| recently had the opportunity to read Paul | | | | achieved through everyday love and caring for each |
| Miller’s debut book A Place to Belong. In it he | | | | other, and the more knowledge that is gained into |
| details his life between the ages of 8 and 14, so what? | | | | mental illness. Years ago there was no way to help |
| I hear you say. Well the simple answer is that | | | | someone. People would just say, “Oh, |
| Paul’s childhood was anything but normal. This | | | | he’s crazy!” One could not just call up |
| is a deeply moving work, and one that will illicit disbelief | | | | their Psychiatrist for a session or pop a Prozac, they |
| that the human race can be so callous. | | | | had to handle the problem the best they could. Sad |
| Paul agreed to sit down and talk about A Place To | | | | part about it is that it was mostly done through alcohol. |
| Belong. | | | | Which didn’t solve the problem but enhanced it. |
| Hi Paul, thank you for agreeing to sit down and talk to | | | | But then, one thinks that the problems that exist today, |
| us. Can you tell us a little about yourself? | | | | are more numerous and complex. Requiring extensive |
| Most of my life has been spent in Structural Steel and | | | | treatment and more medication. So, where does it |
| Railcar Manufacturing. The last twenty years as a | | | | end? Sometimes I think the more we learn the more |
| Realtor combined with six years in writing and | | | | difficult it becomes to be just plain old, happy, secure |
| perfecting A Place to Belong. Married and have three | | | | and thoughtful. “Hey Johnny, let’s go |
| lovely daughters. | | | | outside and play ball with our friends.” |
| A Place To Belong is a powerful drug. My | | | | If there is a Paul reading this interview, what advice do |
| understanding is that you have wanted to write this | | | | you have for him? |
| story for many years, what finally made you decide to | | | | Oh Lord I hope not. I don’t want to see anyone |
| put pen to paper? | | | | go through what I went through. |
| Age and confidence. You’re right! I wanted to | | | | I look back and ask myself what would I have done |
| put this story on paper for 50+ years, but lack of | | | | differently? I don’t know, if there is an answer. |
| confidence, humiliation, embarrassment and not wanting | | | | Why? Because there were so many emotions |
| people to know what happened to me, and the | | | | surrounding everyone’s decisions and actions. I |
| directions I had to take in order to survive, kept me | | | | can sit back and say, well if this didn’t happen; |
| from writing it. Getting old does have some benefits, | | | | and if Dad had only; if Mother didn’t die; if the |
| not many, but some, and one of those benefits is | | | | sister I wanted to stay with had taken me in; there are |
| reaching the point that you don’t care what | | | | so many ifs - should ofs – could ofs, why |
| people think. That’s the way it was, and I | | | | didn’t I, I’m sorry, but the list is endless. |
| can’t change it. If the story hurts or conflicts | | | | Only advice I can offer someone, that is, or could |
| with the readers beliefs or feelings, I’m sorry. | | | | become in that position, is to talk truthfully and honestly, |
| The motivation to actually sit down and start writing | | | | with someone that you know loves you, cares about |
| came from the urging and insistence of friends and | | | | you, your future, and that you have total confidence in, |
| relatives that were knowledgeable of some of my | | | | and that you are going to take their advice with |
| experiences. Armed with confidence and no more | | | | sincerity and honesty. Then, ask the Lord with all your |
| humiliation or embarrassment hanging onto my thinking, | | | | heart for guidance and wisdom. |
| the decision was not difficult at all. I started in October, | | | | The book business is a brutal one, it is one thing doing |
| 2000 and by mid January, 2001 finished putting it on | | | | a biography when you are famous or infamous, it is an |
| paper only, and by only, I mean just that! I paid no | | | | entirely different situation when you are neither. Was it |
| attention to spelling, grammar, punctuation, continuity or | | | | hard to get the book world to listen? |
| time lines. I just wanted the story on paper from my | | | | Oh yes! Indeed it was and is! I’m still wallowing |
| memory. Then it took six years to perfect it with the | | | | around trying to get bearings. It has cost me a small |
| help of a very talented young lady. Without her, I would | | | | fortune to get where I’m at today. I compare it |
| probably still be working on it. | | | | to the young man that goes to Hollywood and wants |
| Although many of the protagonists are now dead, | | | | to be a big movie star. Oh boy! What a road he has to |
| what sort of reaction have you received from family | | | | follow. It’s knowing that you are going to face |
| members? | | | | many obstacles, many rejections, many no’s, |
| You know Simon, that’s a very interesting and | | | | before the right person/persons come along. But I also |
| puzzling question. Why? I have one sister and one | | | | feel very, very strongly that I have a product that is |
| brother still alive, sister Sarah and brother Johnny. | | | | worth working for, it is good, well done, truthful, |
| Johnny of course is the mentally ill brother and he is in | | | | enlightening, will and can, be helpful to many. I know this |
| a state hospital in Michigan. So, he has no opinion or | | | | to be fact because many that have read the book |
| reaction. As for my sister, I’m totally baffled | | | | have told me so, and I know they were being brutally |
| about her reaction. For example; after I sent the book | | | | honest with me. |
