by Andrew Adams
Photographs courtesy Eric Pierpoint
Late last year, actor and author Eric Pierpoint teamed up with Kids Need to Read (KNTR) to create The Eric Pierpoint Book Express, an ongoing fundraiser that’s bringing new books to underserved kids throughout the country. Eric was gracious enough to take some time from his busy schedule to talk with us about his book The Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole, his work with Los Angeles-based schools, the joys and challenges of being a reader and a writer, and news of his next young adult book. Let’s get started!
Hello Eric! What prompted you to donate your book, as well as host The Eric Pierpoint Book Express fundraiser, on behalf of Kids Need to Read?
When The Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole was first published, I traveled to many states and gave presentations in dozens of schools and classrooms. I saw the curious faces of the students, fielded their questions. The visits became a great passion of mine. I love these kids.
I have done a lot of sci-fi as an actor, and I was at a science fiction autograph show in Las Vegas this past summer. I got into a conversation with Gayle Gordon, a friend and fan, who mentioned Kids Need to Read. One thing led to another and I got in touch with the organization’s Executive Director Denise Gary. I was so impressed with her vision and the passion she has for the cause. We spoke and then were off on a great adventure together. I thought it was amazing, this idea of raising money to provide books for kids who cannot afford them, schools that have no libraries.
KNTR developed The Eric Pierpoint Book Express idea, which I thought was fantastic! I got busy on social media, called up friends and family, and spoke with strangers who simply wanted to donate to the cause. I hope to keep it rolling!
Can you describe your experiences presenting to 107th Street Elementary & Magnet School and McKinley Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles as part of The Eric Pierpoint Book Express?
I was treated like a rock star! It blew me away. KNTR organized everything. I was met at McKinley by library aid Laurie Pisano, and she took me into the school auditorium where I was greeted by about 150 kids and teachers. They had decorated the stage with murals and paintings of covered wagons in reference to Caleb O’Toole.
At 107th Street Elementary, fifth grade teacher Haniyyah Jones was in charge and had gathered 250 students, many that had already read my book. Again, the stage was decorated with welcome banners and giant red cards signed by all the kids. I was able to offer a PowerPoint presentation, Q&A session, and a chapter reading at both schools. The children had so many wonderful questions and were so welcoming and eager.
Both schools gave me an experience I will never forget. I hope whatever I did inspired them to use their own imaginations, encouraged them to write, to read more, and to tell their own stories. I write the sort of book I wish I had read when I was their age, what I call action/adventure historical fiction. I hope what we did at the schools reached some of these wonderful young minds. And yes . . . they all got a book!
Why is reading important to you?
When it comes to watching television, my attention span often tends to leave the building. I can, of course, still sit in front of a few TV shows and certainly have made a career as an actor because I value a good story. I have found that at this stage of life, it is far more pleasurable and interesting to dig for facts to put into my next book, or read other authors to get a sense of their creative power, the rhythms in their stories. I find it stimulating to learn about history, especially American, these days. Reading provides depth, insight, sparks imagination, probably makes one smarter. It is also a meditative way to simply spend time with yourself and you learn something at the same time.
Who are some of the writers that have inspired you growing up?
Some of the writers who inspired me when I was young and still do include Herman Wouk, Leon Uris, Mark Harris, J.D. Salinger, Mark Twain, and James Michener. Of course, when I was quite young, I enjoyed The Hardy Boys books and all the ghostwriters who wrote them.
What was one of your favorite books when you were a kid?
The Southpaw, by Mark Harris. A terrific coming of age novel for boys.
You have an extensive career as an actor, but The Last Ride of Caleb O’Toole is your first book. What led you to write a book? Or, more specifically, a book for younger readers?
My original intent was to write a screenplay. The Hallmark Channel was looking for westerns. My family has a huge history during the Western Migration. I read some of the diaries our pioneer families had written. Many traveled the Oregon Trail in the 1800s. As I became more and more attached to the story about an orphaned boy and his two sisters on this great adventure, I decided to turn it into a novel on my manager’s advice. My first thought was no way, a novel? Too much work!
Anyway, I changed the point of view and developed Caleb as the protagonist. The story told from a twelve-year-old boy’s perspective changed everything. I love adventures about children who are faced with impossible odds and then must grow, come of age, fight the battles of life, and succeed in the end. It is far more interesting to put myself in the minds of kids who face good and evil, young heroes relying on skills not fully developed to overcome hardship and danger.
What are your thoughts on having national and community organizations like Kids Need to Read, libraries, school book fairs, etc., readily accessible to kids?
We have to have this. Schools like 107th Street Elementary and McKinley are examples. There are so many young lives that can be improved if teachers have access to more books. In the long run, I feel that a good book is far more educational and positive than a video game or a film. It allows time to think and builds a relationship between the reader and the material. It stimulates the mind, the imagination. I see a lot of curious faces when I do school visits. So many schools have no real library and the kids have no books. They desperately need them in order to realize their full potential and to grow.
I used to be a Big Brother. I would take my Little Brother to the movies almost every week. One day, after watching a less than inspiring movie, we went back to the car and I asked him how he liked it. His answer, after a long pause, was “What did we just see?” A good book will take kids a lot farther in life.
What words of wisdom do you have for young readers or aspiring young authors?
Make sure you have a good story! It must be one you care about deeply, because writing takes tremendous discipline and you have to keep at it. When I visit schools, I often ask the students who among them thinks they could write a book. About a quarter of them raise their hands. I would never have thought I could do it when I was their age. I had my doubts before I started my first one five years ago.
There are times when it all flows out of you, and those periods where you are stuck and it feels all wrong. Hang in there. Stick to it, do the research, bring the characters to life . . . you can do it! And once you are finished, you will be told to rewrite it! Editors, like good teachers, will mark up your manuscript and depress the heck out of you. Get over it and make it better. Whew! What a process.
Is there anything else — upcoming appearances, book news, etc. — you would like our supporters to know about?
I’ve been recurring on a television show called Hart of Dixie as a lawyer who drives his son nuts and is a bit of an alcoholic. Fun! Coming up this year will be a film that can best be described as a political thriller. The part I’m playing is of a man who is carrying around terrible secrets that open up the events behind the 9/11 attacks.
Speaking of secrets, I’m also happy to announce that my new historical fiction novel, The Secret Mission of William Tuck, is due for publication this coming September. It’s also for a younger audience. It’s about a twelve-year-old boy who receives information that changes the course of the American Revolution. Without revealing too much, William must run a gauntlet of danger, spies, redcoats, and battles to complete his mission.
And finally: favorite board game and why?
That would have to be Risk, but I don’t think I’ve played since college. My roommate and I, along with others in the dorm, would goof off all night and play game after game while eating burritos and nachos. It was fun trying to take over the world while listening to music from the 60s. To this day, we get together during Super Bowls and talk about those good times.
Many thanks to Eric for chatting with us about his work! We are extremely grateful to have partnered with Eric to host The Eric Pierpoint Book Express, which supporters can donate to through March 31. Donations made in Eric’s honor will enable Kids Need to Read to provide books to poorly funded schools, libraries, and literacy programs, especially those serving impoverished and at-risk children in need of inspiration.
Be sure to catch Eric in Hart of Dixie and keep an eye out for his next book this September, The Secret Mission of William Tuck.
