Canada Reads author Eden Robinson answered your questions — here's what she had to say
The author of Son of a Trickster answered fan questions in a special Facebook Q&A
Every Thursday in April, a different Canada Reads 2020 author will be answering your questions in CBC's Canada Reads Facebook group.
CBC's Canada Reads Facebook group is an exclusive online space for fans to discuss and enjoy the Canada Reads books and debates collectively.
Due to the ongoing developments with COVID-19 and the related travel concerns, Canada Reads made the difficult decision to postpone the debates until we can convene our stellar panel of advocates in front of a live audience.
You can read the transcript of the Q&A with Eden Robinson, author of Son of a Trickster below. The transcript has been edited for clarity.
Son of a Trickster is a novel about Jared, a compassionate 16-year-old, maker of famous weed cookies, the caretaker of his elderly neighbours, the son of an unreliable father and unhinged, though loving in her way, mother. As Jared ably cares for those around him, in between getting black-out drunk, he shrugs off the magical and strange happenings that follow him around.
Kaniehtiio Horn will defend Son of a Trickster on Canada Reads 2020.
Hello everyone! It's a delight to be e-here and I hope you and your family are safe and well. My name is Eden Robinson and I wrote Son of a Trickster which was published in 2017, Trickster Drift which came out 2018 and have just wrapped the structural edit for book three in the series, Return of the Trickster, which will be coming out Spring 2021. Loretta Todd directed the movie based on Monkey Beach and Michelle Latimer directed the limited TV series The Trickster out this fall on CBC. Looking forward to your questions!
I would like to know from each author if they had the idea for their books for a long time, was this something they worked on for years or thought about for years or more of a sit down and write it all in a shorter period. Thanks!
I've been mulling forever! I only found my way into the novel in 2015, and then it exploded in 2016. It took a year to write the first draft, and then another year for editing. This is light speed for me. I usually take five years to bring a novel from first draft to finished manuscript.
What were the toughest chapters/moments in the book to write? Why?
I avoided writing about Nana Sophia discovering that she wasn't Jared's grandmother. It was one of the last scenes I wrote and I procrastinated as long as I could. I loved their relationship and the way they bantered. It was wrenching and I was crying while I was writing it. My dad lived two blocks from me and would come over for breakfast. When he saw me crying he thought someone had died. I explained that I'd written a hard scene and it was hurting my heart. He said, "The band office always need receptionists. You don't have to do this to yourself."
I love Jared. I recognize him in so many of the teens I have worked with over the years. Is he based on someone specific in your life or an amalgamation of various people you have known or just completely fictional?
I've met a lot of Jareds. I used to do class workshops in high schools in northern B.C., and so many kids have the weight of the world on their shoulders. He's based on many kids I've known and many kids that I've had the privilege of meeting.
I've met a lot of Jareds ... He's based on many kids I've known, and many kids that I've had the privilege of meeting.
I love Eden's writing. When will she have a new book out? Will there be a third book soon in the Trickster trilogy?
My third book in the Trickster trilogy will be out Spring 2021. I've currently finished the structural edit and am now working on the mid-level edits. As promised, there is a gratuitous Sasquatch scene.
Hi Eden, Can I be so honest... at first I found it very hard to read your book Son of a Trickster. The language and ways the characters interacted, but after a couple of tries, I began to see the different layers of how the characters related to each other in different circumstances. Did you love Jared as he came to your writing instantly or did you grow to love him as I am ?
Oh, no worries at all. I know the language and brusqueness can be hard, but I wanted to present the world they're living in as closely as I could. I loved his resilience and a big part of that is his humour. I gravitate toward characters that shade into grey. Maybe they do things that aren't great, but you understand why they did them. I've been writing about him for so long, it feels like he's real.
Hello Eden! This is Joel's dad. He plays Jared in your book on the upcoming CBC series. My question is, are you as excited as I am to see your creation come to life? I am a very proud father.
Aw! I'm so excited. I loved seeing Joel as Jimmy in Monkey Beach — he has such great chemistry with Grace Dove! I was utterly delighted when I learned he was going to be Jared in The Trickster. I'm hoping the social distancing will be eased enough that I can have a viewing party with my family. Big hug to you and you have an amazing son!
You are one of my favourite indigenous authors, and studied through my graduate and undergraduate studies whenever possible. I have so many questions, but will settle for: What is your inspiration behind the use of the trickster persona in your writing? (Which is just amazing by the way!)
Thank you! That's lovely to hear and so kind of you to say. I always loved Wee'git stories. My dad told me Wee'git, the transforming raven, stories when I was little and I found them hilarious. I remember my Uncle Gordon telling the naughty versions that didn't make it into his Tales of Kitamaat. I grew up listening to Trickster stories and it's in the Indigenous Writer's Union that you have to base one of your creative works on a Trickster and/or Elvis.
My dad told me Wee'git, the transforming raven, stories when I was little and I found them hilarious.
I just finished Trickster Drift. This series is completely out of my reading zone but I'm totally invested in these characters, love her writing and will forever distrust river otters. My question is: how much of your inspiration for creating these incredible creatures, ghosts and dimensions are pulled from lore vs pure imagination?
Our traditional stories about otters were always closer to horror than modern stories about otters. But the more I considered their point of view, the more I realized they had their reasons. The transforming raven, the ogress, the otters, the ghosts and the spirits are pulled from stories I heard growing up that are within the Haisla public domain. Other creatures, like the fireflies, are strictly from my noggin. They were supposed to be pretty and mark Sarah as special. But once they started talking, I loved the way they annoyed Jared and were annoyed by Jared. I have a transdimensional octopus in the third novel in the trilogy, and other than the colour, he's strictly from my love of 1970s science fiction based on Cthulhu.
I loved your book and particularly found your character of Nana Sophia a very intriguing one. Are you able to tell us a bit more about her backstory?
Of course! Nana Sophia's first husband was the love of her life. She's since had other husbands, but none have taken the place of her Benjamin. She had a daughter that she fights with a lot. She gets along with her son, Philip Martin, who raised Jared, although they tend to have large fights and not speak for periods of time. If Jared had been her real grandson, she would have been able to teach him magical secrets that are only passed down to family, but he isn't so she can't. They spend the next two books realizing they've missed each other and trying to figure out what kind of relationship they can have.
Thank you so much for your questions! It was a pleasure to chat with you today. Wishing you and your families safe passage through this difficult time. Big hugs, lots of love, Eden.
