David Israel

a talk with david israel

1) Where did the idea for BEHIND EVERYMAN originate?

In Penn Station.

I was going to visit my parents in Philly and got to the train station early. So I decided to head over to the little bookstore there and get something for the trip. I remember being in the mood for something light, something funny, something I could read in one sitting. Which reminds me: Bookstores should have a section called “TRAINS, PLANES and AUTOBIOGRAPHIES” or “TRIP LIT” or something like that. An aisle where you can find books that only keep you occupied for a few hours: collections of short stories, novellas, novelettes, and short non-fiction titles, as well, like Great Jewish Sports Heroes.

Anyway, I was in the Penn Station bookstore and spent a good fifteen minutes looking for said book. But all the quick-reads were Chick Lit novels, and the better ones I’d already read (Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing for example). There clearly was (and still is) a dearth there, which, in a strange way, inspired me.

And so, instead of reading a new novel on the train to Philly that day, I started writing one.

2) Did you do any special research while writing this novel?

I read a few books on screenwriting. Syd Field’s book, for example, which I mention several times. Though unlike Everyman, I never took a screenwriting course. Come to think of it, maybe I should.

I also did do a lot of Internet dating in the years just before I started the book. And the date that Everyman goes on in Long Island was inspired by a date that I actually went on through an online dating site. Was that research or torture? I’m not exactly sure.

3) Before becoming a writer you were a composer. How does your work as a composer and musician influence your writing?

Actually I was a writer and a composer at the same time. It’s just that the music career sort of snowballed faster than the writing career, so I went with it. Besides, I subscribe to the school of thought that you’ve got to live a little, and suffer a lot (which is easy in the music business) before you’ve got anything to say as a novelist.

Music plays an important part in my writing. Writing a novel is exactly like writing a symphony or an album’s worth of songs: chapters have to flow rhythmically, one into the next. The beats have to be clear, even in legato passages. The structure has to include a lot of repetition and recapitulation of the main theme, or themes. The characters, like instruments, or voices, have to work together to tell a story. And most importantly, you have to think of your audience: Is this a book they can hum?

I hope so.

4) BEHIND EVERYMAN is written in second person and the protagonist is never actually referred to by name. Can you explain why you chose to write this novel in such a unique way?

There are a few different reasons.

First, and most importantly, it’s easier to be funny in second person, at least in my opinion. I think this is because the narrator can both tell the story and give instruction at the same time. Take, for instance, this example from the book:

“Wring your hands in disgust like your dad with the outboard engine again. Kick something. Throw an oar. Make a note to speak to your therapist about pent-up aggression and genetic inclinations toward hand wringing.”

That to me is the essence of funny. Of course there is no kicking, or oar throwing, we all know that. But the mere suggestion that the protagonist do these things, the surreal visual that’s created in the reader’s mind, almost like a cartoon, is funny.

Whereas in first person (“I wrung my hands in disgust like my dad did with the outboard engine again. I kicked something. I threw an oar. I made a mental note…”) or third person (“He wrung his hands in disgust like his dad did…He kicked something. He threw an oar…”) you have something both clumsy and ridiculous because it sounds like these are things that the protagonist actually did, as opposed to suggestions that he do them.

Second person was also perfect for this novel because I wanted the protagonist to be an Everyman character. There were times when I could have had Sonja or the therapist (who’s also nameless) call the protagonist by a name, like, “Listen, Mervin, you’ve got to stop being so insecure, alright?” But it was just as easy not to. And anyhow, when you think about it, we hardly ever use each other’s names in our day to day lives. I know I always call my friend “Yo,” or “Hey” when I’m addressing him rather than “Carl,” his actual first name.

However, the folks in Hollywood have told me that in the film version, should there ever be a film version, Everyman must have a name. So I’m going to call him Avery Mann.
How’s that?

5) In his search for happiness and true love, BEHIND EVERYMAN’s protagonist appears to be going through a ‘quarter-life’ crisis. Do you feel this phenomenon is becoming increasingly more common among men in their 20s and early 30s? For women as well?

Absolutely. With each new generation entering the workplace, I think people are less and less willing to compromise their happiness for the steady paycheck, or the big salary. Looking inward has become a natural part of our consciousness. Seeing a shrink is no longer taboo. With each new graduating class, there seems to be more questioning going on: questioning traditions, dogmas, capitalistic philosophies. People get out of college now, still eager to start the journey as adults, but after four or five years of the grind they’re now going, “fuck, is this what I want to be doing 10 years from now?” And maybe we’ll find, as these generations question, make changes earlier, and shift gears, that the clichéd mid-life crisis will become a thing of the past. Maybe the “quarter-life” crisis is the new “mid-life crisis.”

