Q: SO WHAT'S THE MONKEY WRENCH KID ABOUT?
ME: It's a crazy satirical romp through our crazy times... we follow our inept, bewildered, narcoleptic hero, Danny, aka the Monkey Wrench Kid, in his hilarious, bawdy adventures through the Total Collapse of Everything. In spite of his best accidental efforts to bring about even more mayhem he emerges from dystopian Foulburgh into a sustainable future. On the surface it's surreal, fantasy, comic book entertainment but it's also digging into major issues of our times: climate emergency, collapse of the industrial way of life, gender and sexuality issues, war, violence, patriarchy and anarchy. The main theme is that we can live sustainably but it will be in a very different way to the industrial way, and we will have to have evolved into gentler and more cooperative beings - it's a hopeful message.
Q: HOW MUCH OF IT IS WRITTEN FROM YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE?
ME: Lots of it... I've drawn on my adventures while travelling around and working on eco projects in the UK and Portugal. None of the characters in the book are based on anyone in particular though they have similarities here and there. There's also lots of funny events I've seen rolled up in the book. I'm a bit of a Monkey Wrench Kid myself in that, though I've learned to make musical instruments and buildings, I'm not naturally good at it - my early practical efforts were a bit disastrous... and I've been known to fall asleep at unhelpful moments - eg on stage in the lead role in a play... I've also used my amazing and fascinating experiences as a complementary therapist. In that world, I do stuff everyday that normal science would say was impossible, like giving distant treatment. I think it's partly our psychic powers that are evolving, and which will be very helpful.
Q: WHO'S YOUR BOOK WRITTEN FOR?
ME: It's particularly written with students in mind... of all ages... firstly as a satirical entertainment, but also as I want to get the ideas and patterns of sustainable living out to the people who are going to have to deal with the mess. I want to help people to start thinking about all the issues and maybe taking a few steps to get ready, thinking about the skills they'll need to live simpler, more natural, locally based lives, and how to make it fun, fulfilling and interesting at the same time.
ME: It's particularly written with students in mind... of all ages... firstly as a satirical entertainment, but also as I want to get the ideas and patterns of sustainable living out to the people who are going to have to deal with the mess. I want to help people to start thinking about all the issues and maybe taking a few steps to get ready, thinking about the skills they'll need to live simpler, more natural, locally based lives, and how to make it fun, fulfilling and interesting at the same time.
Q: ARE THERE MORE MONKEY WRENCH BOOKS COMING SOON?
ME: Oh yes indeed, I'll be developing these themes and introducing more in books two and three... look out for them...
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