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An Interview with Sidney Kirkpatrick |
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An Interview With Sidney Kirkpatrick, Author of Edgar Cayce, An American Prophet
1. How did you get your start as a writer?
I grew up in a family of writers. My grandfather was an editor at McGraw Hill. Both my sisters are writers and my uncle is a writer.
2. Why did you write this book?
All writing (and reading) is about self-discovery. Researching the life and work of Edgar Cayce was an opportunity to explore some very profound questions about the nature of the universe and my place in it.
3. Tell me about your extraordinary good luck in researching this book.
The word “synchronicity” wasn’t in my vocabulary when I took on the Cayce book. But so many doors opened for me throughout the research and writing process that I couldn’t help feel a bit like Chance the Gardener in Jerzy Kosinski’s “Being There.”
4. How did you match up the transcripts with names of those who Cayce served?
I had to play detective: matching the dates, locations and subject matter in the Cayce readings with the names, dates, locations and subject matter in the correspondence. It was actually quite easy to do. No one had done it before because no one else had complete access to both the Cayce readings and the Cayce correspondence.
5. How do Edgar Cayce's readings differ from modern psychics like John Edward and Sylvia Browne?
Edgar Cayce readings set the standard for what John Edward and Sylvia Browne are now carrying forward in their own special and unique ways. What makes the Cayce readings so special is that he never courted or desired the limelight, and his greatest legacy is the spiritual wisdom and insight into the secrets of the universe that were at the heart of the message he brought forth on an almost daily basis.
6. Which readings did you find most interesting or exciting?
I consult the health readings and have endeavored to make them a daily part of my life. In fact, I wouldn’t dream of visiting a doctor before first reading what Edgar Cayce had to say about a particular ailment or treatment. But my favorite readings are those devoted to Jesus and the role that women played in the founding of the Christian church. The great irony is that these are subjects which held no particular fascination for me when I started the project. Nor have they received any media attention. Yet to my mind, these readings—along with his Search for God series, are ultimately the most important, enduring, and life-transforming readings Cayce ever gave.
7. You seem drawn towards writing biographies (and filming documentaries). Why does telling other people's stories appeal to you?
I have an insatiable curiosity. Even as a toddler my mother couldn't take me to the homes of her friends because I would invariably start rooting about in their drawers and closets. By learning about other people, I learn more about myself.
8. When undertaking a biography of a well-known person, how much "red tape" is usually involved in securing permissions? Do you ever have to agree to leave things out (i.e., a family secret)?
There is frequently a lot of “red tape.” It’s just something you have to get through. The challenge is to maintain your credibility. Agree to only one thing: you will remove anything from your manuscript that someone can prove to you is wrong.
9. How much do reviews matter? Do you see big surges in sales after a positive review? Reviews certainly help, but the biggest surges in sales always seem to come after I do a radio or print interview.
10. What do you consider the best and worst parts of your job?
The best part of my job is having an opportunity to spend several years studying something that truly interests me. The worst part is convincing other people that it should interest them.
11. What's one thing you wish you'd learned earlier about writing?
The more work you do at the start of a project, the easier it will be later on. Don’t be impatient.
12. Anything else you'd like to add?
I have received two important pieces of advice. The first is from a private detective in Dallas who told me, "never assume, always verify." I have since come to believe that this is the first and most important task of any non-fiction writer. The second piece of advice is from an attorney at Dutton who once told me to only write about dead people. I think he's right. You are less likely to be sued, and can go to sleep at night knowing that the subject of your book isn't going to wake you up in the middle of the night with an idea that can't wait until morning—unless, of course, you are writing about Edgar Cayce.
An additional question and answer.
1. What's the strangest habit you have when you're working on a book?
I constantly talk out loud when I'm behind a keyboard. This sometimes gets awkward because my wife thinks that I was talking to her, rather than to the blank page.
And don't miss Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet with Sidney Kirkpatrick on Friday, May 30th |
