Interview with Jacques Couvillon the author of The Chicken Dance.
Perhaps you could give us an update on the aluminium can business and tell us how your Mother is?
My mother is doing great. She still recycles and sells aluminium cans for money. When I give her the two or three dollars she makes per bag, she smiles like a child. It was very difficult for me when I first moved back in with her. I felt like I was ten years old again because she made sure I ate my vegetables, and told me when it was time for me to buy new socks and underwear. But now, I am so grateful that I have this opportunity to get closer to my mother. My father passed away several years ago, and my biggest regret in life is not taking the time to get to know him and allowing him to know me. Rather than dwell on my past mistakes though, I am focusing on avoiding them in my future.
On your website you write about the six extremely difficult years you had before you got the email telling you that Bloomsbury wanted to publish. How did you get through these years?
I was very insecure when I took the leap and decided to become a writer. My grammar was horrible, and I still spoke with a Cajun accent. Several people called me out on it, which only made me even more frightened and unsure of myself. But I knew that in order to be happy, I needed to follow my passion and conquer my fears. The easiest thing in the world to be is dead, and the second is to be unhappy. So every time I faced an obstacle, I reminded myself that happiness was on the other side. I overcame my challenges by constantly learning, and experiencing new moments in life.
Can you please help me understand what motivates you and inspired you to write children’s books?
I never meant to become a young adult writer. The Chicken Dance was based off of a two-page story I wrote for a class. It had an adult narrator looking back on his childhood. My professor didn’t understand what I was trying to do though, and told me, “This is amazing. I really feel like a child wrote this. Even the grammar is written like a ten year old would write it.”
I began to question if my whole life had been a dream, and that I’d never actually graduated from high school or college. I felt like an idiot at first, but realized that if the voice was working, I should embrace it. I wrote the novel from a ten-year old’s perspective, because it felt natural to me. I am so happy that I did this, because I love children’s imaginations, as well spending time with them and teaching them about writing. I became a young adult writer by accident, and I am so thankful for it.
Who is your favourite author or writer and why?
I don’t have a favourite author. There are so many different styles of writing that I enjoy reading, I don’t want to limit myself. I’ve only read a few authors more than once, and I found the second time around less exciting. I am working on my second book now, and am trying to avoid using the same style so my readers will feel like they’ve stepped into a new world, instead of re-visiting an old one.
Can you please tell me about the incident or give an example of an incident that made you write on your home page. “I’ve made many mistakes in my life. My only regret is the people I’ve hurt along the way. To them, I apologise and ask them to understand tha….”
As I said before, I was very insecure growing up. I was never sure where I was headed in life, which frightened me tremendously. Like a dog who is afraid to be beaten, I often attacked those who I felt were threats. After The Chicken Dance was published, I finally got a glimpse of the real Jacques Couvillon and what he wanted to accomplish. Somehow, this made me feel more secure and less vulnerable. I realized that there will always be those who criticize me, but it is my choice about how to respond. I am very ashamed if I hurt others in my past. This is why I wrote that on my website. I want everyone to know that I am sorry, but would also like to make them aware that people have the power to change, and lead happier, healthier and more productive lives.
What is your dream for the next ten years?
To continuously learn, write, publish and motivate.
I plan to write a book about my experience of moving back in with my mother on our cattle, rice and crawfish farm in Cow Island, after living in New York City and Paris. The ultimate dream would be to convince my mom to move with me to a large city. I know that sounds weird, but it’s because I’d like to become a columnist for a newspaper, and write about the experiences of an eighty-year old Cajun woman riding the subway on a regular basis, using chopsticks for the first time, or being in a room where no one else speaks English.
I am also interested in beginning a non-profit organization, which would help educate children from low-income families. I would focus on non-traditional education such as summer camps, art and music classes.
What are your thoughts about Global warming and green issues?
I’m glad that it has finally started to get the attention it deserves. I am just as guilty as many of not considering the environment in the decisions I make on a daily basis. Working at a summer camp, living in Austin and Europe, and being a starving artist, have greatly influenced my new green lifestyle. I now hang my clothes on a line instead of using a dryer, recycle everything I can, walk or ride a bike instead of driving, grow my own vegetables, and urinate outside in the back yard instead of wasting all that water from flushing the toilet. (I live on a farm, so that’s not as gross as it might sound.)
What advice would you give a young adult making his or her way out into the world?
Continuously educate yourself, and don’t rush to accomplish all of your goals at once. Life is a journey, not a destination. You can always change who you are, and who you want to be. It will take blood, sweat and tears, but there is no greater satisfaction than overcoming obstacles, and realizing everything you’ve learned from the experience.
For a parent who has a child only interested in watching TV what advice would you give them to interest their child in reading children’s books?
The brain, like our body, has many muscles. If they aren’t exercised on a regular basis, they become less productive and eventually don’t work at all. Writing and reading are important to help develop, maintain and strengthen our communication skills. It is hard for one to survive without having a working knowledge of words and language. The more a person knows, the better they can communicate, and the greater chance they have at being successful in life.
Can you tell us about your causes or any charities you are involved with?
I’ve been focusing on making others aware of the importance of taking care of the environment. I often write about recycling for my column at the Abbeville Meridional newspaper, and my online blog. I also convinced my mother to motivate my family to become better at living a green life. She gave them garbage cans for Christmas so that they’d begin saving aluminium cans for her. They didn’t receive other gifts until they brought her three full sacks of cans. Some of them still hate me for this, but at least they are recycling.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next publication?
It is the story of Leon, one of the characters in the first book. I am still working on it and developing the voice. It’s been hard because for so long, I only knew him from Don’s perspective. Now, I need to figure out who Leon is from his point of view. Don shows up a few times in the story, so writing him from Leon’s perspective has also been challenging. But that’s what I love about the experience. Through experimentation, I’m learning.
What question should I have asked you to make this a truly memorable interview? … Now can you please tell us what the answer is to it?
Being interviewed by you is the truly memorable experience. Growing up on a farm, I didn’t know if my life would ever involve more than cattle, rice and crawfish. I never imagined that people would want to read my thoughts, or look to me for advice.
Tags: Jacques Couvillon, New Green Lifestyle, The Chicken Dance
You know, I gotta tell you, I genuinely savor this blog and the great insight. I find it to be energizing and quite clarifying. I wish there were more blogs like it. Anyway, I finally decided to write a comment on New Green Lifestyle of Jacques Couvillon author of The Chicken Dance – I just wanna say that you did a great job on this. Cheers dude!
Thanks a lot for your comments – Great to know that we are appreciated. Thank you