Q&A with Lee Lindauer

 

 

 

Lee Lindauer is the author of the new novel The Salvation of Henry Maxwell. His other books include The Sava Steps. He lives in Colorado and Nevada.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Salvation of Henry Maxwell, and how did you create your character Henry?

 

A: I grew up in the ‘60s and remember all the Saturday Matinee movies that usually had double features. A lot were films of Gothic horror that Roger Corman produced and/or directed. These films had actors like Vincent Price in them, and this stuck with me for years.

 

One day, that era popped in my head and I thought the idea of that time might spring forth a plot. I modelled Henry Maxwell after Vincent Price as a major influence in the ‘60s in those B-movies.

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: Yes and no. I remember some of the scenes from those ‘60s movies and I formalized an ending before I even started writing the book. A lot of massaging of the plot and theme had to take place to get to that point, but the ending pretty much stayed the way I envisioned it.  

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The name Maxwell came from a 19th century Scottish physicist named James Clerk Maxwell who formalized the electromagnetic theory that I remember from taking physics in college. The name stuck with me.

 

The Salvation in the title is not a religious definition, but one of “attaining a far-reaching goal.” And that is the impetus for Henry as he navigates the ups and downs at this latter stage of his life.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

A: I hope they gather an appreciation for those Gothic movies from the ‘60s and how they tempered the times. The ‘60s had all kinds of troubling scenarios—assassinations, bomb shelters, political protests, Vietnam War, kind of a smorgasbord of downers, but the movies were a respite that provided a much-needed escapism.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: A book about a famous magician who falls from the height of his career and finds himself questioning the idea of magic: is it stage magic, “real magic” or parapsychological, or religious? This is a thriller that asks questions that maybe none of us can answer.  

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: Thanks for the questions and keep posted. Check out my web page at www.leelindauer.com for updates on my books and what I am working on now.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb