1. Of all the places Gregor could have traveled to, why the Underland?I liked the fact that this world was teeming under New York City and nobody was aware of it. That you could be going along preoccupied with your own problems and then whoosh! You take a wrong turn in your laundry room and suddenly a giant cockroach is right in your face. No magic, no space or time travel, there's just a ticket to another world behind your clothes dryer.
2. Is there anything you find/found difficult or challenging in writing from the perspective of an 11-year-old boy?
I remember being eleven very clearly and I had a lot of friends who were boys so it felt pretty natural being in Gregor's head.
3. Are you anything like Gregor?
I think I'm like Gregor because we both want to do the right thing but sometimes have trouble figuring out what it is. Also, neither of us likes to ride roller coasters and we've both changed a lot of diapers.But Gregor is much braver than I am…if I even see a regular sized rat in New York City I immediately cross the street.
4. What kinds of things did you enjoy doing when you were 11?
Gymnastics, like Luxa. Reading. Running around in the woods with my friends.
5. Many people think bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders are creepy! Did you have to get over your fear of any (or all!) of them to write this story?
I wish I could say that after I researched the creepy animals I was no longer at all afraid of them…but that would be a big fib! Cockroaches aren't really scary, just a little germy, so I don't mind them much. I love bats…except these really loud ones that get in my attic in the summer and hold some kind of party all night long. Spiders still scare me some, although I'm also fascinated by them and I can happily watch them from a distance. But rats…not pet rats but the wild kind…I will always have what I consider to be a healthy fear of rats. You should, too.
