We chat with author Byron Graves about Medicine Wheels, which is an unforgettable story of a gifted young Ojibwe athlete learning to ride in his father’s footsteps while practicing for a skateboarding championship.
Hi, Byron! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m an Ojibwe/Lakota, gender fluid geek. I’m an energy drink and gummy bear addict who loves reading comic books, graphic novels, videogames, (especially retro ones), and skateboarding. I also absolutely love attending book festivals and have the best time of my life meeting readers and other authors.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My amazing, wonderful mother used to make up bedtime stories for me when I was a child. I eventually began to interrupt her with my ideas for plot twists or character cameos. One night, she got tired of me changing her tales and left my room after telling me to create my own stories. After that, it was falling in love with X-Men comic books. It was one, if not the first time that I felt like I saw characters experiencing what I was as an Indigenous teenager.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Where the Red Fern Grows
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Thief of Always
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: On a Wing and a Tear
Your latest novel, Medicine Wheels, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Action. Heartbreak. Love. Healing. Fun.
What can readers expect?
A multifaceted story. It’s a coming-of-age story, it’s about falling in love with a passion that becomes a saving grace, a lighthouse if you will, for Bryce’s dark moments in his young life. It’s got a fledgling romance between childhood besties. It has skateboard action, bullies to overcome, as well as important social and environmental activism.
Where did the inspiration for Medicine Wheels come from?
Part of it was an existential examination of my writing life journey. From the first day I thought about becoming an author, to the challenges I faced as I learned, wrote, edited, got rejected, got back up, and kept working on getting better and evolving as well as the trials and tribulations that life presents along the way.
Bryce, the MC of Medicine Wheels, runs a parallel path as he faces many challenges during the summer before his junior year of high school. Skateboarding is very tough initially, and Bryce goes through the process to get comfortable on a board, the embarrassment of falling in front of bullies, building his skill set, learning and nailing tricks, and in turn, gaining confidence and building up his self-esteem. It’s a reflection on the time, energy, effort, and moxie it takes to build an ability, but the beauty, self-worth, and pride that comes along with that. I really wanted to share that experience with teen readers who are exploring and will continue to explore their own passions, interests, sports and hobbies.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Mikayla was a lot of fun to create. She’s witty, smart, brave, bold and a killer skateboarder. I also loved coming up with her fashion, make-up and hairstyles. There is a constant spotlight on her from her social media success, as well as her family and friends. It was sort of a polar opposite to Bryce’s character, persona and life. So, it was fun and important to shine that into his world.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
While I’ve always loved skateboarding as a fan. I spent countless hours playing the Tony Hawk video games and watching the X-Games. But I didn’t have the experience of what it felt like. To gain some of that knowledge, I taught myself how to skate. It was easily the hardest (and most painful) experience of my life. But it gave me a ton of insights into what Bryce would be thinking and feeling along the way. It gave an authenticity to the story that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to imagine. Now I’m in love with skateboarding, it’s my meditation time.
What’s next for you?
I’m working on a new novel about a character exploring their understanding of their gender fluidity through a VR videogame customized avatar that allows them to look how they want, where what they want, and interact with the virtual world how they want, while in the safety and comfort of their home. But the world of the videogame that they love eventually presents a challenge that could change their life and everyone in the game’s world forever.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
Definitely cannot wait for Together We See by Ari Tison. I’m a huge fan of hers and LOVED Saints of the Household. Also, Truth Is, by Hannah Sawyerr is on my TBR. Getting to that next!
