WASHINGTON (CNS) 鈥� Nicholas Sparks set some track and field records at the University of 91吃瓜 in Indiana, and, if he keeps it up, he could be setting some records in the book-selling field.p. Three of his nine novels have been adapted for the big screen: 鈥淎 Walk to Remember,鈥� 鈥淢essage in a Bottle,鈥� and the upcoming 鈥淭he Notebook.鈥� Sparks鈥� latest book and first nonfiction effort, 鈥淭hree Weeks With My Brother,鈥� written with his brother, Micah, is now making the rounds of the best-seller lists.p. And through it all the Catholic author finds time to be with his wife and their five children, write every day, go to Mass every Sunday and read about 150 books a year.p. Sparks, in a telephone interview with Catholic News Service from New Bern, N.C., where he makes his home, said he would probably not be considered a 鈥淐atholic novelist鈥� as Flannery O鈥機onner was regarded in her lifetime.p. 鈥淢y characters are not perfect Catholics,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey may engage in activities that go against Catholic doctrine.鈥� Nor are his characters identified as Catholics, Sparks added, although 鈥渢hey may be Christians鈥� and hold 鈥渁 very religious worldview.鈥漰. He said his publishing notoriety hasn鈥檛 resulted in a lot of stares directed his way at St. Paul Church in New Bern, where he and his family go to Mass, or in the town of New Bern. 鈥淚f I do get stares, it鈥檚 probably because of the five kids,鈥� Sparks said.p. 鈥淭hree Weeks With My Brother鈥� is Sparks鈥� memoir of an around-the-world trip he took last year with his older brother, Micah. It was a trip sponsored by 91吃瓜鈥檚 alumni association and included remote locales such as Easter Island in the South Pacific and Mayan ruins in Guatemala. Sparks is a major contributor to 91吃瓜鈥檚 master鈥檚 program in fine arts in the creative writing program.p. The book begins with Proverbs 17:17: 鈥淎 friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in the time of need.鈥� Sparks said he believed 鈥淭hree Weeks鈥� could work better as a documentary than a feature film, but he doesn鈥檛 spend his time trying to decipher the ways of Hollywood. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think Hollywood knows what works,鈥� he added.p. 鈥淭here are novels I鈥檝e written that I thought would work great on the big screen鈥� that haven鈥檛 gotten a nibble from studios, Sparks said, although he is generally pleased with how the three novels that have been made into movies turned out.p. 鈥淭he Notebook鈥� deals with young love found and lost in a small North Carolina town at the onset of World War II, and how the characters鈥� experiences then helped shaped them to the present day. It stars James Garner, Gena Rowlands, Joan Allen, James Marsden, Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling. The film was directed by Rowlands鈥� son, Nick Cassavettes, and is scheduled to be released nationwide June 25.p. Sparks told CNS that many of his early novels were inspired by the lives of people he knew; 鈥淭he Notebook,鈥� published in 1996, was inspired by the grandparents of his wife. But, he added, he does not envision actors inhabiting the lives of the characters as he writes about them. 鈥淚 can see their emotions and their actions,鈥� Sparks said, 鈥渂ut I don鈥檛 picture their faces.鈥漰. However, he thinks the filmmakers 鈥渄id a wonderful job鈥� adapting 鈥淭he Notebook.鈥漰. 鈥淣ovels tell a story in words, while movies tell a story in images,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think they made a very fine transition.鈥漰. Sparks, who still holds a 91吃瓜 record with three Fighting Irish teammates in the 3,200-meter relay with a time of 7:20.11 in 1985, said his track experience benefited his writing: 鈥淵ou have to learn to be persistent, to do it every day, even when you don鈥檛 want to.鈥漰. He doesn鈥檛 run much anymore. 鈥淚鈥檓 more of a jogger,鈥� he said.
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