A Web Conversation With Susan Kuklin

Kuklin is the author of No Choirboy, published Tuesday, as noted in this post.

Q.What caused you to write No Choirboy?

A. Why did I write No Choirboy? First, I wanted to address the topic of capital punishment and juvenile justice. Second, I wanted to go beyond the slogans and sound bites that blithely write off complex human behavior, such as, “Just say ‘no,’” “Do the crime, do the time,” etc. Third, I wanted to understand the nature of violence. And last, I wanted to explore two questions: Are you the sum total of your worst act? Are we able to determine, justly, what punishment people deserve for their worst act? 

Q. What's the most surprising thing you found about the juvenile justice system?

A. I was most surprised that so many juveniles are tried as adults. Then, what follows greatly surprised me. Many of them are put into maximum security prisons only to become the sex slaves of older inmates.

Q. Nanon Williams found writing to be a meaningful activity while he was on death row in Texas; a way to connect with the free world, and the continuation of a celebrated tradition of writings behind bars.  Have other juvenile offenders found purpose, even in their restricted conditions?

A. The inmates whom I spoke with changed for the better by reading and studying. Roy Burgess, Jr., in Alabama, also found writing a meaningful activity in prison. Mark Melvin found meaningful activities through art and music. How can we prevent such tragic youth violence?

Q.  Do their own stories resonate with contemporaries?

A. I don’t think we can totally prevent youth violence, but we can certainly do a better job trying to understand it and thereby reduce it. First, we need to engage in a more honest and open conversation to understand the people involved and what might motivate them. I hope the stories in the book resonate with other teenagers. That’s one of the reasons why I wrote it.

Q.You've written a wide range of books for adults and children.  Do you plan to take something from this book to write for young children; slightly younger than some of the subjects of this book?

A. No, I will let No Choirboy speak for itself. My books tend take on lives of their own. Once the voice comes to the surface, I let it sink or swim on its own. In my view No Choirboy found its voice. I don’t think it would even let me change anything.

No Choirboy is listed in the books section in the right column.

Nanon Williams was one of the juvenile offenders sentenced to death in Texas.  His sentence was commuted to life and he was moved from death row following the Supreme Court's 2005 ruling in Roper v. Simmons that the death penalty was unconstitutional for juvenile offenders.  Williams is the author of , The Darkest Hour and Still Surviving. The books index is here.  The juvenile index is here.