Cascade Library Interview with Brook Henson
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| Interviews by Fans | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Cascade Library Interview with Brook Henson |
| Interviewer: | Cascade Library |
| Interviewee: | Brook Henson |
| Date(s): | October 20, 2002 |
| Medium: | online |
| Fandom(s): | The Sentinel |
| External Links: | interview is here, Archived version |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
In 2002, Brook Henson was interviewed for Cascade Library.
Some Excerpts
The fandom I was involved in previously was losing momentum, fading out like a dying star, and I started to get a wondering eye. I began reading TS fic before I ever saw the show (and to tell you the truth I was rather confused at first. For a short while I thought Simon and Brown were the same person ~grin~)-- but I was intrigued by Jim's zone outs and Blair's empathy so I e-mailed a friend of mine who I knew was a TS fan, bombarded her with questions, and eventually, (like a good recruiter) she sent me the entire series in one huge box with each episode neatly labeled. It was beautiful. It was Christmas at my house for a while.
My favorite episode (Blind Man's Bluff) is also the one that irks me the most. Jim loses his sight, Blair ODs. There's so much angst and intimacy between our two boys. Blair is gentle and supportive, oh, and the way Jim holds Blair on the floor of that parking garage ... <sigh> I'm undone! But there is also so much character development and relationship depth that is left untapped in this episode. But I guess that leaves fanfic writers with a lot to work with. I think it's safe to say that the series' shortcomings have, along with a great wealth of talent, contributed to the wonderful quality of work that this fandom's writers have achieved.
I enjoy writing drama. Some of my stories tend to be rather dark and full of angst, even hard-edged, but I've always tried to emphasize how deeply Jim and Blair care for each other and how they try to protect each other. I believe in showing a prevailing gentleness, a kind of redeeming love between the two of them. I have used the word smarm to describe this level of intimacy before, but I think that term is a bit misleading. I think 'smarm' implies a degree of melodrama that I've always tried to avoid. As Mark Twain said: 'The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.' The term 'smarm', to me, is the almost right word... but I haven't thought of a better one yet either.
Well as I said before, I'm very moved by feedback-- that someone would take the time to tell me what they thought of my story, or offer suggestions, whatever. . . I am grateful and humbled by feedback. It almost always makes me smile and sometimes I even cry big fat happy tears...I think new writers should try to hook up with more established writers from whom they can learn, and I think that more established writers should take new writers under their wing to help them learn. I also think there is nothing more beneficial than finding a good beta reader.