The book "New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters" will be released tomorrow! Nikki Van Noy, the author the book will be doing a chat tomorrow 2:30 PM ET on the Boston Globe website. In the mean time, and NKOTBNews.com has asked Nikki a few questions as well and here are her answers!
What made you decide to write a book about the New Kids on the Block?
First of all, I find bands who have a real back-and-forth relationship with their fans fascinating. The New Kids are especially fascinating to me because this quality is usually found in the jam band category, rather than in the pop music genre. More generally, I just love their story--it reminds me of a great sports story, with the hard work, determination, luck, and overcoming of unlikely odds.
How familiar were you with the history of NKOTB before you set out to write this book?
I was a fan back in the day, so there was certainly some stuff I remembered from my youth. I casually followed news of their reunion and had a general feel for what was going on, but definitely had to bring myself up to speed.
What was it like to interview the members of the New Kids for this book?
Everyone talks about how accessible and grounded they are, but you still never know exactly what to expect in this sort of situation. Turns out "everyone" was right--time and time again, I was floored by how grounded and normal they are. They're also very honest about both the good and the bad stuff, which always makes for the best interviews. Genuine is the best word to describe them. They couldn't have been easier or more fun to work with.
What was the most difficult thing about writing this book?
Wrangling information. As an author, if you're going to have a problem, having too much information is definitely the problem you want to have. However, it is still a problem. The book was supposed to be 75,000 words. When I finished (with all of the information I could take out already whittled down), I was at 125,000 words. We ended up meeting in the middle at about 95,000 words. This story spans such a long amount of time, and you have five viewpoints to begin with--not to mention all of the fans and peripheral figures tied to the story who contributed. Compiling all of this in an efficient way that remained true to the story was daunting, to say the least.
What was the best thing about writing this book?
Just getting to immerse myself in something that makes so many people so happy was wonderful. For a year, it was my job to listen to everyone's happy memories. Can't ask for a better job than that!
During the process of writing the book, was there anything that you were really surprised about?
I was surprised by how hands on the guys are with pretty much every little detail of every little thing they do. It's rare to find that sort of commitment at this level in the music industry.
What is your favorite New Kids song?
Back in the day it was "Please Don't Go Girl." Today, "Twisted."
What is your favorite performance by the New Kids?
Seeing them at Fenway was phenomenal--cold, but phenomenal.
Thank you Nikki for taking the time to talk with NKOTBNews.com! Check out the updated media section of NikkiVanNoy.com and NKOTBandUS.com for more information. Follow Nikki on Twitter at @NKOTBandUS
Nikki will also be doing a Q&A and book signing on December 19, 2012 at 7:00 PM at The Avid Reader in Sacramento, CA.
Here are some links to recent news and media about the book:
HuffPost Celebrity:
New Kids On The Block Biography Chronicles Boy Band's Rise, Fall And Comeback
The Hollywood Reporter:
New Kids on the Block: 8 Things to Know About New Biography
The Boston Globe:
New Kids on the Block: Their early Boston days
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