The Palace of Laughter (27 page)

The Julie Andrews Collection
encompasses books for young readers of all ages that nurture the imagination and celebrate a sense of wonder.

 

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:
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THE WEDNESDAY TALES ~ NO. 1

THE PALACE OF LAUGHTER

THE LARDE WEEKLY HERALD

featuring:

 

An Interview with Jon Berkeley

 

The History of the Circus

 

Puzzle Page

 

A Taste of
The Tiger's Egg

 

 

THE LARDE WEEKLY HERALD

Saturday February 30th.

Late edition.

 

EXCLUSIVE

CHILDREN'S AUTHOR STRETCHES POTATOES

 

What makes a writer tick? We sent our intrepid reporter, Lily Berkeley O'Reilly, to wind up author Jon Berkeley and find out. This is her interview.

What gave you the idea to write
The Palace of Laughter?

The idea for this story started with the name Silverpoint, which popped into my head from somewhere as I was walking the dog one night. If I had known at the time that I would be asked this question several years later I might have paid more attention to where exactly it came from. I pictured a serious-looking boy with a pair of magnificent wings with silver tips, and from there the character of Little appeared as his companion, and Miles as Little's friend. Once you have a few characters you can throw them in at the deep end, so to speak, and see what happens. It's a bit like making obstacle courses for ants, but even more fun.

S.-Xaali O'Reilly

Why did you choose the circus as the setting for the bad guys?

When I thought about Silverpoint and Little, and what would happen to them if they fell to Earth, the circus seemed like the kind of place where they might find themselves. It's a place where you are likely to find mysterious people and
unusual creatures. Before I knew it, the Great Cortado had captured Little and Silverpoint, and who else was going to save them but Miles?

Why doesn't Little go back with Silverpoint?

You might not want to read this answer if you haven't already read the book!

Little had been warned by Silverpoint that she must never give her real name, or she would be bound to Earth forever. However, she found herself in a situation where singing her name was the only way to save Miles's life, and that was what she chose to do.

Why did the Pinchbuckets work in an orphanage if they hated children?

It's true—the Pinchbuckets disliked almost everything about children. The only things they liked about them were that children were small enough to be pushed around, and they could be made to work for no money. This still happens in many parts of the world, although hopefully some day it will become a thing of the past, like pantaloons and black-and-white TV.

How many books have you written?

I have written several stories for younger readers. So far only one of those has been published—a book named
Chopsticks
, about the friendship between a mouse and a dragon.
The Palace of Laughter
is my first full-length novel, but there are more to come!

Who is your favorite novelist?

That's a very difficult question to answer. If I had to pick one it would probably be Graham Greene. There are not many writers who can create so much mood and description using so few words.

Have you always been a writer?

I've always enjoyed writing. Although I have made my living up to now as an illustrator, I once worked as a film reviewer for a listings magazine in Dublin, which meant that I saw a lot of movies at eleven in the morning. The cinemas were almost empty and the popcorn stands were never open, but the tickets were free and I was paid to write about the film afterward.

How many hours a day do you write?

As many as I can. I have to fit the writing in between my illustration deadlines. Some days I don't get to write at all, but I try to keep them to a minimum.

Where did you live when you were growing up?

I was born in Dublin, Ireland, and lived there until I was twenty-one. I'm still growing up.

Where did you go to college?

I studied Fine Art in the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. I majored in printmaking and photography, but I also learned a great deal about stretching a bag of potatoes out for the whole week.

How many Wednesday Tales are you planning to write?

There will be three Wednesday Tales. I have some ideas swimming around in the back of my mind for stories I would like to write after that, if I get the opportunity.

 

 

HISTORY OF THE CIRCUS

An extraordinary glimpse of circus history
was gained this week by the discovery of The Shrunken Man of Kathmandu, a man who claims to have taken part in the first ever London circus performance, put on in 1768 by the father of the modern circus, Philip Astley. Could the mystery entertainer really be over two hundred years old, or is he stark raving bonkers? We sent our reporter, Humphrey Green, to find out.

I caught up with Neptune Dangerfield's Three Ring Hoopla as they arrived in the town of Nape, where I hoped to interview the Shrunken Man of Kathmandu. I was directed to a small wagon with peeling paint and firmly closed shutters. It was so dark inside the wagon that I could only faintly see the silhouette of a tiny bearded man with a battered top hat. I began by asking him how long he had been a circus performer.

S
HRUNKEN
M
AN
:
Longer than most, lad. I rode a piebald mare in Philip Astley's horse show, wearing a smart tricorn hat and a blindfold.

H
UMPHREY
G
REEN
:
Why were you blindfolded?

SM:
I never could stand the light. I was dropped on my head many times as a baby. Slippery little rascal I was, and me poor mother was cursed with weak fingers.

HG:
It must require great skill to ride blindfolded.

SM:
Skill? I had none of it at the time. I never saw a horse before that day, and I spent more time under it than astride it.

HG:
You never saw a horse before?

SM:
I don't get out much.

I could hear rather than see the little man shifting himself in the darkness. The smell inside the wagon was unusual, and it reminded me that the shortest interviews are often the best.

HG:
Was that the earliest known circus?

SM:
Certainly not! The ancient Romans were great lads for the circus altogether, and it's said they borrowed the idea from the Greeks and the Egyptians before them. After the Romans fell to drinking and quarrelling with their neighbors, the circuses took to the road. It was the Gypsies who proved best at the traveling shows. From the fourteenth century onward they traveled every lane and highway in Europe with animal shows and horse shenanigans, but that was well before my time.