| to her I waited a short period and then called her on | | | | Over the past year I have interviewed over 100 |
| the phone to ask her what she thought of the book. | | | | people, authors, filmmakers, musicians, etc, and the |
| Her reply, floored me! “Well, Paul, I have three | | | | common thread between them is they always have a |
| other books that were given to me and I | | | | ‘next’ project. Yet I have read that you |
| haven’t read them yet either.” After | | | | have no plans for another book, or have I been |
| being frozen on the phone for several seconds, I | | | | mislead? |
| replied, “Oh, okay. I’ll call back in a couple | | | | No, you have not been mislead. Like I said in the |
| of months.” Which, I did. Her response this time | | | | beginning of the interview, I have wanted to write this |
| was; “It was good. You have some of the | | | | story for many years, for I knew, without hesitation, |
| dates wrong and some of the instances you | | | | that there was a helpful message to get out to people. |
| mentioned a little different than what I remember them | | | | Now, I know I have accomplished that goal and I am |
| to be. But, it was okay.” That’s when I | | | | as happy as a puppy snuggled up into my |
| decided not to ever ask her any more questions about | | | | master’s lap. Well, there is one exception; |
| the book. | | | | I’m toying with a child’s illustrated book |
| I sent the book to my nieces and nephews with a | | | | on the Noah portion only, but not very far into it at this |
| letter enclosed explaining some of the circumstances | | | | time. Children’s books are very difficult to write. |
| that might have confused them, and to keep in mind | | | | How are sales going, and what sort of reaction are |
| that, I was telling the story from the eyes of a eight to | | | | you getting from readers? |
| fourteen year old boy. I received one email from a | | | | Sales are going well locally. But I’m having a |
| niece, by marriage, she told me she loved the book | | | | difficult time getting it past the county lines. With your |
| and thought it was well written. That’s the only | | | | help and the help of people like Penny and Paula |
| response out of a possible twenty. | | | | (AME), I’ll accomplish that goal too. Why? |
| There is no doubt that you are a survivor, and | | | | Because when a salesman knows he has a great |
| throughout the book you show a remarkable ability to | | | | product, it will sell. |
| ‘look on the bright side.’ There must | | | | Reaction has been nothing short of fantastic. The |
| have been moments where you were ready to give | | | | comments and reviews I’m getting are |
| up though? | | | | fabulous. People have brought the skeletons out of |
| You’re absolutely correct! Many times I felt so | | | | their closets, discussed them with me, thanked me for |
| alone, worthless, and lower than whale potty. | | | | giving them the strength and courage to bring them out |
| (That’s Navy slang.) I was not | | | | into the light and face them. I have been down right |
| “extraordinarily” intelligent nor did I | | | | flabbergasted at some of the stories I’ve been |
| posses some super power, it’s like I point out in | | | | told. And I know they are not messing with me |
| the book; Noah’s teachings and sayings kept | | | | because I can see the passion and hurt in their faces |
| me from ending everything and/or disappearing. I | | | | and eyes. The stories have been numerous, I’ll |
| asked myself several times, several times, | | | | relate just one to you now. |
| “Why was Noah there at that particular time | | | | A very young, petite lady told me how she was lying |
| and place? Was he real? Was he an Angel? Was it | | | | on a hill with her father in her gun site and was ready |
| God Himself? Why was Noah a black man? I have | | | | to pull the trigger because she hated him so much for |
| never had any dealings with black people in my | | | | what he had done to her. The trigger was pulled half |
| life.” Just picture a huge black man approaching | | | | way, when something, or someone, made her throw |
| a little white kid at a dumpy fishing hole in the middle of | | | | the gun down, run away from home and she has |
| nowhere. Scary? You betcha! I was scared to death. | | | | never looked back. I stared at this young lady for five |
| But he had a way about him that didn’t take | | | | straight minutes unable to totally comprehend what |
| long to sooth the nerves and calm me down. He was | | | | she just related to me. She cried, hugged me and said, |
| responsible for my survival and I’ve never met | | | | “Oh, God. Thank you Paul for your |
| anyone in my life like him, nor have I loved someone so | | | | story.” Almost made me cry too. |
| much since, besides my wife and children. Who was | | | | Do you have a web site where people can find out |
| Noah? Well, I was probably the only eight-year-old | | | | more information? |
| white kid in the world that thought God was black. | | | | Yes. placetobelong dot com. |
| When I am not writing reviews, I can be found working | | | | I know I have missed at least one question that you |
| at a local homeless center, I see Paul Miller’s | | | | are just itching to answer. What is the question that |
| everyday, maybe it is for that reason that I found the | | | | you wished I had asked, and what is your reply? |
| book so moving, and heart wrenching. How can we | | | | You did a great job of asking the right questions. Only |
| make Paul (no offense meant here) become a thing of | | | | thing I would like to add is that, and an awful lot of |
| the past? | | | | people have mentioned this to me also, A Place to |
| I don’t know if the human race ever can or | | | | Belong will make a great movie if done by the right |
| ever will eradicate this problem. Reduction can be | | | | people. |