The Book Sense 76
-- The Children's 76
-- Category Top 10s

After John Searles finished his graduate degree at NYU, he was hardly enamored of books of the blockbuster ilk: "I had a more serious take on things," he says. "I was definitely dismissive of big commercial thrillers."

Now, says Searles, "I have newfound appreciation for writers like John Grisham. These books are entertainment, and a great escape." This turnabout is due at least in part to his being hired by Cosmopolitan. Searles -- who is senior books editor for the magazine, which targets "fun, fearless females"-- said he came to enjoy the books that are excerpted in the publication. "There's something to be said for entertainment in reading. I like to pick up a book where stuff happens," he says.

If you pick up Searles' own book, Boy Still Missing, [a Book Sense 76 pick], you'll find there's plenty of stuff happening -- protagonist Dominick Pindle is a very busy young man. He suffers not only the vagaries of adolescence, but the pressures of trying to rally round a disintegrating family…pressures which leave him frustrated and joyous and afraid. There are many comic moments (Dominick's encounters with cleaning-lady Rosaleen, and a nouveau-criminal friend, Leon, come to mind) interspersed with scenes of sadness and suspense. It's a potent combination that makes for a ride of a read.

Searles' road to authordom has been a winding one, as well. He worked in a factory, and as a stockboy and a telemarketer, to save money for college. He studied business at a state school in Connecticut -- "because it was practical, and it was the 80s" -- but found a home in his poetry and writing classes. Then, the year before he graduated, one of his two younger sisters died a few days after her prom. "As a writer, it was the thing that changed me," he says.

With that, he changed the course of his studies and eventually wrote a first book -- which didn't quite make it to primetime. Searles persisted in his literary pursuits, though, and things began to happen: he met author Wally Lamb, who became a mentor and friend; he went to writers' conferences and colonies; and he was hired for a freelance position at Cosmopolitan.

"I remember when I interviewed, everyone dressed fabulously, all the women were walking around in heels, and I felt like the dorky guy in the jacket from the Salvation Army," Searles says. But despite any fashion faux pas he may've committed, he and Cosmopolitan ended up getting along quite well. "Working there influenced me in a certain way," he says. "It taught me the value of keeping the reader entertained, not just myself with all my pretty descriptions."

Amidst the fashion and fabulousness, Searles kept writing. The second time around, things were different: "With my first book, I was writing for myself but also hoping to be published. The second was really just writing for myself…if I didn't get published I would still be happy with my life."

In the immediate future, his life will partially consist of touring the country to read from and promote his book. What will he read betwixt and between appearances? "The three people who blurbed [Boy Still Missing] are my favorite authors: Frank McCourt, Wally Lamb, and Chris Bohjalian." He also reads Michael Cunningham, Janet Fitch, and Rose Tremain.

Searles is also working on his second novel. He writes in the evenings after work, and all day on Fridays. Always, he says, "I remind myself that I'm doing this for me. I'm not in a factory, I'm not unhappy in a business-job. Seeing my book in a bookstore is a dream come true -- I'm living the fantasy now." He adds, "After my sister died, writing was the one escape for me. In the midst of all this, I'm still really grounded. It's just me and my laptop."

Boy Still Missing

A March/April 2001 Book Sense 76 pick
"It has been so long since I cared about a character so quickly, so devotedly, so dearly. When I read, I look for effortless recognition, for moments of poetry, for a tale that has meaning and charm and that inspires the nervousness of not knowing the outcome. I felt that this writer had showered generosity on me by writing this book. The main character will stay with you, along with the likes of Scout and Jo and Holden, making you grin, wince, and cheer."
- Joan Barberich, Food for Thought Books, Amherst, MA

Author Photo by Sigrid Estrada.

For Further Reading:

Tom Nolan
Nevada Barr
Blockbusters No More: John Grisham and A Painted House
John Sedgwick

Browse Archived Interviews
Browse Archived Excerpts

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