Have our American friends recovered from all that turkey consumption? :-) Well, here's another delicious treat for you... Today we have Martin Gibbs, author of Following Yonder Star.
Martin Gibbs writes in several genres, from historical
fiction to fantasy to bizarro. He enjoys cross-country skiing, biking, and
burning béarnaise sauce. He has two very active boys who share his wild
imagination, and a wonderful wife who supports all the craziness.
He lives in the tropical paradise of MN.
Martin Gibbs: Sure, the story of the Three Kings is one of
those Christmas stories that blends biblical history with a little Arabian Nights. Given that so little is
known of them, there was an open door for me to explore their history and
provide a view of what could have been.
In my version of history, the kings were rulers of kingdoms
that had seen better days—Melchior in Nubia (though he’s very, very pale for a
Nubian), Jaspar in Tharsis (would now be part of Ethiopia), and Balthazar ruled
Saba (Persia). A dozen years before the “event,” the men met each other by
chance at a deserted dock where they had thought to find a lush oasis. They
soon became fast friends and agreed to meet at each other’s respective kingdoms
from time to time.
After the twelfth year, Melchior and Jaspar set out
separately for Saba, each enduring quite the adventure on the way. Once in
Saba, they barely have time to brush the dust from their robes when the star
lights up the night.
What else should they do but follow?
The ensuing journey is fraught with challenges: The devil,
quicksand, fountains of fire, Herod, the Nativity, the Dream, and their escape.
I don’t want to give too much away, so I will leave it at that. :-)
JJ: With this being
historical fiction about men we know little about, did you find it challenging
to write a story that seemed plausible for these men and their journey?
MG: It was challenging. And so I had a little help from an
early English text called Historia Trium
Regum, later renamed The Three Kings of Cologne, by John of
Hildesheim. John provided the names, but with the hard-to-read early English (Iasapar, for instance, becomes Jaspar),
and a general sense of what happened. Although, in his tale, he has the kings
flying thousands of miles across land in a single night. Miraculous…? Or a bit
too much?
From this template he provided, I took out a map of the
ancient Middle East and plotted out possible scenarios. Keep in mind that
ancient man could travel very skillfully without the need of GPS. The
constellations, the North Star, etc., were all clever devices (see my little
glossary at the end of the book). So the distance, while long, was not
insurmountable.
John and the Bible provide information as to their gifts,
though John added elaboration, some of which I borrowed. The early text tends
to elevate these men to demi-gods, or extreme royalty, especially after the
event. This mindset is somewhat disturbing to me, since I would think another
message is apropos: Namely, three wealthy rulers abandoned everything to follow
a star and lay gifts at the feet of a newborn baby.
And, as far as the Bible story goes, I really had to stick
to the facts. Well… I take that back. There is one scene which could have happened, as long as nobody
said anything about it.
The entire structure had to ring true, given the tiny window
we were provided. Names, mannerisms, speech patterns had to both create a
unique vision of the kings, but also fit our collective idea of who they are.
Growing up, we (like many families) had a manger scene, where the three kings
are standing by with their gifts—I can still see the red, green, and white
robes and the small canisters they bore. As long as I stuck to that, I felt
okay.
I’m getting long-winded, but one more thing. In Matthew,
there is a phrase that says the kings “went to the house,” as opposed to the
stable. Again, many of us had the manger scene with the kings standing in or
near the stable. Could there have been a house attached? Sure? But, honestly,
does it make a difference? House, shed, stable, mud pit—their actions were all
that mattered.
MG: The scenes with the devil and the Dream. I’ve written
fantasy that can be quite graphic and bloody. It was hard for me to find a
balance between “edge-of-your-seat” and “throw-the-book-down-this-is-too-scary!”…
I really have to thank Amy [my editor] for keeping me balanced and adding or
taking where appropriate!
At one point I thought of writing about their lives
post-Christmas, and so ending it was tricky. It could have gone on and on and
on… but stay tuned. I will begin drafting the follow-up, Legend of the Fourth King starting in January! (Yes, there is a
legend of a Fourth King.)
Amy: Working with you is always fun. You always seem to
know exactly what I’m thinking when I give you suggestions!
JJ: Following Yonder
Star is quite a stretch from your first novel, The Spaces Between. What made you want to write this particular
book?
MG: We were in church last Epiphany (so this past January),
and during the entire service, I kept picturing scenes of the three men covering
thousands of miles, fighting the devil, crossing a mountain, etc. It just sort
of… happened. And since it really is a quest of sorts, my previous style molded
well with this new adventure.
JJ: With which of the
three kings do you relate most closely?
MG: As much as I’d want to say Balthazar, the “leader,” I
think Melchior. He doubts. He questions. He’s not sure… At one point he’s up
all night chewing on a blade of grass, staring at the mountain. There is always
something he can think of that detracts. He has to be shown. I guess that is
more of my personality.
MG: If you read the book, there is mention of Zacchaeus… the
story where Jesus says “Zacchaeus, you come down.” Perhaps a short story or
novella about who he was.
Also, The Legend of
the Fourth King! John of Hildesheim details the journey the kings took
alive, and dead, and the means by which their bodies reached the Cathedral at
Cologne. I won’t follow John, but I think I’d like to see them arrive at
Cologne… just because I’ve been there and seen the gorgeous shrine.
JJ: How much research
did you have to carry out while writing this book?
MG: Quite a bit. Ancient navigation, the Hildesheim text
(boy is that stuff hard to read!), ancient history, biblical research (for all
the quotes on the chapters).
JJ: Since we are entering the holiday season… Turkey
or ham? Cranberries or cranberry sauce? Stuffing or dressing?
MG: Turkey, cranberry-apple sauce, dressing, potatoes, all
drowning in gravy. Oh, and smoked oysters before lunch.
JJ: Do you have any
special traditions you follow during the holidays?
MG: We have so much family, we’re usually going to a hundred
places. But once we’re home, we put up a pickle ornament on the tree, and the
first person to find it gets a treat. Well… every year we put the tree up on
the Saturday after Thanksgiving and listen to Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion.
Where to find Martin and his books:
Poetry/Short Stories
Books:
GIVEAWAY!!
Here's your chance to win a copy of Martin's latest book! Just fill out the Rafflecopter below (and share with your friends.) Good luck!
