SLJ Talks to S.E. Hinton On ‘The Outsiders’ Turning 45

S.E. Hinton became a household name in the 1960s when she wrote The Outsiders (Viking, 1967) as a sophomore at Oklahoma’s Will Rogers High School. Many believe the book—based on two rival gangs at her school and made into a film directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1983—helped usher in a new era of YA fiction.

SLJ spoke to Hinton about the 45th anniversary of her most popular novel, experience with writer’s block, and her most recent fascination with Twitter.

What are some of the highs and lows in your 45 years of writing?

The low was the four-year writer’s block after The Outsiders came out. I had never had it before, and I never had it since. I have had people say that there’s no such thing. Yeah, there is such a thing. I had had times where I couldn’t think of anything to say, didn’t want to say anything, didn’t feel like writing. After the publication of The Outsiders, it was the first and only time I experienced a block, and it was extremely depressing.

What about a high point?

Every once in a while when you get a really good buzz going on about a book, and you can actually feel yourself getting hot inside. I have had the high, the writing high. Probably that’s what keeps you going. I’ll get it again, sometime.

What are some of your early memories as a writer?

I almost can’t remember when I wasn’t a writer. I started writing as soon as I learned how to read. The biggest influence in my writing has been my reading. As soon as I could read stories, I wanted to make them happen the way I wanted it. So my early memories include writing, and storytelling has always been part of my life.

In a 2005 interview with the New York Times, you said that as a teen you’d tell yourself, “It gets better.” Are you aware that Dan Savage has an anti-bullying project called It Gets Better?

Well, I wasn’t necessarily talking about getting bullied. I was talking about myself. Being a teenager is difficult enough—but it does get better. If it doesn’t get better, you’ll be better able to cope with it. So that’s still the message. It is a rough time of life. The message is the same: it will get better.

Is there any truth to the story that a petition led to the The Outsiders being made into a movie?

Yes, a school in California sent a petition to Francis Ford Coppola. It said that they thought he was a great director, and they wanted this book to be a movie. That’s how he got interested in it.

Several of your books have been made into films. Which is your favorite?

Well, I loved Tex (Delacorte, 1979). It was my first book to be made into a film. I really think it captures the spirit of the book. I also love The Outsiders because Francis (Ford Coppola) was really making it for the readers. It’s best to make a film so that readers will like it. Rumble Fish (Delacorte, 1975) is my favorite film adaptation [because] it goes beyond the novel. I say a lot in the book. It’s the easiest book to read, but the hardest one to understand. Francis understood it. He made the film for himself. I think every artist’s best work is done for themselves. Rumble Fish is my favorite.

You were on the movie sets when The Outsiders, Tex, Rumble Fish, and That Was Then… This Is Now were made into films. Are you are still in contact with some of the actors who starred in them, like Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, and Tom Cruise?

I’m still in close contact with all of the stars from The Outsiders because I knew them when they were kids—not when they were stars.

The Outsiders 40th Anniversary edition with the original cover

Have you ever attended a Will Rogers High School class reunion?

I went back for the 20th reunion, and it was really nice. Just recently, I went back to my 45th reunion. It was depressing—just a bunch of old people.

Were people still in cliques?

Not so much. It wears off as you get older. You realize that everyone has gone through their own personal things, and you don’t judge people as harshly as you once did.

You’ve been a teen and a parent. Which is harder?

For me being a teen was harder. As a parent, you’re just totally immersed in somebody else. I was lucky enough to have a kid who was so easy and fun until he hit 14. Then the light switch turned on, and he was totally hostile. It hurt, but in a way I could understand. It was a necessary part of growing up. I didn’t get the world when I was a teenager. I thought it was a very difficult time.

What are you working on these days?

I have several things going on. I’m eternally wasting my time on Twitter. I’m also in the middle of a very superficial comedic supernatural thriller thing that I would like to finish. Also, I’m going to be working on webisodes in conjunction with the University of Tulsa film students based on my short stories.

Does Twitter help you connect with readers?

My Twitter handle is @se4realhinton. I like interacting on it with my fans because it’s so short and interactive. But, I’m on there like every other idiot who’s on Twitter, just to say nonsense. I enjoy just being myself. I’m not there to make pronouncements or to give advice or anything else. It’s fun. I find it relaxing.

In the spirit of Twitter give me a six-word memoir?

Child, writer, teen, friend, wife, mother.

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