Interview with Stuart Kaminsky
by Jon Jordan
Stuart's Web Site

JON:  The Toby Peters series is an extremely fun read. What made you think to insert actual celebrities into the series?

STUART:  WHEN I WAS A VERY YOUNG KID, I READ NOVELS IN WHICH JANE WITHERS AND OTHER CHILD STARS WERE FEATURED AS THEMSELVES SOLVING CRIMES. THE GENRE WAS VERY POPULAR FOR A WHILE. I SUPPOSE THAT PLANTED THE SEED. MUCH LATER I READ ANDREW BERGMAN'S THE BIG KISS OFF AND HOLLYWOOD AND LEVINE AND THOUGHT HE HAD A GREAT IDEA GOING. THEN HE STOPPED WRITING THE LEVINE BOOKS. THERE WAS A VOID AND I WANTED TO FILL IT WITH SOMETHING OF MY OWN NOSTALGIA, LOVE OF MOVIES AND ADORATION OF THE TRADITIONAL AMERICAN PRIVATE EYE NOVEL.

JON:  How much research is involved when writing about real people?

STUART:  I READ WHATEVER BIOGRAPHIES ARE AVAILABLE. THAT IS ALWAYS FUN ALONG WITH READING THE LOS ANGELES TIMES AND VARIOUS MAGAZINES OF THE PERIOD ALONG WITH LISTENING TO 1940'S RADIO SHOWS. IT'S ALL FUN RESEARCH.

JON:  The Rostnikov series seems to be really current when they come out. How do you keep so up to date on what’s going on in Russia?

STUART:  THE INTERNET. I CHECK WEBSITES WHICH HAVE THE LATEST INFORMATION ON RUSSIA AND RUSSIAN CRIME. I HAVE CONTACTS WITH RUSSIANS INCLUDING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATORS IN PETROVKA (THE CENTRAL POLICE STATION IN MOSCOW). I CAN FIND OUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN MOSCOW SIMPLY BY TURNING MY COMPUTER ON AND SENDING OFF AN E-MAIL. AND, OF COURSE, I READ NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES.

JON:  Do you think writing a number of different series helps you to keep them fresh?

STUART:  ABSOLUTELY. EACH OF MY SERIES IS WRITTEN IN A DIFFERENT STYLE WITH A DIFFERENT CAST OF CHARACTERS. IT ALSO HELPS THAT LEW FONESCA AND TOBY PETERS NOVELS ARE FIRST PERSON. ROSTNIKOV AND LIEBERMAN ARE THIRD PERSON. WHEN I START TO WRITE A NEW NOVEL, IT'S LIKE VISITING OLD FRIENDS. I HAVEN'T HAD TO WRITE TWO NOVELS IN THE SAME SERIES BACK-TO-BACK. I THINK THAT WOULD BE PROBLEM FOR ME.

JON:  Were you asked to write the Rockford books, or did you ask them?

STUART:  I WAS ASKED BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WHO MADE THE DECISION KNEW MY WORK AND KNEW MY LOVE FOR THE ROCKFORD FILES IN GENERAL AND JIM ROCKFORD IN PARTICULAR.

JON:  Was it different writing a character someone else developed?

STUART:  DIFFERENT, YES. DIFFICULT, NO. THE ROCKFORD CHARACTERS WERE WELL KNOWN TO ME. I WROTE. THEY CAME TO LIFE. I WATCHED THEM MOVE AND TALK AS IF I WERE SEEING A TWO-HOUR ROCKFORD MOVIE.

JON:  Your different characters have their own quirks. Trips to Dairy Queen come to mind. Do you ever insert part of your personality into them?

STUART:  PART OF MY PERSONALITY IS IN EVERY CHARACTER I WRITE ESPECIALLY THE CENTRAL CHARACTER. PUT ANOTHER AND PERHAPS BETTER WAY, THE CHARACTERS HAVE A LIFE OF
THEIR OWN WHICH COMES OUT OF ME AND DRAWS UPON ASPECTS OF MY HISTORY, LIFE AND INTERESTS WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT CHARACTER.

JON:  Do you have favorites among your books?

