Q: In the Prologue, you recount part of a conversation you had with Tiffany while walking to the subway and then expand on it later in the book. Why did you choose to open with this particular scene? What image (and information) does it give the reader up front about you, Tiffany, and your relationship?
A: I chose this scene because I think it perfectly captures the feeling and tone of the story to come. It also provides a great deal of information very quickly: this 13-year-old girl is funny and clever, but also facetious; we’re very close or she wouldn’t talk about sex; and I’m by turns charmed and freaked out by her. To be honest, I also hoped readers’ curiosity might be piqued to know whether Tiffany actually did have sex in the bathroom of a pizza place, which of course she did not!
Q: Why did you choose to structure the book as you did, sharing the events that took place during Tiffany’s first school year in New York? At any point did you consider extending the narrative beyond this period of time?
A: No, I always wanted the story to cover only the first year. For the purpose of writing the book, I needed to think of us as characters who each journey from Point A to Point B, and that first school year provided great character “arcs” for both of us. In short, the initial emotional chaos of our suddenly living together is followed by a string of serious conflicts. Tiffany’s subsequent illness cements our new relationship, and then come spring a balance is struck: I’ve grown stronger and more confident in the role of “parent,” while Tiffany achieves her potential in school and finally calls New York her home.
Q: The events in the book took place several years ago. Can you share with readers what you—and Tiffany—have been doing since then? Did your niece remain with you throughout her high school years?
A: The launch of the book was quite an exciting time; it took Tiffany and me to London, where we were interviewed in print and on major television and radio shows. I still work as a book-to-film agent, though on a part-time basis so that I can devote more time to my novel and other writing projects. I’m also in a committed relationship with a kind, nurturing, and very communicative man. Tiffany has become quite focused and begins college in September 2006 at a small school that specializes in music and music-related careers. She plans to major in sound engineering (having already taken up DJ’ing), but it’s my hope that she will also continue to sing (of course). We lived together for eighteen months, but I’m saving the how’s and why’s of her move back to Connecticut for the sequel!
Q: Has your niece read Breakfast with Tiffany? What was her response to seeing her story shared in print?
A: Tiffany was only 15 the first time she read the book, so she hadn’t had much time to reflect on the events that took place during our first year together. Though she’d encouraged me to write it, and agreed that our story could be of interest and (hopefully) inspiring, it was very difficult for her to see it all in print. I think she focused only on my depiction of her “bad” behavior, and couldn’t see the bewitching, special side of “Tiffany” (which is a pseudonym). I encouraged her to suggest changes where she thought the story inaccurate, many of which I made. When she read it again nine months later, at 16, she saw more clearly that it is a story of two people who love each other deeply and need each other’s help. That said, she was (and remains) concerned about how the book might make other family members feel.
Q: Entertainment Weekly called the book “one of the most unconventional — and heart-warming — parenting guides ever.” When you began writing the book, did you do so with the intention of it being part “parenting guide?” Does it surprise you that the book would be characterized in this way?
A: Though the plot of my book centers around my sudden guardianship of my niece, parenting is only one of the story’s themes. I’d always hoped that current and former parents of teens might identify with the story, and that parents of younger children might read it as a cautionary tale. But no, I never intended or thought of it as a “guide.” My memoir is about so much more, too – the reasons we make certain choices in life and their repercussions; finding a way to survive and love oneself in the face of obstacles; the importance of taking risks and fulfilling one’s creative instincts – but if it in any way helps parents of teens, then I’m enormously gratified.
Q: Along those same lines, what universal advice can parents—or anyone who works with children --- draw from your story?
A: While I certainly don’t hold myself out as any sort of expert whatsoever, I’d say that simply telling teenagers they can’t do x, y or z doesn’t work. Definitely keep a dialogue open about those issues and let them know where you stand on them, but also encourage them in esteem-building activities that engage them and keep them busy. I learned, too, that parenting by example is effective; for instance, I believe my encouraging my niece to explore her creativity was successful because I was engaged in a creative project of my own. Oh, and it’s a good idea to soundproof teenagers’ bedrooms – that way, when they scream and thrash around, you won’t have to hear it!
Q: What is the most memorable comment you’ve received from a reader about Breakfast with Tiffany?
A: About nine months before publication I Fed-Exed a draft of the manuscript to my mom, but she wasn’t home when it arrived. Unbeknownst to me, my father intercepted it. He surprised me at work with a phone call later that afternoon. In a voice shaky with emotion, all he said was: “You’ve written a beautiful love story.”
Q: Honesty and humor are prevalent throughout the book. How important was it for you to work these two characteristics into your writing? Did you have any concerns about sharing so many of the personal details of your life, as well as Tiffany’s, with strangers?
A: Those characteristics were of paramount importance to me. Personal stories are so much more engaging when the writer can keep a sense of humor about himself and the situation, no matter how difficult. Also, the “clash of cultures” between my niece and me was very funny at times, and I was determined to capture that. Regarding honesty, I grappled with how much of myself to reveal and, in the end, pretty much revealed everything. It was scary but ultimately liberating; in exposing my “secrets” much of the attendant shame I’d been carrying around evaporated. With my niece it was much more difficult, which is why I used a pseudonym for her. It wasn’t until she approved of the book and agreed to promote it with me that I decided to use her real first name in the acknowledgments.
Q: Did the writing process present any challenges for you?
A: The biggest challenge of all was trying to write about my family honestly, but in a way that would inflict minimal pain. My niece’s and my story absolutely needed the context of our family’s dynamics and history to work, but I was tortured almost daily about how much to include and how to write it. I felt particularly worried about how much of Tiffany’s mom’s story was necessary and asked my editor to keep a close watch for anything that seemed gratuitous or too judgmental. Early on, I discussed my quandary with my sister, who seemed resigned to my including details of her life, saying, “Well, the truth always hurts, doesn’t it?” I console myself with the fact that readers find her sympathetic and pick up on the unconditional love that exists between my sisters, my parents, and me. Though she has found it impossible to read the book in its entirety, my sister has been incredibly gracious and our relationship is as strong as it’s ever been.
Q: Breakfast with Tiffany has been optioned for film, with you serving as executive producer. Since you worked in the film industry, what is it like to now be on the other side of the process? Where are you on the timeline of getting the film made?
A: It’s been incredibly eye opening to be the author this time around, in both the publishing and film arenas. Though I sell only dramatic rights in my authors’ works (film, TV, stage, etc.), I certainly have a more global understanding of their careers and concerns now – and greater empathy. My experience on the film end enabled me to be very specific about whom I wanted to be involved with in transferring Tiffany to the screen, as well as the terms of the deal I entered into with them. At this point, the screenplay is written and undergoing polishing, the director is set, and the financing is in place. The next step will be locking in the actors and beginning pre-production. The screenplay is remarkably faithful to the book and (surprise, surprise) I think it’s terrific!
Excerpted from Breakfast with Tiffany © Copyright 2009 by Edwin John Wintle. Reprinted with permission by Miramax Books. All rights reserved.
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