Transcript
A: We're here with John Elder Robison, the author of "Look Me In The Eye" and "Be Different." And his new book is called "Raising Cubby." John, tell us a little about your new book.
Sr: Well, it's a story of parenting, of raising cubby who's full grown here, and all the stuff we did together when he was little, and then the trouble we had when he was older.
A: Tell me about the time you drove a Rolls Royce onto a, was it a power plant? Or a train yard, or..somewhere.
Sr: Well, we took our Rolls Royce to the train yards because if we went in an ordinary car the railroad police would throw us out, but people in Rolls Royces can't be trespassers in rail yards. And I told them cubby was a stockholder. I bought him stock. Yeah.
A: What's another crazy story from the book?
Sr: What do you think is a crazy story from the book, cubby?
Jr: Well, I don't know. I mean, the whole, sort of, second half of it, you know, with the fiasco is a kind of crazy story but it's kind of long.
Sr: So what do you think is the best part of the book?
Jr: Not going to jail in the end.
Sr: I agree, yeah. Not going to jail is the best part. Yeah.
A: Uh, tell me a little bit about why you were facing jail time?
Jr: Um, I had an interest in chemistry. A lot of people..A lot of autistic people you know, have special interests and hobbies and mine is chemistry. And I was making you know, fireworks and explosives and that type of thing. And the people of the state didn't really see it as an innocent hobby and they sort of went after me. So...
Sr: Yeah.
A: Is there anything in writing this book you uncovered that you didn't realize at the time?
Sr: Well, just all the trouble it is raising a kid, you know, who would've thought that? I mean, nobody would even have purchased a kid like that if they knew how much trouble it would be when I was looking at him in the kids store all those years ago.
A: Wasn't that the original title of the book?
Sr: The Best Kid in the Store, yeah. And I took him to see the store where I had bought him. But it had turned into a pet store, and even though the cages were the same, he didn't recognize his cage.
A: Uh, is there anything else you wanna add about the book?
Sr: What do you wanna add about the book?
Jr: Nothing in particular. I don't know.
Sr: But why should people read it, cubby??
Jr: It's an interesting story, you know. Not too many people get in trouble for this type of thing and you know, not too many people do this type of thing. So it's kind of a...you know, kind of rare story I guess.
Sr: So it's like parenting at its best. Yeah. Raising Cubby. Yeah.
A: So, thank you for joining us.
Sr: Woof.
28 Feb 2013, 7:45 am