6) The novel’s ‘Everyman’ finally meets Sonja, who he refers to as a ‘snowflake’ (“a unique specimen with no traceable predecessor” – an original). She is accomplished, capable, funny, and attractive - and some may say is out of his league. What is it about ‘Everyman’ that would make a woman like Sonja interested in dating him?

Simply put, my protagonist is a full-fledge mensch. And the mensch is a hard guy to find. He’s adorable, he’s cute, he’s loyal, interested in monogamy and children, he’s willing to put up with her illness, and maybe most importantly, he makes her laugh.

I always thought of Sonja as the kind of girl who’d dated her fair share of players. By the time she meets Everyman, she’s had her fill of tall, dark, and handsome-body else your commitment issues please.

So he’s technologically inept? So he’s a little insecure? So he has gastrointestinal problems? She knows nobody’s perfect. She knows relationships are about compromise. And most importantly, she feels what he feels; that they’re an excellent fit.

7) Do “snowflakes” really exist or do they just appear in books and movies?

I can only speak from my own experience, of course. But, yes, I believe they do. You just have to be patient, and they fall into your lap.

8) BEHIND EVERYMAN had an interesting publication history. What happened?

One day, on the subway to Brooklyn, I sat down next to a young woman who later introduced herself as Danielle Durkin.

“Wait, your last name is Israel, or you’re from Israel?” Danielle inquired as we bumped along underneath Lexington Avenue headed toward Union Square. A variation on a question I’d fielded often in the past.

I really had no idea Danielle was a young, up-and-coming editor at Random House when I accosted her that late October evening. The train was crowded. I was tired of straphanging, and a seat opened up beside her. True, she did have a large canvas bag nestled between her legs with the words “Random House” printed across it. And yes, there was something about her body language that said “I HEART BOOKS.” And sure, I’ll admit it, besides sharing a last name with a small war torn country I’ve also been known to exhibit a fair amount of their chutzpah. But honestly, I was merely making small talk. Just striking up a conversation to occupy my time, seeing as I’d absentmindedly left all reading material at home that day.

According to Danielle, who loves telling the story of how she acquired her latest novel, she was never the type of person to engage perfect strangers in conversation—especially on the subway where psychotic stalkers lurked behind tattered newspapers, where only a few months earlier a story had circulated about a deranged “mad kisser” who planted a big ‘ol wet one on the lips of unsuspecting young women before darting off the train just as the doors were closing. But talk she did—about authors, poets and musicians she liked, about Middle East politics, about swimming. And questions, she had—about authors, poets and musicians I liked, about Middle East politics, about swimming. It was one of those magical conversations that could have gone on for hours had the constraint of “the next stop is mine” not cut us short. (As it turned out, I rode one extra stop because Danielle was unable to fish her business card out of her wallet in time.)
Over the months that followed, Danielle and I would exchange the occasional e-mail (“I hear there’s a new pool opening at…”) And from time to time I would try to get her interested in this or that novel I was working on, never with any luck, of course. And slowly we began to fall out of touch. But then, a few months later, the subway roared into our lives once more.
“Danielle, you’re not going to believe this, but I think I’ve just sold my first book,” I trumpeted into the phone like a man whose future was suddenly looking up. Danielle was happy to hear it. “Really? That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed. “What’s it about?” When I told her it was a non-fiction book about the New York City subway system she laughed out loud and blurted, “And you didn’t show it to me first?!”

So a month later, when I had a polished first chapter to yet another new novel called Behind Everyman, I did show it to her first and she immediately expressed serious interest, asking to see a finished manuscript as soon as I had one. That was August, 2003. By the end of September the novel was complete and by the end of November we had a signed contract. The whole thing happened in less time than it takes to traverse three midtown blocks on an MTA bus.

9) What’s next for David Israel?

We’re trying to get the book optioned as a film, of course. That’s the number one priority. And not just optioned, but optioned and made. Then there’s the upcoming tour: the Behind Everyman readings, which, I promise, will be unlike any other anyone has ever attended.

I’m also putting the finishing touches on a new novel tentatively titled The Pervert, The Hypochondriac, and the Feminist. It’s another quarter-life crisis story, though this time it’s three stories about three guys, and three quarter-life crisis’s all rolled into one novel. The boys have been best friends since junior high, but now, in their early thirties, the friendship and dynamics within are changing, shifting, becoming strained for a variety of interesting reasons.

I’m also finishing up a sitcom pilot and trying to get that sold. So there’s a lot, really. It’s an exciting time.


