Authors Interviewing Characters: Julie Swanson interviews Mickey

In North of Tomboy, a semi-autobiographical novel set on Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula in 1973, shy fourth-grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.

But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited, doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone. 

Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? 

Here, the author interviews Mickey:

Mickey, you’re an interesting character in that you obviously must be a part of Jess because she makes you talk—or at least your words come out of her mouth, as she experiences it—but there’s this sense of separateness, of her being surprised by things you say, of you being so different than her: funnier, braver, more clever. You’re like a separate person to her. What do you have to say about that? How do you experience your relationship with Jess?

Well, she’s like the gate, and I’m this wild tiger inside her that’s rarin’ to get out. But she only lets me out when when it’s safe. And then, since I’m all backed up in her, I spill out so fast she don’t know what hit.

But do you feel separate from her; are you ever surprised by what she thinks or feels?

Oh, no, I know how she’s feelin’ before she does! I know ezactly what she’s thinkin’ all the time; she just don’t always let me comment on it, and o’ course she don’t comment on much herself.

In the story, Jess becomes dependent on you, finds great freedom of expression through you. And yet she feels limited in that she can only “be” you when talking in the funny voice she made up for you, a voice she’s too self-conscious to use out in public or at school. So she can’t be the way you are using her own voice—funny, brave, clever, quick. Jess tries saying the sort of things you would on her own, but nothing comes out right. It’s not effective. She doesn’t sound as confident and convincing. Do you have any advice for Jess? How could she access the side of her that you represent in some other, more socially acceptable way?

Well, see that’s the thing. I ain’t always socially acceptable. I ain’t meant to be. I’m the Troof. And people don’t always like that. So you gotta present it with humor. Jess needs to lighten up, not care what people think, not take herself so seriously.

Yes, she tries that, but Jess just can’t be funny in her own voice. So the humor that takes the edge off things is missing.

See, she needs me.

You say Jess lets you out; she controls you. Do you ever make her do things, are you ever in control?

Once I’m on a roll, I can get outta control, which is like me being in control and her not… She has a hard time corralling me then, shutting me off. It’s like she gets drunk on me. But hardly anything bad ever happens (e’cept she might get embarrassed if someone catches her being me, someone she don’t want knowing about me), and it’s fun for Jess. She feels like she’s been taken over, gets giddy. It feels so powerful to her she gets swept away by it. She can’t hit the brakes and skid me to halt when she’s on a roll like that, when we’re on a roll. She gotta pump the brakes, push on ’em hard, slow down gradually.

You said, “…when we’re on a roll.” What pronouns would Jess, or you-and-Jess, prefer? They/them, he/him…

They/them? When I said “we,” I din’t mean me-’n-her combined. I meant the two of us. She’s a she and I’m a he. 

Alright, another question: If I told Jess she could be injected with a shot of something, something they’re going to have in the future, and she wouldn’t have to go through puberty and develop like other girls do, would she want it? 

Well, ’cording to Jess, she’s not gonna develop. She don’t think she can, that it’s possible. And when she don’t, when she stays the same ’cept for getting bigger and taller, that’ll prove she’s not a normal girl, that she’s more boy than girl.

OK, I know she doesn’t think she’ll develop like girls do. I know she doesn’t think she has that in her. But if she could be 100% certain of that with this shot, would she want it?

Well, sure. Better safe than sorry. It ain’t a fact to her, it’s just this gut feeling she got, so yeah, she’d like to lock in on that and not have to worry even one teeny bit about it.

OK, now if I told Jess I had a crystal ball I could see into the future with, and that—if she didn’t get the shot—she’d grow up and marry a boy she really likes who loves her just as she is and lets her be however she wants, and that the two of them would have babies and be happy together, would she choose to get the shot?

Probly not, because she does wanna get married and have kids; she just don’t want to have to do what ya gotta do to have ’em. Gross! …What does your crystal ball show if Jess did get the shot? Because maybe some nice boy would love her that way, too.

I don’t know what it would show—maybe that some girl would be interested in Jess, thinking that she looked like a cute boy?

No, then she wouln’t want the shot. Because Jess don’t like girls. She don’t like how they look or act. She likes boys way better. Either she’s marrying a boy or she’s not marrying anybody. …Are you gonna write more stories about Jess?

I already have.

So you know how she’s gonna grow up, what she’s gonna be?!

I don’t want to get into that now. Let’s just say Jess is in charge, she makes the choices. She can’t control everything, but she controls how she reacts to things. She decides that, no one else. Don’t worry, she’s going to be OK. We all are. …Thanks for sharing your insights with me, Mickey.

BUY  NORTH OF TOMBOY HERE

Julie Swanson grew up in Michigan’s “Little Finger,” the Leelanau Peninsula, where many of her stories are set, but has lived in Wisconsin, Iowa, New Hampshire, California, and Virginia. For the past twenty-five years she’s lived in Charlottesville, VA. Julie writes middle grade and young adult novels and enjoys sports, the outdoors, “making things” (almost any type of art or craft, woodworking), reading, writing, eating, planting trees, and spending time with family.

Tags: featured, women writers

Category: Interviews, On Writing