The Making of Hank

Headmaster, lawyer, sergeant, and first-time author Arch Montgomery graciously consented to an interview with the Harvard Crimson regarding his debut novel, _Hank_.

Charming, witty, and self-deprecating, Mr. Montgomery’s final comment on his new opus was simply: "I hope people read it!"

THC: Thanks for granting this interview so early in the morning.

AM: It’s eight-thirty.

THC: That’s pretty early for me.

AM: I’m impressed that you’re awake!

THC: Actually I didn’t go to sleep.

THC: How/when did you get the idea for this novel?

AM: I'm around kids a lot, and I get to watch them in their various struggles to grow up. The worst mistakes kids make seem to happen when there's an absence of adult guidance. So I tried to put myself in the shoes of a thirteen-year old boy. I asked myself, what would you do if you were thirteen and had a lot of free time? Then it started to write itself. There were issues I felt strongly about dealing with. The whole issue of tolerance in this country is such a fundamentally difficult one...I wanted to make sure that was in there.

THC: This is the first part of a trilogy; tell us more about _The Gunpowder Trilogy_, its intent, and how _Hank_ fits in.

AM: _Hank_ deals with the problem of a kid where nobody is paying attention, who does what any thirteen year old would do with too much time on his hands. Fifty percent of the kids we deal with as educators are in his position, so Hank's difficulties are commonplace, and there's no one at fault.

The second novel is called _Jake_ . Jake, Hank’s stepbrother, is sent away to a school called St. Stevens. He makes some mistakes and he winds up in the arms of a school that he ultimately embraces. So _Jake_ changes focus from Hank, a boy with relatively superficial problems, to Jake, who has a whole community surrounding him. And that's the only thing that gives him a chance to survive real tragedies.

The third novel, _Stephie_, Hank’s stepsister, is told by her mother, Miss-Perfect-Lady Karen. You might say that it's a modern female version of the book of Job. _The Gunpowder Trilogy_ hopefully deals with explosive issues, and the Gunpowder River runs through all the stories.

THC: When can we expect them?

AM: _Hank_ is coming out in January 2003; and the rest of the books will follow a year apart from each other.

THC: Like the "Lord of the Rings" movies.

AM: (chuckling) Something like that.

THC: Who is Hank based on?

AM: Hank is imaginary. I conjured up a kid who has to be bright, a kid whose tolerance for bullshit is very very low, and whose susceptibility to influence by someone who is good is very high.

I've seen so many kids who are rebellious, whose teeth are on edge all the time. They're hard kids to deal with because they can be wiseguys, but there's something charming about them. There's a piece of all those kids in there.

THC: How much of the novel is autobiographical?

AM: The entire book is imaginary; it's not a work of autobiography at all. Having said that, it's me who's doing the writing. You can't escape your own life experiences when you're writing and you shouldn't try to. I shouldn't write about underwater exploration of caves, I just don't know anything about it. Or race car driving. Well, unless I did research.

THC: That would be pretty fun.

AM: You bet.

THC: So the part with the fishermen who are ultra-serious about their little hobby...?

AM: That's me. I make fun of the guys who dress funny, but that's my love.

THC: OK, now, since the world revolves around us, I have to ask, how do you feel Harvard students will relate to this book?

AM: (laughing) I'd be delighted if any of them read it! College students are or should be omnivorous when it comes to reading. I hope they're reaching far and wide, reading both deep and light stuff.

I think that if this is a fair and reasonably accurate portrait of growing up in America, then it's relevant to kids at Harvard.

THC: What will different audiences get from this novel?

AM: I think the younger group gets out of it that's it a good story, and would need guidance to really get more out it. High school kids would, I hope, be amused by the controlling metaphors in the book, and the symbolism.

For teachers and adults, I hope they see some self-recognition in the Sues and Karens. For the teachers of the world, the good ones and the less good ones, I'd hope that it forces us to look at ourselves; it gives us the opportunity to reevaluate.

But all the while, the story is paramount, it's the most important thing.

THC: Was it hard writing from the perspective of a thirteen-year old boy?

AM: My first publisher actually wanted me to rewrite it in the third person, thinking it wouldn't work in first. I listened carefully to what this pro had to say, but I ultimately felt confident that I knew more about kids than she did.

Try writing something exactly the way thirteen year olds speak and hand it to someone. People won't read it! I first wrote it exactly as kids speak, and my wife took one look and told me it was awful! The trick is to make it seem like something a kid would say. If you look carefully, it's not in fact written the way they speak, and that's really hard.

THC: What does this book represent to you?

AM: Oh gosh, it's plain good fun. I'm startled that it happened. I'm happy to have a novel without people laughing (chuckles). I feel lucky to have had the time and good fortune to get this thing finished. It’s taken the place of a midlife crisis.

THC: Well, I'd say it's a pretty good midlife crisis to have. I mean, at least you're not off climbing mountains or anything.

AM: I'm actually leaving tomorrow for the Himalayas.

THC: Oh.

_Hank_ is Montgomery's first published novel, the first in “The Gunpowder Trilogy.” The next two installments will focus on members of Hank Collins’ family.

About the Author:

Beginning in July 2002, Arch Montgomery will be the Headmaster of Asheville School in Asheville, North Carolina, where he will live with his wife and two sons.

Before settling on teaching in 1985, Mr. Montgomery served four years in the United States Army and subsequently practiced law in Baltimore. For eight years after that, he taught history, coached football, lacrosse, and swimming, supervised a girl’s dormitory, and directed the summer school at St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island.

From 1992-2001, he served as the Headmaster for Baltimore’s most prestigious boy’s academy, the Gilman School, which was significantly improved and revitalized in all areas under his tenure. He initiated 70-minute classes for upperclassmen, instituted an interdisciplinary curriculum, lavished attention and resources on the middle school, revitalized the lower school curriculum, and took an enthusiastic part in a lengthy centennial celebration and successful capital campaign.

Mr. Montgomery is a graduate of the University of Texas School of Law (where he made law review), The Monterey Language School in Russian, the University of Pennsylvania (where he was nominated to be a Rhodes scholar), and Westminster School of Simsbury, Connecticut.