Becky L. Meadows
Becky L. Meadows is a writer/singer/actress who is working on PhD in
Humanities in the University of Louisville. In addition to writing, she has
performed in many musical theatre productions, including Eva Peron in Evita.
She is the main singer of a country band called
FOXX with Desert Moon. Still, writing is an integral part of her life. Progeny is
her first Phantom novel. Phantasy is the second one in his future trilogy.
She lives in Carrollton, Ky., with her husband and her son.
Thank you so much, dear Becky for this amazing interview!
Sandra - What was your motivation in order to write your first Phantom book,
Progeny?
Becky - I was listening to a CD of Michael Crawford singing other musical
theatre tunes, and he was singing "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables.
Crawford has always been the voice of Erik for me, so it was like hearing Erik
sing to his own son. I immediately got the idea for writing Progeny, and started
to work on it! :)
Sandra - What do you think about the main character from the original novel,
Erik? Tell us your personal opinion about him and his relationship with
Christine.
Becky - "Poor Erik"--I think Gaston Leroux summarized it best with that very
quote. And yet, in a way, I don't feel sorry for Erik because I believe he held
more power than most people ever do. He certainly took what he was given and
made the most of it. I am very intrigued and impressed with how much he
worked to improve his mind, even as he was a self-prisoner, in a way, under
the opera house. Unfortunately, Erik falls in love with a woman who simply
cannot overcome society's opinions of her--Christine could not go to Erik at the
end of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (more so than the Leroux novel) not
because she didn't love Erik, but because Raoul was the easy choice, and the
choice that society would approve. But of course, that's just my opinion. ;)
Sandra - The final chapter in Progeny is really surprising, it could be the
beginning of a sequel?
Becky - Ah, I can't reveal that yet! ;) Possibly. I am working on the third book
in the trilogy,which is called "Prophecy." We might see that baby appear in
there somewhere--you never know! :)
Sandra - Have you visited the Opera Garnier in Paris?
Becky - Unfortunately, I have not. They would probably arrest me because I
couldn't resist trying to get underground! ;)
Sandra - What would you say to who have not read your book and why they
must do it.
Becky - LOL!! I don't think anyone "must" read "Progeny" and "Phantasy"--but
for those who are Phantom phans who must have another Erik/Christine "fix,"
my books work well. :) At least, I hope they do! ;)
Sandra - We'd like to know what do you think about the myth/reality of Erik's
story, what's your opinion about it?
Becky - There is supposedly evidence someone did live beneath the opera
house, or at least that's what I've heard. Now, whether that's true is another
story. However, I would pose a different question--what difference does it
make whether the story is "true"? Writers create fictive worlds in which we, as
readers, live and experience events very similarly to how we experience events
in our lived worlds (see Roman Ingarden's "The Cognition of the Literary Work
of Art" for details--this is a wonderful branch of philosophy called
"phenomenology.") I believe sometimes if we analyze these literary worlds too
closely, we forget to "enjoy the ride," so to speak. :) Why not just let go and
journey into the fictive world the author is offering without bringing our
"lived world" into the experience? :)
Sandra - Which are your next projects?
Becky - I'm working on the third book in my trilogy, called "Prophecy." I can't
give a date of completion because I'm doing so many things on top of that. I'm
a country music singer; my stage name is FOXX, and I'm with Stardust Records
of Nashville. My band and I (we go by "FOXX with Desert Moon") play
regularly in the Kentucky/Indiana/Ohio/Tennessee area, so I'm very busy with
that (http://www.soundclick.com/foxx). On top of that, I teach and am a PhD in
Humanities student at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. I'm taking
3 courses (I'm a graduate teaching assistant in the Fall and Spring semesters
and an adjunct professor in the summer) and teaching 2 courses each semester,
so of course I'm very busy with that. :) I'm constantly on the go. I'll keep
working on "Prophecy" to finish the trilogy of "Progeny," "Phantasy," and
"Prophecy," though, and I'll be sure to let phans know when it's finished. :)
Please, don't copy this text without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
Humanities in the University of Louisville. In addition to writing, she has
performed in many musical theatre productions, including Eva Peron in Evita.
