“It seems doubtful that I shall run out of material. More likely, I shall first run out of time.”
-Gates Whitley
A member of the Writers’ League for one year, Gates Whitley lives in San Antonio.
Scribe: In what genre(s) do you write?
Gates Whitley: Historical fiction and biography.
Scribe: What author would you most like to have a drink with, and what’s the first question you would ask them?
GW: Winston Churchill. After exploring our possible family connection, I would want to ask his opinion of T. E. Lawrence’s assessment in the aftermath of WWI, found in his Seven Pillars of Wisdom, that “the old men came out again and took our victory to re-make in the likeness of the former world they knew. Youth could win, but had not learned to keep….” If I were allowed a follow-up question, I would ask him how those terms would apply in the aftermath of WWII.
Scribe: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what book would you want to have with you to keep you sane?
GW: Clearly, the Bible, specifically the NRSV. You did say however, for purposes of keeping one sane. If for entertainment…well that would be Amor Towles’ ( A Gentleman in Moscow, Rules of Civility ) new book.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
GW: From the bountiful selection of courses and teaching staff, I relish the opportunity to grow in the craft.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you (or you taking it) in the future?
GW: There seems to be, in my family, a sizeable number of relatives who had very interesting lives, lived in interesting times and had great adventures. It seems doubtful that I shall run out of material. More likely, I shall first run out of time.
Scribe: Here at the Writers’ League, we love sharing book recommendations. What’s one Texas-related book that has come out within the past year that you couldn’t put down?
GW: If I may stretch the time frame to last two years, it would be Stephen L. Moore’s (with William Morrow), Texas Rising.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world? An opportunity for blatant self-promotion!
GW: Share with the world? More and better humour, especially the self-effacing kind.
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Thanks, Gates!
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