XpatAthens.com - Interviews / Truly Mykonian

Author: Mosaiko Staff Writer
There's more than meets the eye in Mykonos this summer...

Everyone knows Mykonos. A great place to hang out in the summer, scuba dive, head out to the bars all night, and pet the pelican...and, if you've got time, there's some great stuff to see on the nearby island of Delos. Right? At least until you read Murder in Mykonos, the new book by long-time island resident Jeff Siger. In the book we see what happens when a series of strange and chilling murders are discovered, and new police chief Andreas Kaldis finds himself with a lot more than he bargained for on the peaceful island. Mosaiko.gr recently got a chance to speak with the author about the book, his life, why he moved to Mykonos, and some of his favorite parts of the island.
Your new book, Murder in Mykonos, obviously has some relationship to your law career. What's true in it and what's total fiction? Any characters you particularly identify with?

I'm deeply flattered that so many think Murder in Mykonos is about real people and real places-that I've made it seem so real to them-but the characters are combinations of characteristics universal for their type. They are drawn in large part from my experiences as a lawyer and businessman living in New York City, involved in a lot of complicated and-at times-nasty matters with very interesting personality types. Of course, the geography and historical data is meant to be accurate-with a modest bit of poetic license added-and perhaps that is what makes the novel seem so real.

In the same vein, many who know me say they see parts of me in several characters-all of which shall remain nameless, though I must say I like the lawyer character's style.

You've said that the biggest compliment you've gotten on the new book is that only a native of Mykonos could have written it...what are your favorite places to go, to eat on the island? Do you have any least favorite places or times to be there?

I do appreciate how many of my local friends in one way or another tell me, "Jeffrey, only a Mykonian could have written this book, but no Mykonian would have because they don't have your perspective as a foreigner."

That said, if I start naming my favorite bars, clubs, and restaurants-and I have many-I'm sure I'll offend a friend by some unintended omission. As for as my favorite place, that's easy: Standing on a beach at the edge of the sea at sunset, watching light play off the water, and thinking of all the travelers from thousands of years past-and maybe even a few gods-who've done the same. If it's after spear fishing, all the better.

My least favorite places and times on Mykonos are better than the best of virtually all others I can imagine-except, of course, for time spent on my farm.

Can you compare Mykonos to Pittsburgh? Why did you go to the island in the first place and what made you stay?

In Pittsburgh, a gyro is made with ground, pressed lamb. In Mykonos, they use shaved lamb. Otherwise, the two places are identical.

A woman brought me to Mykonos the first time. She told me I'd love it. She was right. The island and its people draw me here like no other place in the world. It is an inspiration for my writing.

The book deals with all the aspects of life on Mykonos - the long history and its neighbor Delos, the gay community, the nude beaches, the isolation - how did you go about doing the research? Did you learn something from writing it?

I try learning something new every day and, with the number of days I spent working on Murder in Mykonos, I can assure you I learned a lot. Of course, I read a lot of Mykonos and Delos history and hiked a lot of ground on both, but for what I saw as my most crucial research I turned to my local friends. It was Mykonians generously sharing their time and memories with sharp, specific details of their island, its culture and practices that make this book truly "Mykonian."

What are some of your favorite books and authors?

Some of my favorite authors are, in alphabetical order: J.M. Coetzee, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jeffrey Eugenides, Cormac McCarthy, Ian McEwan, John Steinbeck, August Wilson (really a playwright) and all the mystery writing folk at Poisoned Pen Press.

My favorite all time book: Very hard to say, and hopefully I haven't read it yet, but possibly Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy.

What was your most interesting or fun law case?

"Fun" and "interesting" generally do not apply to the same law case. "Fun" is when you're winning; "interesting" is justification for what looks to be a losing cause.

You might think that a paternity dispute between American celebrities, blackmailers after a well-known politician, a Greek shipping family at war, or getting US Customs to release a defecting Bolshoi prima-ballerina's ballet slippers less than an hour before her New York City debut performance would be my answer to your question, but generally it's much more mundane sounding matters-battles between corporate giants over turf, privilege, pride, and, of course, money-that bring on the real challenges for a lawyer, generating both interesting times and, on occasion, fun.

But I prefer being a writer, finding "interesting" and "fun" together in virtually all that I do.

How does an American go about getting a book published and translated in Greece? How did you find Lalaouni editions? How's your Greek?

If you have a publisher in the United States, the publisher should have foreign rights connections capable of making the necessary arrangements. If not, most Americans are likely to find it a difficult process. Aside from the obvious-that you're dealing with people who may speak only Greek, involving documents written in Greek-the publishing, distribution, and promotion practices are different from those in the U.S. Unless you have someone shepherding you through the process, you're probably better off trying to publish back home.

My personal situation was unique. I've been a friend of the Lalaounis family for years and, indeed, a mutual friend initially encouraged me to write the book. When Aikaterini Lalaouni read the manuscript, she insisted on publishing it in Greece through her publishing company, Aikaterini Lalaouni Editions. Under normal circumstances, my U.S. publisher, Poisoned Pen Press-which is releasing Murder in Mykonos in the U.S. in January 2009-would have made the arrangements. Ms. Lalaouni selected the translator from among several experienced in working with American mystery writers and then took personal charge of the editing process. I could not be happier with how things turned out.

As for my Greek, when I start speaking Greek everyone switches to English-even those who can't speak a word of English struggle desperately to keep me away from their mother tongue.

What's next for you? Another book? Will you go back to the U.S.?

I am hard at work on my next book, a sequel to Murder in Mykonos. It is based in Athens. I plan on returning to the U.S. in November in preparation for the January 2009 U.S. release of Murder in Mykonos. I plan on returning to Greece around Easter, if not sooner

Link
http://www.jeffreysiger.com

Truly Mykonian - Jeff Siger