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MEET BRAD HERZOG
by Bonnie O'Brian

What books influenced you most when you were growing up?

Brad Herzog

When I was perhaps in the fourth grade, I read a whole bunch of books by Judy Blume and by Roald Dahl. Those authors began my love of reading. I also read a fantastic book called THE PHANTOM TOLLBOTH, which is when I started to realize that a writer is only limited by the scope of his or her imagination. Then, when I was in the sixth grade, I read the book that really changed my life – THE HOBBIT by J.R.R. Tolkien. Soon after, I read his trilogy known as THE LORD OF THE RINGS. I was hooked!

When you were a child, did you ever have moments when you decided you were going to be a writer when you grew up?

Soon after I finished reading the three books that make up THE LORD OF THE RINGS, I decided that I wanted to try it myself. So I started writing my own fantasy novel. I was only probably twelve… and I’m not sure my ideas were all that original… and I only got about two or three pages into the project before I moved on to other pursuits. But the spark was there. A couple of years later, after I had an opportunity to be a batboy for the Chicago White Sox for one game, I wrote about the experience. The story was published in my high school newspaper. I was thrilled! I saw my name in print! It said, “By Brad Herzog!” From then on, I knew: I wanted to be a writer.

What was your first job when you graduated from college?

I graduated from Cornell University in New York, where I primarily studied psychology, but I also took a number of writing classes. At the time, I was certain that I wanted to be a sports writer. So my first job was as a sports reporter for the local newspaper in the town where I went to college ( Ithaca, New York). It was a good learning experience. Because the newspaper was so small, I could write about all sorts of subjects. I learned how to write quickly. And perhaps most important, I developed my skill as an interviewer, a skill I still use constantly today. After 18 months, I left that job and became a freelance writer – meaning I work from home and convince magazine editors and book editors that my ideas are worthy of being published. I’ve been a freelance writer since 1992.

What are the topics of some of your books?

I’m pretty unique as a writer because the scope of my interests is very broad. I still write freelance articles for magazines (I’ve written for everything from Sports Illustrated to Writer’s Digest). In addition, I have written three travel memoirs for adults. These are 400-page books about my experiences traveling the country, usually far off the beaten path. My latest one is called GREEK TO ME, and it is about my cross-country journey back to Ithaca for my college reunion. Mostly, it is a search for what it means to lead a heroic life. Of course, I also write children’s books, including a series of beautifully-illustrated alphabet picture books for Sleeping Bear Press. My first seven alphabet books have been about sports – soccer, baseball, football, golf, stock car racing, extreme sports and amazing moments. But my eighth book, due out in February 2009, is called S IS FOR SAVE THE PLANET: A HOW-TO-BE GREEN ALPHABET.

Where do you get your ideas?

For some reason, I do some of my best thinking while standing in the shower. I’m not sure why. But ideas can come from anywhere. Once, for instance, I was at the zoo with my two young sons, and we were looking at some zebras. That turned into a book called ZIPPY’S LOST STRIPES. Another time I had a difficult time getting rid of my hiccups. That turned into a book called HORACIO’S HICCUPS. And one time I opened my refrigerator to get something to eat. I noticed that the light turns off every time you close the fridge door. That became a book, too – FREDDY IN THE FRIDGE – about a tiny man who lives in the fridge (he sleeps on the sour cream) and turns the light off for you. Of course, he gets out and follows a kid to school, and the fun begins.

Do you work on one book at a time?

I’m always working on many projects at once, but when it comes to the writing I like to stay focused on one particular book. And, actually, it’s not only books. Just to give you an idea, at the moment I’m in the editing process of my travel memoir (GREEK TO ME) and my latest alphabet book (S IS FOR SAVE THE PLANET). And I’m completing a manuscript of a non-fiction golf book for kids (a great story about an underdog who won the 1913 U.S. Open championship). And I’m trying to perfect a middle-grade novel called THE PUDDLE UP. And I’m completing a few magazine articles. And I’m writing a twice-weekly blog about my travels across America for a website called GoRVing.com. I can’t help it. I have lots of ideas!

What do you most want the students to get out of your school visits?

First of all, I want both students and teachers to enjoy my presentations. Often, I include a workshop for the older students in which we create an alphabet book about your school. That way, I show them that they, too, can be writers. But mostly I tell everyone about my life as a writer – how I get my ideas, the process I go through, and all the fun stuff I get to do (whether it’s traveling around the country in an RV, going on a TV quiz show or competing in the national championship of miniature golf). My goal is to show that the writing life can take many forms, and it can be lots of fun.