Okay, so, nice and mean. 

One of the questions I get asked over and over at school visits is, which one of the characters in LEAVING GEE’S BEND are you most like?  While I am tempted to say “Ludelphia,” because she is so delightful and determined and even when she goes astray, is completely motivated by love…. But the real answer is this:  there is something of me in all of the characters – even the villain, Mrs. Cobb.

Where does this meanness come from?  I blame my older brothers.  Particularly Ken, who is just 17 months older.  Ken’s the one who taught me to be “Mean Irene.”  The truth is, I had to be mean, just to survive.

 While I don’t remember it myself, one of my earliest experiences of meanness came when I was an infant.  According to my mother, Ken and Stan tried to kill me with baby powder.

 Later, Ken tormented me in adolescence by saying my new breasts, of which I was so proud, looked like “rat droppings.”

 Lovely, huh.

 And yet, this boy was so charming with all my best friends, that each and every one of them eventually fell head over heels in love with him (no kidding – -he even MARRIED one of my best friends!).  Which left me alone.  And so very angry at Ken!   All this to say, I was completely justified in the meanest thing I ever did to Ken.

See, Ken had a Samson-like thing about his hair.  He was constantly trying new hairstyles.  And at one point, he had this rat tail.  Well.  One night he made me sooo mad, for reasons I can no longer remember.   I waited for him to fall asleep, then I tiptoed into his room.  And, whack!  Say goodbye to rat tail! 

Cruel, huh?

 But oh man, did he deserve it.

 And ladies, tell me the truth:  I did him a favor, didn’t I.  (Love you, Ken!)  To find out more about me or Ludelphia, please visit www.irenelatham.com.  And Jess, thanks for inviting me over!  xo