BE BUY IT BE reviews BE tour BE excerpt BE press BE journal BE mailbag BE mailing list		a talk with david israel 1) Where did the idea for BEHIND EVERYMAN originate? In Penn Station. I was going to visit my parents in Philly and got to the train station early. So I decided to head over to the little bookstore there and get something for the trip. I remember being in the mood for something light, something funny, something I could read in one sitting. Which reminds me: Bookstores should have a section called “TRAINS, PLANES and AUTOBIOGRAPHIES” or “TRIP LIT” or something like that. An aisle where you can find books that only keep you occupied for a few hours: collections of short stories, novellas, novelettes, and short non-fiction titles, as well, like Great Jewish Sports Heroes. Anyway, I was in the Penn Station bookstore and spent a good fifteen minutes looking for said book. But all the quick-reads were Chick Lit novels, and the better ones I’d already read (Girl’s Guide to Hunting and Fishing for example). There clearly was (and still is) a dearth there, which, in a strange way, inspired me. And so, instead of reading a new novel on the train to Philly that day, I started writing one. 2) Did you do any special research while writing this novel? I read a few books on screenwriting. Syd Field’s book, for example, which I mention several times. Though unlike Everyman, I never took a screenwriting course. Come to think of it, maybe I should. I also did do a lot of Internet dating in the years just before I started the book. And the date that Everyman goes on in Long Island was inspired by a date that I actually went on through an online dating site. Was that research or torture? I’m not exactly sure. 3) Before becoming a writer you were a composer. How does your work as a composer and musician influence your writing? Actually I was a writer and a composer at the same time. It’s just that the music career sort of snowballed faster than the writing career, so I went with it. Besides, I subscribe to the school of thought that you’ve got to live a little, and suffer a lot (which is easy in the music business) before you’ve got anything to say as a novelist. Music plays an important part in my writing. Writing a novel is exactly like writing a symphony or an album’s worth of songs: chapters have to flow rhythmically, one into the next. The beats have to be clear, even in legato passages. The structure has to include a lot of repetition and recapitulation of the main theme, or themes. The characters, like instruments, or voices, have to work together to tell a story. And most importantly, you have to think of your audience: Is this a book they can hum? I hope so. 4) BEHIND EVERYMAN is written in second person and the protagonist is never actually referred to by name. Can you explain why you chose to write this novel in such a unique way? There are a few different reasons. First, and most importantly, it’s easier to be funny in second person, at least in my opinion. I think this is because the narrator can both tell the story and give instruction at the same time. Take, for instance, this example from the book: “Wring your hands in disgust like your dad with the outboard engine again. Kick something. Throw an oar. Make a note to speak to your therapist about pent-up aggression and genetic inclinations toward hand wringing.” That to me is the essence of funny. Of course there is no kicking, or oar throwing, we all know that. But the mere suggestion that the protagonist do these things, the surreal visual that’s created in the reader’s mind, almost like a cartoon, is funny. Whereas in first person (“I wrung my hands in disgust like my dad did with the outboard engine again. I kicked something. I threw an oar. I made a mental note…”) or third person (“He wrung his hands in disgust like his dad did…He kicked something. He threw an oar…”) you have something both clumsy and ridiculous because it sounds like these are things that the protagonist actually did, as opposed to suggestions that he do them. Second person was also perfect for this novel because I wanted the protagonist to be an Everyman character. There were times when I could have had Sonja or the therapist (who’s also nameless) call the protagonist by a name, like, “Listen, Mervin, you’ve got to stop being so insecure, alright?” But it was just as easy not to. And anyhow, when you think about it, we hardly ever use each other’s names in our day to day lives. I know I always call my friend “Yo,” or “Hey” when I’m addressing him rather than “Carl,” his actual first name. However, the folks in Hollywood have told me that in the film version, should there ever be a film version, Everyman must have a name. So I’m going to call him Avery Mann. How’s that? 5) In his search for happiness and true love, BEHIND EVERYMAN’s protagonist appears to be going through a ‘quarter-life’ crisis. Do you feel this phenomenon is becoming increasingly more common among men in their 20s and early 30s? For women as well? Absolutely. With each new generation entering the workplace, I think people are less and less willing to compromise their happiness for the steady paycheck, or the big salary. Looking inward has become a natural part of our consciousness. Seeing a shrink is no longer taboo. With each new graduating class, there seems to be more questioning going on: questioning traditions, dogmas, capitalistic philosophies. People get out of college now, still eager to start the journey as adults, but after four or five years of the grind they’re now going, “fuck, is this what I want to be doing 10 years from now?” And maybe we’ll find, as these generations question, make changes earlier, and shift gears, that the clichéd mid-life crisis will become a thing of the past. Maybe the “quarter-life” crisis is the new “mid-life crisis.” 