The Write Way Café welcomes Layng Martine Jr., author of Permission to Fly, who infuses his writing with the same heart that made his songwriting successful.Tell us a little about Permission to Fly.
Permission to Fly tells the true story of a boy born into a kind and happy family who grows to realize the executive world his father inhabits may not be his destiny. Thanks to my remarkable mother, I was given “permission to fly” early on. Armed with optimism, curiosity, creativity, determination and a wry sense of humor, I began my journey of many painful-but-educational steps and missteps. Permission to Fly is about love, raising kids, sticking to what matters and paying the price for doing that. It’s about recovering from failure and heartbreak, maintaining friendships, and it’s about how much help we all need to get anywhere good in the world.
Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?
In general, I would say sensitive, curious people of either sex and of all ages. More specifically, I think my target audience is women, book clubs, and NPR listeners of all ages.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
As a 32 year-old wannbe Nashville songwriter carrying our 3-year-old child through a wet field in the rain after an interstate breakdown while late for my job loading trucks I thought “if this dream ever works out it would make a good book”.
Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?
The cover is a photo on my wedding day. The rocket-fuel for Permission to Fly was provided by a story I wrote 10 years ago about my wife’s and my life since she was crippled in a mid-90's car accident. That story was published in the New York Times and drew enormous response from all over the world.
What or who has been instrumental in or to your writing journey?
I would say my Mom and my wife.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I received a letter from a reader who read the book and told me how much it made her laugh and touched her. She said she hadn’t been moved like that by a book in a long time. It almost brought me to tears.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Can’t pick just one. I would say I always admired John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway, John D. McDonald, Willa Cather, Anne Rivers Siddons, and Pat Conroy.
Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?
Just keep working at it. If it’s something you love and have a passion for, just keep trying.
What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
Just what they do with other writers…read it and if they enjoy it, pass the word on to other readers. Word of mouth helps a writer more than anything.
What can we expect from you in the future?
I’m not sure at this point but I am thinking about writing another book.
Layng Martine Jr. is a master storyteller. He writes his most American and inspirational of stories with charm, humor, and humanity.
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Layng Martine Jr. grew up in Fairfield County, Connecticut. He was educated at Mount Hermon School, Denison University, and Columbia University. After a stint on Madison Avenue writing ads and a fling as a restaurant owner Layng and his wife Linda moved to Nashville, Tennessee where they now live and where they raised their three sons. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and wrote such songs as “The Greatest Man I Never Knew” (Reba McEntire), “Rub It In” (Billy Crash Craddock), and “Way Down”(Elvis Presley) and the author of a NEW YORK TIMES most-emailed Modern Love essay.
1 comments:
What a great gift your mother bestowed on you! Thank you for sharing your story with us Layng.
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