Ramona was originally an accidental character I added to the Henry Huggins books because I noticed that none of the characters had siblings. I added Ramona as Beazus' pestering little sister.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I've always felt a certain guilt to have them labeled as 'Christina's sisters' or, 'That's Christina's mom' but them looking for the respect to be named Elizabeth and Danielle and Carmen.
My mother wanted to name me Jackie or Jacqueline but she got to name my sister and my brother, so my dad and my brother insisted on naming me. And they were big fans of 'The Little Mermaid.'
I remember when I was writing 'The Tin Drum,' I had the totally misguided idea of giving Oskar Matzerath a sister, and he just wouldn't have it. There was no space for a sister, yet I had the character of the sister in my head. In fact I used her in later novels, in 'Cat and Mouse' and 'Dog Years,' Tulla Pokriski.
We were just a bunch of high school kids who got into the Ramones together.
I was named after Yul Brynner because my mother had an infatuation with him. Who the hell names a Cuban kid Yul? Talk about a torturous childhood.
I didn't even realize this at first, but there's almost no central character in any of my 24 books who doesn't have a dead mother or a lost parent.
In playing the part of Mammy, I tried to make her a living, breathing character, the way she appeared to me in the book.
I didn't want the Ramones being told what to be doing, and I wanted the Ramones being presented in the right light - the remaining Ramones.
All characters come from people I know, but after the initial inspiration, I tend to modify the characters so they fit with the story.
I thought I would be Sheena of the Jungle as a little girl.