STUART:  MOST WRITERS PROBABLY DUCK THAT QUESTION. I WON'T. LIEBERMAN'S DAY IS ONE I'M PARTICULARLY FOND OF THOUGH IT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF MY DARKEST BOOKS. A COLD RED SUNRISE HAS DONE THE MOST FOR MY CAREER AND IS CERTAINLY A FAVORITE. WHEN THE DARK MAN CALLS, A NON-SERIES BOOK WITH A FEMALE PROTAGONIST, IS DEFINITELY ONE OF MY TOP FIVE FAVORITES.

JON:  The Lieberman books are a great example of a hard boiled procedural. How do you get the realism? Do you go on ride-alongs, interview police?

STUART:  I HAVE RIDDEN WITH THE POLICE IN CHICAGO, MOSCOW AND OTHER PLACES AND I DO KNOW AND SHAMELESS DRAW ON DAY-TO-DAY INFORMATION FROM DETECTIVES, ONE IN PARTICULAR, IN CHICAGO.

JON:  I have to tell you that Once Upon A Time In America is one of my all time favorite movies. What was you involvement with it?

STUART:  I WROTE ALL THE DIALOGUE AND DEVELOPED THE CHARACTERS. I WORKED ON THE SCRIPT FOR NINE MONTHS WITH THE OTHER WRITERS, LEONE AND ROBERT DENIRO. AMC HAS BEEN RUNNING A DOCUMENTARY ON SERGIO LEONE IN WHICH I APPEAR TALKING ABOUT MY WORKING ON THE FILM.

JON:  I really love the idea of The Mystery Vault. What made you want to do this?

STUART:  FANTASY. I HAVE WANTED TO BE AN EDITOR/PUBLISHER FOR SOME TIME, TO BE THE ONE WHO MADE THE DECISIONS RATHER THAN THE ONE WAITING TO HAVE DECISIONS MADE ABOUT MY WORK. AND I LIKED THE IDEA OF BRINGING BACK FORGOTTEN OLDER NOVELS AND OVERLOOKED NEWER ONES. THE CRITERION FOR GETTING PUBLISHED BY MYSTERY VAULT IS SIMPLE: DO I LIKE THE BOOK.

JON:  Are there any other books or authors you hope to add to the ones already coming out from Mystery Vault?

STUART:  YES, MICKEY SPILLANE, CRAIG RICE, BILL HEFFERNAN, GARY PHILIPS, NANCY BARTHOLOMEW. I'M WORKING ON GETTING THOSE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO PUBLISH SOME EARLY SUE DUNLAP AND LIA MATERA.

JON:  Did you enjoy teaching?

STUART:  I LOVED TEACHING. I LOVED WORKING WITH STUDENTS. STILL DO. I DO WORKSHOPS ON WRITING AND A MONTHLY SESSION ON A FILM AT THE LOCAL BARNES & NOBLE. WHAT I
DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT TEACHING WAS ADMINISTRATION, COMMITTEES, FACULTY IN-FIGHTING AND ACADEMIC POLITICS. I KEEP IN TOUCH WITH DOZENS OF FORMER STUDENTS.

JON:  When people mention your name there is a kind of reverence to it. People really like you and your work.

STUART:  NOW IF I COULD ONLY TURN THAT INTO CASH, I'D BE A MUCH HAPPIER MAN. THAT'S A HARD STATEMENT TO RESPOND TO. IF THERE IS SOME REVERENCE TO MY NAME, IT MAY COME IN PART FOR THE FACT THAT I'VE BEEN AROUND SO LONG.

JON:  Does this ever cause problems for you?

STUART:  I DON'T SEE HOW PEOPLE LIKING MY WORK COULD CAUSE ME PROBLEMS, BUT IT DOES MAKE ME FEEL UNEASY BEING CONSIDERED A RESPECTED ICON BECAUSE IT SUGGESTS THAT I'M A KIND OF GRAND OLD GUY OF MYSTERY FICTION.

JON:  You are obviously well versed in film. What are some of your favorite Movies?

