JAY ASHER has worked at an independent bookstore, an outlet bookstore, a chain bookstore, and two public libraries. He hopes, someday, to work for a used bookstore. When he is not writing, Jay plays guitar and goes camping.Thirteen Reasons Why is his first published novelI have been anticipating this day for quite some time. Ever since I first read Thirteen Reasons Why back in 2009, I was left at a loss and in complete shock. I wanted, no, I needed answers. Ever since, this book has always held a special place. I have recommended it to many. And all have loved it, and rightfully so. Today I have the wonderful author Jay Asher joining me. Hopefully through this interview many of your questions will be put to rest. Enjoy!
Which book cover do you think captures Hannah the best? (I personally think the US
We're in agreement! There was so much I was hoping to say with this book, to challenge certain stereotypes of suicide, and the US US
Can you tell me something about Hannah that we don't know? Some facts that could help us know her a little better.
Everything I know about Hannah is in the book. When her voice came to me, it was so strong that I just had to back away and let her tell her story. In fact, there are certain things she says that I don't fully understand, but they felt right coming out of her mouth, so I let her say them. There aren't any ideas or notes floating around from when I developed her character that didn't make it into her story. So I suppose anyone who reads the book knows her just as well as I do.
Clay could have easily been at fault in someway, just as much as the others since he was on the tape. However, you chose for him to be innocent. Why? Was it because he shared so much of your traits and regrets in high school, or was there another specific reason?
Clay serves two purposes. First, he acts as the eyes and ears of the reader. Everything we hear from Hannah is immediately filtered through Clay's thoughts. Because of that intimacy readers have with him, it was important to give them a break when Clay's story finally gets revealed. Had they been following any of the other characters that closely, the reading experience would've been a lot less satisfying. Second, I wanted this to be a suspenseful read, and one of the main ways to do that was to have Clay wonder what Hannah was going to say about him. If he knew what his cassette was going to be about (if he knew he did something horrible), readers would also know because they're in his head, and the book would've lost a lot of its tension.
When you think of Hannah's story, is there a moment which takes you back to a tough time in your life?
No, and I think it's because I tried to make every scene about Hannah and not about me. Certain things she went through may have been inspired by real events or emotions I've experienced, but then I twisted them around to make them fit her specific story. So whenever I think about her situations and emotions, I can only picture them as they relate to her.
What do you say to those who say her reasons were not enough?
I knew people would expect there to be one or two huge things they could point to and say, "That's the reason she killed herself." But if I wrote the story that way, everything else Hannah talked about would get brushed aside as insignificant by the other characters and the readers, but all of it was significant to her. One point I wanted to make with this book is that every person has a different threshold for what they can handle, and we can't set that limit for anyone but ourselves (and even that isn't entirely possible). So yes, there are plenty of people who've survived far worse than what Hannah went through, but there are also those who took their lives based on far less.
Tyler was a pervert and wrong, yes, but there were those who did things just as bad, if not worse, so why do you think Hannah pointed out his wrong-doings and flaws for so long? And also took most of the aftermath (regarding rocks being thrown at his window). Was it because he was the weakest and a easy target for the others on the tape, because it helped them feel less guilty, or because they felt so guilty that they had to blame someone else who they knew would take it?
As far as Hannah's portion of the book, all of the chapters are about the same length, so I don't think she spends more time on Tyler Tyler
Apart from Hannah and Clay, which character was the most emotionally draining to write?
Clay seems to represent us readers. Like many of us, he loved Hannah whilst he also grew frustrated and angry with her for pushing him and others away. In a way, he said all the things that we couldn't. And I feel that it only connected us more to Clay. Was that done intentionally?
It took me a year-and-a-half to write Hannah's story straight through, and then I went back to write Clay's portion. By then, I'd forgotten a lot of the particulars in Hannah's story. So if I had a strong reaction to something she said on the tapes, it made sense that Clay would, too. Because I knew some readers would get frustrated and angry with Hannah, having Clay feel the same way lets them know that those emotions are entirely appropriate. Still, I've read some negative reviews that state they "know" my intention was to have the reader feel nothing buy sympathy for Hannah, and they didn't share that "intended" sympathy, which always puzzles me. They must think Clay's side of the story was written by someone other than me. But I swear, I wrote the whole thing!
