Bill Harley's Dirty Joe the Pirate

On our way to Philly last week I popped in Bill Harley's "Blah, Blah, Blah." disc. I had a feeling my three active boys would take a shine to it, but didn't expect they'd be completely attentive for THE ENTIRE TRIP! Yes, indeed there was family harmony & QUIET for an hour. Back at home my 5 yr old insisted I read "Dirty Joe the Pirate" again to him. So, I had a few questions for the Grammy Award winning Bill Harley

1) Is this story autobiographical? What was your inspiration?

Nope – I don’t have sisters – I have a brother older and younger. And really, when I started writing the poem, I didn’t know where it was going. When it was time for something to happen, Stinky Annie showed up.

2) Often in your stories siblings are big pests. How were your brothers?

My little brother was a pest, but really not horribly- I do remember enjoying getting him mad at me. My older brother was always very kind, and hardly ever teased me.

3) How did you manage to have girl pirates swipe boys underwear & keep it rated G?

Living as close as I can to what’s not allowed, but not going completely over the edge – that’s my job. And remember, I just use words – you make the pictures in your head, and I don’t have control over those. That’s what’s great about stories.

4) Speaking of rated ARRRGH, I think I found Barbie's Head. How much is it worth to ya?

Well, I’ve been offered more than one Barbie’s head – there seem to be a lot disconnected from the body. This is a little troubling to me, but I think there is a life cycle to all Barbies, and the unattached head is one of the final stages.

5) Do we have another book or CD to look forward to? What's on the drawing board?

Yep. Just finished a dvd and cd of a live performance which will be out later in the summer. I’ve got a new book, Night of the Spadefoot Toads, coming out this fall, and am working on recording of songs for the grownups, due out in November. Then I plan to do nothing.

6) Where can folks see you?

I know where I am only for tomorrow, but if you look at my schedule on my website, you can see.

Thanks Bill!

Check out the site: http://www.billharley.com/

Oh...don't miss out on the "Dirty Joe the Pirate" Poetry Contest: http://www.billharley.com/dirtyjoethepirate.htm