STUART:  I HAVE A PH.D. IN COMMUNICATIONS FROM NORTHWESTERN WHERE I MAJORED IN FILM AND THEATER. I TAUGHT FILM, INCLUDING FILM HISTORY, AT NORTHWESTERN FOR 16 YEARS AND THEN AT FLORIDA STATUE UNIVERSITY FOR SIX YEARS, BUT I'VE BEEN A MOVIE NUT SINCE I WAS SIX. MY LIST OF FAVORITES IS LONG AND QUIRKY AND CHANGES SOMEWHAT FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT HERE IT IS, THE SHORT LIST ANYWAY:
MILDRED PIERCE,
THE LIST OF ADRIAN MESSENGER,
TOUCH OF EVIL,
THE WIZARD OF OZ,
SEVEN SAMURAI,
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA,
ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE  WEST,
PSYCHO,
DIRTY HARRY,
CITIZEN KANE,
MURDER MY SWEET,
LAWRENCE  OF ARABIA,
RESERVOIR DOGS,
THE COURT JESTER,
THE SIXTH SENSE,
CHILDREN OF PARADISE,
THE WILD BUNCH,
HALLOWEEN,
HANNAH AND HER SISTERS,
HARPER,
THE UNTOUCHABLES,
THE SEARCHERS,
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY,
THE RED LION,
A FISH CALLED WANDA,
NEVADA SMITH,
THE GUNFIGHTER,
STAGECOACH,
THE LAVENDER HILL MOB,
BICYCLE THIEF,
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, 
BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK
...I COULD GO ON FOR PAGES. IF THE MOVIE WAS DIRECTED BY KUROSAWA OR HITCHCOCK, ADD IT TO MY LIST.

JON:  What kind of things do you like to do in your free time?

STUART:  I PLAY SOFTBALL TWICE A WEEK, DOUBLE HEADERS. I'M NOT VERY GOOD BUT I LOVE THE GAME. I DO YOGA. I READ. I WATCH THE CUBS ON TELEVISION DURING THE BASEBALL SEASON AND THE TAMPA BAY BUCS, NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, FSU AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS DURING THE FOOTBALL SEASON. I'M A LAW & ORDER JUNKIE AND A FAN OF MONK AND NERO WOLFE (WHICH I ALSO  WRITE FOR). I'M CURRENTLY READING THE COLLECTED SHORT STORIES OF PATRICIA HIGHSMITH

JON:  Any thoughts on the future of publishing? What do you think of e-books that can be downloaded, and print on demand?

STUART:  PRINT ON DEMAND IS DEFINITELY GOING TO GROW, AT LEAST FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND I THINK THAT IS A GOOD THING FOR WRITERS AND READERS. AS FOR E-BOOKS, AND I HAVE A NUMBER OUT THERE, I DON'T GET IT. WHO WANTS TO READ A BOOK ON A COMPUTER MONITOR? IF YOU PRINT IT OUT, YOU ARE PAYING FOR PAPER AND INK AND WIND UP PAYING MORE FOR IT THAN FOR A BOOK YOU CAN GET AT A DECENT USED BOOK STORE.

JON:  Does the website help make people aware of what your up to? Is it something you consider important for authors to have?

STUART:  I REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MY WEBSITE ACCOMPLISHES. I'VE BUILT UP A RATHER LARGE MAILING LIST FROM IT AND KEEP FANS INFORMED. I ALSO ANSWER ALL E-MAIL MESSAGES. I'M SURE IT HAS HELPED. I THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA FOR AUTHORS TO HAVE A WEBSITE IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN TO INFORM THE DIE-HARD FANS AND STAY IN TOUCH WITH WHAT PEOPLE WHO READ YOU ARE THINKING AND FEELING ABOUT YOUR WORK.

JON:  What other types of jobs have you had?

STUART:  I WAS A PHOTO ASSISTANT AND A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER FOR UNITED PRESS, A REPORTER FOR A SUBURBAN NEWSPAPER, AN ASSOCIATE EDITOR OF A PAIR OF TRADE MAGAZINES ABOUT WELDING, AND A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AND THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. I WAS DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ASSISTANT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. THEN I GOT MY PH.D. AND BECAME A TEACHER.

JON:  If you weren't writing for a living what do you think you might be doing instead?

STUART:  I'D PROBABLY BE TEACHING. I'D LIKE TO BE A BASKETBALL OR SOCCER COACH.

JON:  What would you like people to say about you after you are gone (a long time from now) ?

STUART:  HE WAS CONSISTENTLY GOOD WHATEVER HE WROTE.

JON:  What’s the one thing always in your refrigerator?

STUART:  MIRACLE WHIP SALAD DRESSING AND PEANUT BUTTER.