She is the main singer of a country band called
FOXX with Desert Moon. Still, writing is an integral part of her life. Progeny is
her first Phantom novel. Phantasy is the second one in his future trilogy.
She lives in Carrollton, Ky., with her husband and her son.
Thank you so much, dear Becky for this amazing interview!
Sandra - What was your motivation in order to write your first Phantom book,
Progeny?
Becky - I was listening to a CD of Michael Crawford singing other musical
theatre tunes, and he was singing "Bring Him Home" from Les Miserables.
Crawford has always been the voice of Erik for me, so it was like hearing Erik
sing to his own son. I immediately got the idea for writing Progeny, and started
to work on it! :)
Sandra - What do you think about the main character from the original novel,
Erik? Tell us your personal opinion about him and his relationship with
Christine.
Becky - "Poor Erik"--I think Gaston Leroux summarized it best with that very
quote. And yet, in a way, I don't feel sorry for Erik because I believe he held
more power than most people ever do. He certainly took what he was given and
made the most of it. I am very intrigued and impressed with how much he
worked to improve his mind, even as he was a self-prisoner, in a way, under
the opera house. Unfortunately, Erik falls in love with a woman who simply
cannot overcome society's opinions of her--Christine could not go to Erik at the
end of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical (more so than the Leroux novel) not
because she didn't love Erik, but because Raoul was the easy choice, and the
choice that society would approve. But of course, that's just my opinion. ;)
Sandra - The final chapter in Progeny is really surprising, it could be the
beginning of a sequel?
Becky - Ah, I can't reveal that yet! ;) Possibly. I am working on the third book
in the trilogy,which is called "Prophecy." We might see that baby appear in
there somewhere--you never know! :)
Sandra - Have you visited the Opera Garnier in Paris?
Becky - Unfortunately, I have not. They would probably arrest me because I
couldn't resist trying to get underground! ;)
Sandra - What would you say to who have not read your book and why they
must do it.
Becky - LOL!! I don't think anyone "must" read "Progeny" and "Phantasy"--but
for those who are Phantom phans who must have another Erik/Christine "fix,"
my books work well. :) At least, I hope they do! ;)
Sandra - We'd like to know what do you think about the myth/reality of Erik's
story, what's your opinion about it?
Becky - There is supposedly evidence someone did live beneath the opera
house, or at least that's what I've heard. Now, whether that's true is another
story. However, I would pose a different question--what difference does it
make whether the story is "true"? Writers create fictive worlds in which we, as
readers, live and experience events very similarly to how we experience events
in our lived worlds (see Roman Ingarden's "The Cognition of the Literary Work
of Art" for details--this is a wonderful branch of philosophy called
"phenomenology.") I believe sometimes if we analyze these literary worlds too
closely, we forget to "enjoy the ride," so to speak. :) Why not just let go and
journey into the fictive world the author is offering without bringing our
"lived world" into the experience? :)
Sandra - Which are your next projects?
Becky - I'm working on the third book in my trilogy, called "Prophecy." I can't
give a date of completion because I'm doing so many things on top of that. I'm
a country music singer; my stage name is FOXX, and I'm with Stardust Records
of Nashville. My band and I (we go by "FOXX with Desert Moon") play
regularly in the Kentucky/Indiana/Ohio/Tennessee area, so I'm very busy with
that (http://www.soundclick.com/foxx). On top of that, I teach and am a PhD in
Humanities student at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky. I'm taking
3 courses (I'm a graduate teaching assistant in the Fall and Spring semesters
and an adjunct professor in the summer) and teaching 2 courses each semester,
so of course I'm very busy with that. :) I'm constantly on the go. I'll keep
working on "Prophecy" to finish the trilogy of "Progeny," "Phantasy," and
"Prophecy," though, and I'll be sure to let phans know when it's finished. :)
Please, don't copy this text without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
