Clementine Camille trilogy of novels spans the love relationship years of Clementine Brown, an African-American young woman and Tyler Roberts, a Caucasian-American young man, from their meeting as high school students through their maturity, when the inevitability of death threatens to destroy the survivor. Along the way, the novels portrays both the ways in which the couple deal with the intrusive facts of American racism as well as, more important, their remarkably supportive families and friends, who contribute to the couples’ ability to grow beyond prejudice and simply learn to love one another.
Path got the chance to ask the esteemed author a few questions about his novels.
1. Tell us a little bit about the CLEMENTINE CAMILLE trilogy.
In January, 2002, I was busy redrafting my way through a four novel series, THE BOOKS OF GENESIS, when I woke up one morning with Clementine and Tyler fully formed in my imagination. I could see them. I understood their relationship. I understood they would face problems with racial prejudice, but not from their families. I resolved to let them take me along with them on what I assumed were going to be a series of adventures. (They were full grown adults in the first scene, but what was going to matter was that Tyler was going to tell the story of loving Clementine and all that it involved, and it involved many, many things I did not yet know were coming and did not yet understand.) From that day on, I got up every morning and followed the maxim, “Where are you two taking me today?” I mean it. They were alive; they led; I followed. It was an adventure. It was not always easy for them, but it was an adventure for me. I admit there’s a whole lot of “wish fulfillment” in the story as it unfolded; a whole lot of gritty truth in terms of what they must go through but a whole lot of fanticizing for me. However, what I did not realize as i began was the number of serious highly personal Ronald Vierling psychological issues that were going to be exorcised through writing their stories and their story. That would take some explaining, but the fact is a number of issues that drive THE BOOKS OF GENESIS also drive the CLEMENTINE TRILOGY. I would be happy to provide a list.
2 What promoted you to write this novel?
My other writing (THE BOOKS OF GENESIS and the two books of Judaia plays) portray people who succeed but only after some really hard and bitter confrontations with others and with themselves. I now recognize I wanted to write a love story. I wanted to write a story about two people who deal with tough situations and wonderful situations with the same kind of grace and intelligence. I wanted to really and truly enjoy the adventure. I wanted to get inside a hero would was head over heals in love with a splendid and remarkable young woman. I wanted a chance to be in love with Lisa Surles, the model for Clementine’s character. One more important point: when I was in junior high school I began hearing adults say “if you want to understand America you have to understand baseball.” I knew that was wrong the first time I heard it. I knew from all my grandfather George Vierling had told me about his experiences as a chef in downtown Des Moines and the stories my dad told me about seeing black people not get a fair shake and what I was reading about slavery and the legacy of slavery and the black jazz musicians I came to admire and the black athletes I came to admire that if you really wanted to understand America you had to understand race. Everything about America from the colonial era to today hinges on that issue. It’s just that most white people “didn’t want to go there.” Even my school teachers never expressed any outrage at the history of slavery and the history of prejudice and the history of real estate “red lining”. I was prepared to “go there” because I didn’t know any other way of facing myself in the mirror.
3. What are some of the recent novels that you’ve read that you absolutely admire?
I re-read MOBY-DICK about once every two years. I re-read WAR AND PEACE when I’m not reading MOBY-DICK. I adore Jane Austen, but what writer doesn’t. E.M. Forster’s novels are brilliant. The best 20th century novel is William Faulkner’s novella “The Bear.” I read that outloud about once a year. Otherwise, I read history. Of course, let’s face it; writing novels takes up 80% of my time. So one could argue I read my own novels in draft form. (It always seems to take five drafts to write each of my novels.)
4. What or who is your inspiration?
I am inspired by several of Shakespeare’s plays, but Melville, Tolstory, Faulkner. Most of all, I was inspired by my affection and respect for Lisa Surles. I am inspired by the African-American women I know. I want to tell stories that they will read and enjoy and believe tell a brand of truth that no other white man has told.
5. What advice would you give an up and coming writer?
Know your characters. Trust your characters. Follow your characters wherever they want to go. If you are honest with them, if you are not trying to make them do something you want and not what they want, you will get along fine. If you try to fit them into a preconceived mold, they will not only not fit, they will not go; they will probably desert you, which they should. Characters trust writers to do them justice. That is your obligation. Do right by them and they will do right by you.
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About the Author:
Born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1938, Ronald was educated in the public schools before attending the Chicago Art Institute. After service in the army, he completed his B.F.A. Degree in Art and English at Drake University in 1963. He then began a forty-year teaching career at five college preparatory independent schools in California, Missouri and Florida, taking time to earn his M.A. Degree in English from the University of Wyoming, where he studied with scholar Keith Hull and poet and novelist Robert Roripaugh. In 1989, he studied at Yad Vashem Institute, Jerusalem, Israel; more recently, he has studied at the University of Wales, Swansea. The father of five adult children, Ronald lives with his wife in Orlando, Florida. While Ronald retired from teaching in 2002 and part time teaching in 2005, he continues to be active as a second grade Read2Succeed mentor in Orlando. For speaking engagements, book signings and interviews, contact Rhetta Peoples at (407) 230-7686 or via email at rhetta@oncreativestreet.com. Be sure to follow Ronald Vierling on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/ClemCamille or @ClemCamille or Like the Clementine Camille Trilogy fan page on Facebook.
