Interviewer: How did you come to write The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint? Was there a specific event that inspired you to write a book about a mailman running over the head of a young boy?
Brady Udall: My wife's ex-boyfriend was actually run over by a mail truck, just like Edgar in the book. This guy was dating my wife at the same time I was dating her (unbeknownst to me) and when she finally fessed up about it, I demanded to know all about this bastard. Among other things, she told me that in his youth he'd been run over by a mailman and was so badly injured that he was presumed dead. It turned out that he survived and went on to become my rival for my future-wife's affections. Anyway, after my wife's confession, I went out to find this guy—not to beat him up, but to verify his story. I found him at his apartment and he very graciously told me everything. He told me there was one thing he wanted to do in this life: find the mailman and tell him that he was okay, that he had lived a healthy, normal life. I jotted it all down in a notebook while he talked, knowing I'd write a book about it some day.
Pretty interesting and funny isn't it? What do you all think?
Here is the link for the full interview:
http://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm?author_number=792
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6 comments:
Haha, that's crazy. It's funny finding out where authors get their inspiration for writing novels.
Its pretty nuts that it actually happened, will Edgar meet the mailman?
that is interesting, I like seeing how he came up with the idea. When you think about it its an odd topic just to come up with out of the blue.
It's strange that your wife's secret boyfriend's life ends up in one of your best books.
yeah i cant believe that actually happened. i was wondering where he came up with the idea.
Great writers usually get their ideas from other people. But yea, it is a little weird that Udall got his concept from his wife's ex-boyfriend. I'm still impressed that it really happened and that the guy acutally lived!
I think Edgar will seek out the mailman that ran him over and tell him he's alive. Maybe that's even how the book will end.
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