THEATRE: 30

NORTH SHORE NEWS ENTERTAINMENT &

Rebecca Clarke develops new relationship
with father ‘Slade’ while editing latest novel

Martin Millerchip

Arts Editor
mimillerchip@nsnews.com

WORDS, to a writer,
are sacrosanct.

North Shore News edi-
tors who dare to cut anything
from the carefully chiselled
craft of our stable of Pulitzer-
chasing reporters can expect
hours of whining and sulk-
ing. So imagine what it must
be like to take a red pencil to
the words of Jay Clarke,
lawyer and novelist. Tick off
a novelist and get yelled at;
tick off a lawyer and expect a
20-page deposition as to why
the offending, paragraph
should be reinstated.

North Vancouver's Clarke
is the plume behind the
extremely successful nom of
Michael Slade, whose latest
novel, Hanqiian, joins seven
other psychothrillers that
began with Headhunter and
which are all based on the
fictitious Special X section of
the Mounties.

__ As both defence and
Crown counsel, Clarke has
been active in over one hun-
dred murder cases and it is
that first-hand knowledge of
the Canadian judicial system
that gives his thrillers their
authenticity.

_ The Slade books began as
a collaboration with two
other lawyers and Clarke says
that could happen again. But
his last three books were solo

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY --

efforts (although he is quick
to acknowledge the contribu-
tion of Vancouver police
detective Kim Ressmo to
Burnt Bours).

Hangman was written
with the help of his only
child, Rebecea Clarke. She
had always been there,
throwing out ideas and help-
ing with research. This time
around she did a lot more.

“There's stuff of her in
the book, bur what's really
there is what’s on the cutting
floor,” says the elder Clarke.

“Who comes up with the
original wvist (Clarke's trade-
mark, it has come come to be
called a “Slade of hand”)? I
do. Who does the writing? I
do. But who would want it
all for themselves?”

Clarke tells the story of
being onstage for The Who's
first reunion concert on their
North American tour. He
says that as the band came
offstage they “kind of
touched their heads together
in a silent moment that said
‘we did ir together.

“Would vou rather cele-
brate success with your col-
laborators or by yourself in
the bathroom {ike Elvis? T can
share every good experi-
ence.”

Ahnost 23, Rebecca is tin-
ishing her BA at UBC in
English Literature and
History.

The Penguin Books press
kit for Hangman plays up the

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image of Rebecea as a voung
child listening to her dad
read her Dracula and
Frankenstein, In person, the
experiences don’t seem to
have harmed the self-pos-

sed voung woman with

easy smile and quick
sense of humour.

The bond between father
and daughter is obviously
close. They interrupt each
other, finish each other's
thoughts and giggle over
whether to tell a reporter
family stories.

“It’s always been a couple
of old-hand lawyers — men

See Duclling page 16

MICRAEL Slade (a.k.a.
Deep Cove'’s Jay Clarke)
used to read scary sto-
ries to his daughter
Rebecca. Now, the 22-
year-old is his editor and
collaborator.

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NEWS photo Pau! McGrath

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