On one hand, I nodded along with Hannah when she was exposing these people, but then, there was this other side telling me that in her doing this and being so bitter, and in taking pleasure by breaking them all as they did her, does she really think it makes her any different from them? What is your thought on that?
For some of the characters, what she's doing is definitely more hurtful than what they did to her. But just as she wasn't blameless in some of the events she talks about, I also don't think she considered all of the ramifications of her cassettes. Again, some people wrongly think I intended for Hannah to be a perfect citizen. She wasn't! But from her own perspective, she just wanted to tell her story and hopefully make some of the people see the unintended results of their actions. I think if you were to catch her mid-recording and ask her if sending the tapes will make her any different than the people she's talking about, she would think for a moment and then answer, "Maybe not." But at that point, I don't she'd care. So does Hannah think the tapes will make a difference? I think she was realistic about it. For some of the characters, like Marcus, he'll just continue digging in his heels and denying his role in things. But for others, like Clay, he'll walk away from the tapes a better person.
Why not make Clay the thirteenth reason why since he was the only one who did good by her. I mean, wouldn't you save the best for last?
I knew that's what people would expect, so that's why I didn't do it. It was a risk, though, putting several more stories after his big reveal. But I knew there were more intense scenes to come, and I hoped readers would simply need to know the rest of the story by that point.
If Hannah knew that the tapes would not reach those on them, or even affect anyone, do you think she would have followed through with the suicide? (I ask this because those knowing how much they hurt her seemed very important to her and almost the one thing that made her feel in control. Like, in knowing after her death, their lives would be changed forever.)
Yes, she would've still commited suicide, because her reasoning for that wouldn't have changed. But I don't think she would've made the tapes if she thought they wouldn't make it through the list.
You could have made Hannah more likable - in the sense that despite caring for her, she had the tendency to frustrate the reader which hindered you being sympathetic towards her at times - when really, you could have given her typical traits of a MC. For instance, a girl who even though she was suicidal, wasn't on the verge of being disliked. Yet you chose not to. Did you choose this route with her because you wanted to challenge the reader in getting to know her and to accept her for who she was?
I know it sounds weird, but Hannah truly came out however she wanted to come out. I didn't make her any more or less sympathetic to make a specific point. That said, I think it's much more powerful when readers are able to point out where she could have made better decisions. And it never mattered to me whether readers accepted Hannah, but I hoped they would try to understand her even if they didn't like her. She's a fictional character, but I think that's the best way to deal with real people, too.
Do you know what became of characters like Clay, Skye, and Bryce, or does Hannah and everyone else’s story end with the last page for you as it does with us readers?
I haven't put any thought into what happens with any of the characters after this story because it ends the very moment I said everything I wanted to say. Readers sometimes tell me what they think happens next, and I love hearing their ideas without having already formed ideas of my own. In that way, their suggestions could be right!
Why did Hannah's parents choose not to bury her where she passed away? Was it because they were aware of the tapes?
Those little questions in the book were fun for me, because they prove that we only know as much as the characters in the story know. Because Clay doesn't know the answer to the burial question, neither do the readers. Clay can only assume that they took her to be buried in the town they came from, and even though I wrote the book, that's my best guess, too.
Skye was someone who I would have liked to have known a lot better. What were your intentions with her character? That there are always second chances? (Which is what she largely seemed to represent. I also saw some possible romance in the future between her and Clay. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong there.)
Many years have passed since the release of Thirteen Reasons Why, yet it continues to affect us and holds a special place among us readers. What can you say looking - when looking back - is the biggest lesson that you have learnt, not only from the large response from your readers, but from writing the book itself?
What I learned while writing the book was to trust my instincts about character and plot and setting, and not follow every "writing rule" if the rule doesn't fit this particular story. But more important than that, I've learned so much from what my readers have told me about their experiences with Hannah and Clay. Because of them, I was able to take a step back and internalize what they told me they learned from my book. So I suppose it's their fault that I'm now much more in love with this world, with the idea of being there for others, and with my life, than I was when I wrote the book. For that, I will forever be grateful to the fans of Thirteen Reasons Why.
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