Lee Child discusses new Jack Reacher novel, ‘Past Tense’ Susan Fisher is new Mystic Museum of Art executive director
It’s not easy to create an iconic character, but that’s what Lee Child, 63, has done with Jack Reacher. A former major in the Army’s Military Police, Reacher is a supersize human fighting machine who roams the United States with no particular purpose, carrying only a wad of cash and a toothbrush. Thanks to his skills in sharpshooting and handto-hand combat, he also effortlessly vanquishes the many nefarious types who invariably cross his path.
In his 23rd outing, “Past Tense” (Delacorte Press, 382 pp., $28.99), Reacher finds himself in bucolic New Hampshire, digging for his family roots. What he finds is a big surprise — and, of course, more brawling.
Child spoke about the book with Newsday by telephone; the conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Did you think of this book as an origin story for Reacher when you started it?A: I don’t make a plan, I don’t make an outline — I don’t want to know what’s going to happen. But I wrote that first paragraph and realized that I used birdwatching-type imagery about the migration of birds. And about the only thing we know about father from previous books is that he was a bird-watcher. So I thought, “Why have I done it that way? Well, this is obviously going to be the book about his father.”
Q: At the beginning, Reacher comes to a literal fork in the road and, as usual, he picks the option that leads him into trouble. How does this always happen to him, no matter where he is?
A: It’s only once a year. The other 364 days, Reacher shows up somewhere and nothing happens. I say to people that I write those books as well, but my publisher won’t publish them because they’re too boring.
Seriously, there’s definitely a convention in fiction that the reader is going to give you one free pass and then the rest of the book better be absolutely logical and correct. The one free pass that they give me is that Reacher takes a fork in the road and it leads to trouble. I guess that’s the nature of series: Something always happens. It’s harder with Reacher, of course, because he does not have a job. If you were writing a police series, then it’s automatic: Every day you’d have five problems.
Q: He never shies from a fight, but why does he seem to especially relish beating up bullies?
A: Partly this is because bullying is obviously a very unpleasant thing, but also he thinks that they’re phonies. Being a bully is basically about threatening and Reacher is contemptuous of that: “What has this guy got? What is he going to threaten me with?” So it becomes a contest of arrogance, which is not particularly attractive, but it’s a big part of Reacher’s character. He fundamentally dislikes the fact that the bully is unrealistic.
Q: There’s a scene in the new book where Reacher almost goes down. Almost. Would he ever lose a fight?
A: It’s part of the mystique of the books: He will always win. I wanted to do that as an antidote to all the books I was reading where the hero is incapable or worried or something like that. We all get that in our regular lives, we’re always worried or scared of something. So I thought, “Let’s make this guy completely invulnerable.”
Q: What do you think of the fact that Reacher’s life, which is free of responsibilities, has become a dream for an increasing number of people?
A: The series started in 1997 and the first big emotional boost was 9/11, when people were saying, “We need a real Reacher, we need people like this.” The second big boost came in 2008, 2009, with the financial crash, when people realized that owning stuff, chasing stuff is a liability more than a pleasure. And that turned people on to the idea of, “Wouldn’t it be great to have nothing, to live with nothing?” In a way the times caught up with Reacher’s lifestyle.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the TV adaptation you’re working on?
A: The idea would be to do a long series on something like Netflix, with 12 to 13 episodes per season. A book probably would not sustain an entire season, so what they would probably do is pick about eight of the books for eight seasons, then cannibalize the other 16 or so books for the best bits — so you get one book plus extra good bits per season. But the deal isn’t done yet, we’re still negotiating.
The Mystic Museum of Art announced Wednesday that its Board of Directors has unanimously appointed V. Susan Fisher of Taos, New Mexico, to be the museum’s next executive director.
Fisher will relocate from Taos, where she served for six years as executive director and curator of the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House. The Taos Art Museum houses a collection of works by the Taos Society of Artists (1915-1927) in the studio of Russian émigré and painter Nicholas Fechin. Under Fisher’s leadership, the museum mounted exhibitions of the permanent collection, temporary and traveling exhibitions, and shows celebrating local and contemporary artists. She also developed new programming and strengthened both earned and contributed income for operations.
Fisher has an MFA in painting and worked for many years as an active artist in Philadelphia. She studied art history at the Sorbonne, museum studies at the Ecole du Louvre, and served as a correspondent for New Art Examiner for more than a decade, writing both art criticism and art reviews. She has served as a visiting lecturer and adjunct faculty at three universities: Temple University in Philadelphia, Rowan University in New Jersey, and the University of Delaware.
Fisher also brings development experience, including a year as director of development at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico; three years at the Philadelphia Museum of Art as director of foundation and government relations, and seven years as director of Development for a Pennsylvania independent school.
David Madacsi, president of the board, said in a statement, “We are delighted to announce Susan’s appointment. We are impressed with Susan’s leadership experience and skill sets and how well they align with the goals of Mystic Museum of Art for its next chapter, and we were all charmed by her energy and enthusiasm for our mission, staff, and community.”
Mary Anne Stets, chairman of the board, said, “Mystic Museum of Art is at an important juncture in its 100-year history as it continues to transform from an artists’ association and art center into a regional art museum. Susan brings the right package of skills we need to move forward, and that includes fundraising experience, curatorial work with living artists, strategic planning, a track-record of working with a national board of directors, and a reputation for building community engagement. She will help us build our collections, programming, educational and public offerings, and museum profile.”
Fisher, who said she had wanted to return to the Northeast, will begin work on Dec. 5 and said, “I am thrilled to be coming to Mystic Museum of Art and to this community.”
Judy Flora, director of finances, has been serving as acting executive director after former director George King left.