Rocker will be at BookSmart Oct. 15 to sign new book
Published in the Oct. 2-15, 2013 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
A man of many talents, Greg Kihn has found acclaim as a musician, a radio DJ, and a best-selling novelist. Along with other top musicians, the rock star will be performing at Kihncert 2013 on Oct. 12 at Morgan Hill’s Outdoor Sports Center. Sharing his literary story-telling talents, Kihn will be appearing at an author book-signing event promoting Rubber Soul at the BookSmart bookstore at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15.
Greg Kihn
Rubber Soul, his latest novel, is a fast-paced murder mystery tribute to the Beatles. It features a character named Dust Bin Bob who runs a second-hand shop on Penny Lane with an extensive collection of American R&B singles. The novel’s action starts when he befriends four British blokes by the name of John, Paul, George and Ringo and becomes their life-long friend after sharing the vinyl records that will start a music revolution. Morgan Hill Life asked Kihn about his recently-published literary creation.
“Rubber Soul” was a critically-acclaimed Beatles album filled with lots of great tunes. How did the album’s music inspire you to write your latest novel?
Yes, the album Rubber Soul is a classic and I know every chord of every song from top to bottom. In my case, in my fictional world, the term “Rubber Soul” came from an imagined conversation between Dust Bin Bob and John Lennon. They are talking about the human soul and John says it’s the ability to bounce back from adversity that separates one soul from another. We all face adversity in our lives and John believed it was all about how you dealt with it. “Oh, you mean like a rubber soul?” Dust Bin Bob replied. “Exactly!” cried John. Like every songwriter, John probably wrote it down and used it later. I can only conjecture what John would have said, but I got to know him so well while writing the book, I felt I could project what he might say.
The story is a rock-themed murder mystery. What is it about thrillers that make you enjoy writing them?
I’ve always loved thrillers. I love murder mysteries. I love sci-fi and horror too. I remember reading the entire Tom Swift Jr. catalogue by the time I was 11. I loved the Del Rey series of sci-fi for young adults, and I read ‘em all. Oh, and those ACE paperback double-sided two packs? Loved ‘em. Do you remember the Alfred Hitchcock paperbacks “Stories They Wouldn’t Let Me Do On TV”? My father had a bookcase crammed with classic noir fiction by guys like Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler and John D. MacDonald which I wasn’t supposed to read, but I did anyway. I was a huge Twilight Zone junkie. As far as the rock and roll element goes, I was taught early on to “write what you know.” I’ve been a musician my whole life.
There’s a lot of history in Rubber Soul relating to the Beatles. What kind of research did you do to get the historical aspects of your novel right?
You know, when you do a book like this, or any historical fiction, you want to get everything right. Fortunately, I lived through Beatlemania and I remember the Manila incident like it was yesterday. So I knew the overall facts, but I looked up the dates to make sure it was accurate. And it is. By the way, getting the minutia right was part of the fun of writing this book.
Music often comes with a story-line or features interesting characters. Describe how performing as a musician might have influenced you as a storyteller.
Telling the story is the same whether it’s a song that takes fifteen minutes to write — like “Jeopardy” — or a book that takes a year — like Rubber Soul. It’s the same process. You have to know how to spin a tale. It’s funny, when I’m in the groove and I’m having a great day writing, it’s almost as if the book is writing itself. I’m just channeling it.
I have that happen in songwriting, too. The great ones write themselves. Many of the characters in Rubber Soul are composites of people I know. I loved this cast of fictional characters so much I can’t let them fade away. I’m already working on the sequel.
You visited BookSmart as an author one time before and enjoyed your downtown Morgan Hill experience. What are some aspects about our city that you like?
I have friends who live in Morgan Hill and they love it. It’s just the size I like — a small, close-knit community where kids can play in the park. It’s a literate population and I enjoyed my last book signing at BookSmart — those are some great people there. And with the Kihncert looming ahead, it seems that Morgan Hill is becoming a second home to me.
