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The Lost Chapters
Published here for the first time are two chapters from Michael Connelly's books that never made it into the final published works. Both are glimpses into Harry Bosch's
past. The first piece, 1961, was originally written as a prologue to The Last Coyote. The second piece, 1965, was written while Michael was writing the Harry Bosch novel, Angels Flight. Here's a Q&A with Michael about these two Harry Bosch memories.
Jane D.: First of all, how significant are these two "lost" episodes from Harry's life?
Michael C.:
Well, they might not be significant at all. If they were lost, then they were lost on purpose. It did not seem to my editor, Michael Pietsch, and myself that they should ultimately be included in the books. Therefore, I think they may only be significant in the sense that if you are a reader who is interested in this character Harry Bosch then you might be interested in the earlier episodes of his life that helped form the man or character that he is in the books. We are the sum of our experiences — that goes even for fictional characters. It helps me formulate Harry's present character by knowing some of his past experiences. Sometimes that past is in the books. Sometimes it is imagined and written but ultimately left out. I have no second thoughts about these two things being left out of the books. But I still like them just the same. After all, I'm a writer and my ego dictates that I like what I write!
JD: Let's take them in order. The 1961 piece takes place at the youth hall where an 11-year-old Harry was placed after he was removed from
his mother's custody because she was deemed an unfit mother. The book The Last Coyote was about his mother's murder and Harry's investigation thirty some years later. Why did you, initially at least,
want to start the book with this scene at the youth hall?
MC:
It doesn't specifically say it but this scene was the last time he ever saw her. Obviously, that would be a significant moment in his life. So initially I just wanted to create that scene and to show two things; that his mother was working hard to get him back and that despite the sad situation he and she were in, he loved her no matter what. I thought that showing this would help the reader understand why her unsolved murder would haunt Harry until he finally blew the dust off it and investigated it. However, pieces of this scene were mentioned or thought about by Harry in later sections of the book and it was thought that removing the prologue got the reader into the present day story more quickly and smoothly while the sentiment was expressed later on.
JD: What about 1965? Was that ever actually a chapter or section of Angels Flight?
MC:
No, it wasn't. I stopped writing the book about halfway through and wrote "1965" without knowing if there would be a place for it. The book, while at foremost being a detective novel, is also a bit of a meditation or rumination on racial tensions in Los Angeles. As I was writing it I came to realize that Harry makes some observations about racism and race relations and that it would be good to know where he comes from and how he would come to make such conclusions. So I decided to stop the writing of the book and just write a story in which Harry encountered significant racism for the first time. I have always been fascinated with how families pass on tradition and custom — both good and bad. If you grew up in a house where only Coke was served as a soda, then there is a good chance you will be a Coke drinker as opposed to a Pepsi drinker as an adult. If you grew up in a house where your parents used the word 'nigger' then it is likely you will use it and maybe pass it on to your own kids. I wanted to write a story where Harry experienced this but was able to escape its hold on him. I also wanted to put a little twist in his gut and create a situation where he had to second guess his own actions in terms of whether they were subtly racist — just as he would later on the
Angels Flight case. Therefore, writing 1965 was very helpful to me in writing Angels Flight
even though I knew the memory from Harry's past would most likely not make it into the book.
JD: Any other plans to write "lost" pieces?
MC:
I think it's a good exercise so I think I will frequently do it. I've sketched out a few things I want to expand on and they may end up in books but probably won't. One story is in 1968 with Harry in the tunnels of Vietnam. The other takes place in 1969. It is the story of Harry returning to LA from Vietnam on the same day as the Manson murders. It's about a strange time in Los Angeles — aren't they all? — and why he chose to be a cop.
Read 1961, an outtake from The Last Coyote.
Read 1965, written for Angels Flight.
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