Feb 2012 Jan 2012 Nov 2011 Oct 2011 Sep 2011 Apr 2011 Jan 2011 Dec 2010 Nov 2010 Oct 2010 Sep 2010 Jul 2010 Jun 2010 May 2010 Mar 2010 Feb 2010 Jan 2010 Dec 2009 Nov 2009 Oct 2009 Sep 2009 Jul 2009 Jun 2009 May 2009 Apr 2009 Mar 2009 Feb 2009 Jan 2009 Dec 2008 Nov 2008 Oct 2008 Sep 2008 Jul 2008 Jun 2008 May 2008 Apr 2008 Mar 2008 Feb 2008 Jan 2008 Dec 2007 Nov 2007 Oct 2007 Sep 2007 Jul 2007 Jun 2007 May 2007 Apr 2007 Mar 2007 Feb 2007 Jan 2007 Dec 2006 Nov 2006 Oct 2006 Sep 2006 Jul 2006 Jun 2006 May 2006 Apr 2006 Mar 2006 Jan 2006 Dec 2005 Nov 2005 Oct 2005 Sep 2005 Jul 2005 Jun 2005 May 2005 Apr 2005 Mar 2005 Feb 2005 Jan 2005 Dec 2004 Nov 2004 Oct 2004 Sep 2004 Jul 2004 Jun 2004 May 2004 Apr 2004 Mar 2004 Feb 2004 Jan 2004 Dec 2003 Nov 2003 Oct 2003 Sep 2003 Jul 2003 Jun 2003 May 2003 Apr 2003 Mar 2003 Feb 2003 Jan 2003 Dec 2002 Nov 2002 Oct 2002

From the President's Desk: Among the Undead

by Jack El-Hai

Most of us want to make a name as a writer. And many of us hope that the services, resources and connections we have available in ASJA will help us make that name.

Sometimes all this works in unexpected ways. I recently discovered that an aspiring writer in Minneapolis, where I live, is working on a novel called The Carrion Eaters. The hero, or perhaps the anti-hero, of this tale-which its author has described as "dark, dystopian and drenched in blood.... A white knuckle, noirish action-adventure all set in a post-apocalyptic world of quick draw, Wild West-like ideals where the Dead have risen and Society has fallen"-is a fellow named Jack El-Hai. That, if you've not noticed the by-line on these presidential columns, is my name.

The author of The Carrion Eaters maintains a blog (at http://shenjanno.livejournal.com) in which he updates the public on the progress of his work. In one blog entry, he explores the character of his protagonist:

Jack El-Hai is a liar. He's a scavenger, a looter, a seditionist and a thief. Jack El-Hai is willing to kill. That's why he survived the fiery ruin of the Collapse and millions of others did not. Because when the World ends and the Dead rise with an insatiable hunger for warm flesh, you need to learn the new rules of survival in a hurry or you risk restless, shambling undeath. Jack El-Hai knows these rules, he learned them the hard way: Keep your gun loaded, kill or be killed, protect what's yours, and if you want something then you have to take it.

To the best of my knowledge, I am the world's only living person named Jack El-Hai. (A distant relative who shared my name, a resident of Baltimore, died about ten years ago; we never met.) So I had to believe that in building this rough-edged character, the author in some way drew his inspiration from me. I have lied during my life, although never in this column. It is true that I'm a bit of a scavenger: my wife frequently teases me for my habit of picking up from the sidewalk stray pens, paper clips and coins. As a child, I waged a fierce war against the ants of my neighborhood, proving myself a vicious killer-maybe even a serial killer. To my dying day, though, I will plead innocent to sedition.

But I later learned that my own qualities did not inspire the creator of the trigger-happy, dissembling, un-undead Jack El-Hai. Although Minneapolis is part of a metropolitan area of 2.8 million people, the writing community is small. It turns out that a friend of mine, Dick, knows the author of The Carrion Eaters. Dick told me about a conversation he and the novelist had not long ago:

Dick: Why did you name your character Jack El-Hai?

Novelist: I saw the name somewhere and I liked it. So I decided to use it.

Dick: Do you know the real Jack El-Hai?

Novelist: No.

Dick: Well, I do.

From there, the conversation deteriorated. I do not know where the novelist saw my name. It could have been on a book jacket, in an article by-line, or even on the ASJA Web site. Making a name in this fashion isn't what I've ever had in mind for myself as a writer. I joined ASJA hoping I could find an agent, make good magazine contacts, publish books and get some gigs as a speaker. All of those things have happened. So although I don't mind having my name attached to a character in a novel, I'm not sure I like it that my fictional alter ego is a liar, thief, killer, and associate of those who long to sink their teeth into warm human flesh. Or a seditionist.

If The Carrion Eaters ever gets published, I can't guess what awaits me. Cult status at apocalyptic literature conventions? Scornful looks from vegans and others opposed to cannibalism? Be sure, though, that I will not sue to prevent the author's use of my name. For a freelance writer, any publicity is good publicity. That's one lesson I've learned from my membership in ASJA.

You can reach ASJA President Jack El-Hai at prez@asja.org.

Jack El-Hai of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is president of ASJA. E-mail the president through www.asja.org/contact.php.