6) The novel’s ‘Everyman’ finally meets Sonja, who he refers to as a ‘snowflake’ (“a unique specimen with no traceable predecessor” – an original). She is accomplished, capable, funny, and attractive - and some may say is out of his league. What is it about ‘Everyman’ that would make a woman like Sonja interested in dating him? Simply put, my protagonist is a full-fledge mensch. And the mensch is a hard guy to find. He’s adorable, he’s cute, he’s loyal, interested in monogamy and children, he’s willing to put up with her illness, and maybe most importantly, he makes her laugh. I always thought of Sonja as the kind of girl who’d dated her fair share of players. By the time she meets Everyman, she’s had her fill of tall, dark, and handsome-body else your commitment issues please. So he’s technologically inept? So he’s a little insecure? So he has gastrointestinal problems? She knows nobody’s perfect. She knows relationships are about compromise. And most importantly, she feels what he feels; that they’re an excellent fit. 7) Do “snowflakes” really exist or do they just appear in books and movies? I can only speak from my own experience, of course. But, yes, I believe they do. You just have to be patient, and they fall into your lap. 8) BEHIND EVERYMAN had an interesting publication history. What happened? One day, on the subway to Brooklyn, I sat down next to a young woman who later introduced herself as Danielle Durkin. “Wait, your last name is Israel, or you’re from Israel?” Danielle inquired as we bumped along underneath Lexington Avenue headed toward Union Square. A variation on a question I’d fielded often in the past. I really had no idea Danielle was a young, up-and-coming editor at Random House when I accosted her that late October evening. The train was crowded. I was tired of straphanging, and a seat opened up beside her. True, she did have a large canvas bag nestled between her legs with the words “Random House” printed across it. And yes, there was something about her body language that said “I HEART BOOKS.” And sure, I’ll admit it, besides sharing a last name with a small war torn country I’ve also been known to exhibit a fair amount of their chutzpah. But honestly, I was merely making small talk. Just striking up a conversation to occupy my time, seeing as I’d absentmindedly left all reading material at home that day. According to Danielle, who loves telling the story of how she acquired her latest novel, she was never the type of person to engage perfect strangers in conversation—especially on the subway where psychotic stalkers lurked behind tattered newspapers, where only a few months earlier a story had circulated about a deranged “mad kisser” who planted a big ‘ol wet one on the lips of unsuspecting young women before darting off the train just as the doors were closing. But talk she did—about authors, poets and musicians she liked, about Middle East politics, about swimming. And questions, she had—about authors, poets and musicians I liked, about Middle East politics, about swimming. It was one of those magical conversations that could have gone on for hours had the constraint of “the next stop is mine” not cut us short. (As it turned out, I rode one extra stop because Danielle was unable to fish her business card out of her wallet in time.) Over the months that followed, Danielle and I would exchange the occasional e-mail (“I hear there’s a new pool opening at…”) And from time to time I would try to get her interested in this or that novel I was working on, never with any luck, of course. And slowly we began to fall out of touch. But then, a few months later, the subway roared into our lives once more. “Danielle, you’re not going to believe this, but I think I’ve just sold my first book,” I trumpeted into the phone like a man whose future was suddenly looking up. Danielle was happy to hear it. “Really? That’s wonderful!” she exclaimed. “What’s it about?” When I told her it was a non-fiction book about the New York City subway system she laughed out loud and blurted, “And you didn’t show it to me first?!” So a month later, when I had a polished first chapter to yet another new novel called Behind Everyman, I did show it to her first and she immediately expressed serious interest, asking to see a finished manuscript as soon as I had one. That was August, 2003. By the end of September the novel was complete and by the end of November we had a signed contract. The whole thing happened in less time than it takes to traverse three midtown blocks on an MTA bus. 9) What’s next for David Israel? We’re trying to get the book optioned as a film, of course. That’s the number one priority. And not just optioned, but optioned and made. Then there’s the upcoming tour: the Behind Everyman readings, which, I promise, will be unlike any other anyone has ever attended. I’m also putting the finishing touches on a new novel tentatively titled The Pervert, The Hypochondriac, and the Feminist. It’s another quarter-life crisis story, though this time it’s three stories about three guys, and three quarter-life crisis’s all rolled into one novel. The boys have been best friends since junior high, but now, in their early thirties, the friendship and dynamics within are changing, shifting, becoming strained for a variety of interesting reasons. I’m also finishing up a sitcom pilot and trying to get that sold. So there’s a lot, really. It’s an exciting time.