James McBride, author of the historical fiction “The Good Lord Bird” and the memoir “The Color of Water,” has a new novel, “Deacon King Kong.”
Set in southern Brooklyn in 1969, this story of an old New York neighborhood revolves around Deacon Cuffy Lambkin, nicknamed “Sportcoat” for his colorful attire and also known as “Deacon King Kong” for his thirst for drink — particularly the homemade brew King Kong. When Sportcoat shoots but doesn't kill his young baseball protege who had turned into a drug dealer, he sets in motion a swirl of events that involve all the members of his Baptist church, the drug dealer's posse, a sweet-natured Italian gangster, an honest Irish cop, an old bagel-maker and his daughter, and a hidden treasure.
McBride spent time in Ohio, studying musical composition at Oberlin College. Today, he is a distinguished writer-in-residence at New York University. “Deacon King Kong” will be published today, and McBride will appear Thursday at the King Arts Complex. He spoke recently with The Dispatch.
Question: How did the idea for “Deacon King Kong” come about?
McBride: Although I don't live in the projects anymore, I still work there every week in my church where we train young musicians to play … piano, bass and drums. … So I'm around the housing projects, and I remember a lot about it. Despite the stereotypical view of how the so-called poor people live, I've always felt safe there, and I had a lot of friends there and always enjoyed the people — found them interesting, kind, compelling.
Q: Sportcoat is a terrific character — a kind person, an impossible drunk, a character with a good deal of humor. How did you invent him?
McBride: Well, I've known several people like that over the course of my life. I think we all have an uncle who shows up at Christmas and takes out his teeth. … I've always enjoyed those characters who get drunk at 20 and die at 80. … But I'm lucky I never lived with a drunk and didn't have anyone in my family who suffered alcoholism, so I don't know what the other side of that is. I'm sure it's not pleasant. … But I like Deacon King Kong because he isn't a person who complains. He just does his best.
Q: You set the novel in 1969. Why?
McBride: Because 1969 was a time before crack (cocaine) really hit. It was still a time when people didn't always lock their doors and had to find a way to get along. There was a little more trust, not like it is now.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from “Deacon King Kong?”
McBride: We all need some relief right now. These are some difficult moments as a country. When you pick up a book, there should be some illumination and guidance and a lot of comedy and some relief. … I hope that people come away with the notion that we should be more appreciative of our differences and stop this nonsense of jingoism and stupid patriotism, dummies who are insecure trying to make us kill each other.
Q: Ethan Hawke will star in the Showtime series “The Good Lord Bird.” Were you involved in that production?
McBride: I visited the set and saw the original script that Ethan wrote. It's going to be great. Ethan Hawke is a writer, too, and he's a very literate guy and loves history and probably knows more about John Brown than I do. I can't wait until it comes out.
Q: “The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother” is your 1995 memoir about your mother, who was white and born Jewish, her marriage to your black father and her conversion to Christianity, their children (of whom you were the eighth) and your upbringing in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing projects. What impact did this book have on your life?
McBride: It had enormous impact. It helped me figure out who I was; how my mother negotiated the difficult terrain of being a white person in a black community. Frankly, my mother never dealt with that too much. She was interested in school and religion.
Q: Your book “Miracle at St. Anna” was made into a film by Spike Lee, and you co-wrote and co-produced the film “Red Hook Summer” in 2012 with Spike Lee. Any more projects with him?
McBride: We haven't talked about anything. When you work with directors, they call you. ... I like Spike. He's a loyal person, very kind, very honest. When we had the big flood, Hurricane Sandy, in Brooklyn. ... We were all flooded and lost power, and Spike's office walked a $10,000 check right into the community center without ceremony or anything.
Q: In 2016, you were awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Obama for “humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America.” How do you think that discussion is going these days?
McBride: Hah! Not so good right now because of the guy who's in the White House. If he's not gone sooner, he'll be gone later, and we'll survive him and learn how to talk to each other again. … I'm more concerned about climate change and the fact that we're destroying the world at a pace that's almost unstoppable.
Q: Do you have a new book underway?
McBride: I am working on a new book, and I'm also working on a new musical. … I'm a single father, and I have one more kid at home, a son who's 18 and will be off to college next year.
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James McBride will appear at 7 p.m. Thursday at the King Arts Complex, 867 Mount Vernon Ave. For tickets, $20, go to gramercybooksbexley.com or evenbrite.com.
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