BEST AUTHOR BEST : S. E. HINTON [2]

 

.-  What books are on your night stand ?

I am currently rereading '' Middle march '' [ it takes rereading ], and '' The Last of the Wine,'' by Mary Renault.

Socrates is a character in that book. So is Plato. To have them appear casually in a novel, yet be very faithful to what we know of them, is great.

.-  What books might we be surprised to find on your shelves?

I have all of Jane Austen's books, plus Jane Austen studies, and a very good collection of Dave Barry's books. Right now I'm reading a whole lot of Dave Barry because of the election.

You can't read a page without laughing. That's my comfort read.

.-  How do you feel about the absence of '' Gone With the Wind,'' which in the novel is important to Ponyboy and Johnny?

When I wrote '' The Outsiders ,'' at 16, '' Gone With the Wind '' was my favorite book. It no longer is. So I approve the absence.

.-  Can you recall the first time you read the Robert Frost poem '' Nothing Gold Can Stay,'' which also features prominently in the book?

Yes, I was wandering around my creative writing classroom when I came across the poem in a magazine. I thought it fit in the novel I was writing, went home and wrote it in.

.-  How do sign books for your fans?

Stay gold! Of course.

.-  You mentioned to New York magazine that you've written fan fiction that features '' The Outsiders '' characters. Can you say more?

I do kind of regret telling people that. I had fun doing it. I don't want to say more. I say, '' The good ones are mine.''

.-  Do you expect to publish another novel?

I'm working on a screenplay. If a story comes to me, I'll write a novel.

.-  You're organizing a literary dinner party. Which three writers, dead or alive, do you invite?

Homer, Mary Renault, Jane Austen. I'd want to ask Homer if he thinks he's writing history or fiction. Mary Renault is the writer who's influenced the way I think about things like envy and jealousy and nobility.

Jane Austen is my favorite writer. I reread her all the time and find something new every time.

.-  Would you cook?

I'd cater that dinner. My cooking days are long past.

The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.