED DICAMILLO.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE GOT.
>> THAT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN I THOUGHT.
[ Laughter ] >> Eric: WE HAVE THE SAME COLORIST.
[ Laughter ] >> A MODIFIED DICAMILLO.
I LIKE IT.
>> Cathy: HE'S BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING ALBERT EINSTEIN.
DID YOU SEE THAT RECENTLY?
OR COLONEL SANDERS.
TAKE YOUR PICK.
>> I LIKE IT.
>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU GOT COMING UP?
YOU GOT A BIG NOVEL COMING UP.
>> I GOT A NOVEL COMING UP.
I'VE GOT THE PUPPETS OMING UP.
I'VE GOT THE ANNIVERSARY OF -- 20 YEARS.
AND REMEMBER WE DID THAT LITTLE BIT HERE I CAUGHT OU READING.
YEAH, YOU GUYS SHOULD PLAY THAT AGAIN.
>> Cathy: WE WILL, ABSOLUTELY.
I WANT TO ASK ABOUT FERRIS, BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE NORMAL HAPPY FAMILY.
>> RIGHT?
I KNOW.
YAY, ME!
FINALLY DID IT, RIGHT?
[ Laughter ] >> Eric: WELL, COME BACK WHEN YOU GOT SOMETHING TO PLUG, OKAY?
>> Cathy: CONSCIENTIOUS PLUGGING IT RIGHT NOW -- SHE'S PLUGGING IT RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S THE THING.
>> I'M GOING TO GO AND ASK FOR A MODIFIED DICAMILLO MY
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