In my hometown novels, Catch a Falling Star and Snow Babies so far, the Norwall Pirates are a critical feature of the humor, pathos, and fantasy elements. I know it’s pure conceitedness to think that I really understand kids, but I do. It comes from the fact that I was one once. In fact, I was one of the worst of the breed. Milt Morgan, the grand wizard, the Merlin of the original Pirates is a little bit me, only a bit more magical. He and Brent Clarke found the Pirate organization in the 1970’s. He is a practicer of prestidigitation , a liar, and a story-teller. He makes the Pirates, a group of small town boys, in his own image, a sort of mystical liars’ club. The fantasy elements; journeys to the Dreamlands, Pellucidar, alien invasions by Tellerons, encounters with ghosts and the undead spirits called the Lonelies, all stem from the imagination and wonder that he establishes. Brent Clarke is his Arthur, King and mighty man at arms. Being the best athlete of the group, Brent provides the muscle for the Little Wizard’s wild schemes. Brent is a natural born leader, having defeated a demonic tom cat, pure black, by the name of Fondamn. After his catricidal feat, Brent is forever after known as Brent “the Cat” Clarke.
The original group, after battling werewolves and undead Chinese wizards, drift apart to various other careers and lives. The story-teller’s little sister, though, is not ready to let a good thing die out. In the 1980’s Mary Phillips becomes the new Pirate Leader, recruiting boys into the club like her best friend the Polack, Pidney Breslow. Pidney is the boy next door, a football hero, and really rather dense. But he has a good heart with which he truly loves Mary. Mary recruits another girl too, so that the Pirates’ club isn’t all about farting and lying and spying on girls in the school locker rooms. That girl is the lovely Valerie Clarke, Brent’s young cousin. She is the most beautiful little girl that Norwall ever produced, and the fair Princess Valerie goes on to succeed Mary as the Pirates’ fearless leader.
In the early 1990’s, the club falls into the hands of another Clarke cousin, Timothy Kellogg. Tim is all boy, except for that one time when he is turned into a girl by alien technology. Tim is responsible for leading the Pirates through an alien invasion, a siege of time traveling robot boys, and an invasion of ghosts and unquiet spirits.
So, there you have it. The Norwall Pirates. Liars, braggarts, bullies, boys, a couple of girls, and a 4-H softball team that never seems to win. They are not entirely my invention. They are completely grounded in the kids I grew up with, the kids I have taught, and versions of my own three irrepressible children. As I said, I know about kids. And I intend to use what I know to commit intolerable acts of pure fantasy fiction.
Catch a Falling Star 