Interview with William C. Harris, Jr.
Introduction
William C. Harris, Jr., a native of Savannah, is a graduate of Georgia State University and Temple University’s College of Podiatric Medicine. He lives in Savannah with his wife and three daughters. His previous novels are “Delirium of the Brave” and “No Enemy But Time.”
For those who haven't read your book, Wassau Sound, can you tell us what it's about?
It revolves around the fact that, in 1958, a hydrogen bomb was jettisoned into Wassau Sound [near Savannah, Georgia], following a mid=air collision.
Where did you learn to write fiction?
I didn’t. I just winged it!
You say in your Prologue that some of your characters are based on real people you have known. How much did you change them? Did they know they were pictured in your book? Anybody object?
Some, no changes at all. Others very little. Some in name only. Nobody objected. Some should, though!
Authors are often asked where they get their ideas. You seem to have a ready=mnade supply of ideas right there in Savannah. Can you imagine writing a novel with a different setting?
Yes--but probably not.
You are also a doctor--a podiatrist. When do you write? On a regular schedule?
Four or five nights a week, three or four hours a session. I retired in 2004.
How has the book been received in Savannah? Do many people who know about the Tydee Island bomb give you their own memories?
I was received very well. A few people talked to me, but it happened 40 years ago. Many people are dead now.
What's next for you?
A nonfiction book about my life in Savannah called “Boats, Beer and Boiled Peanuts.”