Children's book author never expected to be a writer.

Byline: Oregon Author by The Register-Guard

Name: Tom Birdseye, Corvallis

Question: Tell us about your books.

Answer: My most recent book that is already published is ``Look Out Jack! The Giant is Back!'' I have another picture book coming out in May, ``Oh Yeah!'' and the middle-grade novel ``Attack of the Mutant Underwear'' will be out in September.

Holiday House will do the hardbound of both books. ``Attack'' is set in Oregon. It's about a kid who is trying to reinvent himself, to become a ``new me,'' but finds it much more difficult than anticipated.

Question: Do you have any particular quirks in your writing routine?

Answer: Gotta have my lucky coffee mug. And a moment of reflection before I begin, often meditative, generally including reading some poetry, to get in touch with the music of language before I try to create my own song.

Question: Do you have any books with girls or women as the central character?

Answer: Picture books, yes; novels, no. Not because of any prejudice against girls. I have two of my own. I just find it easier to write from my own experience, so boys are it.

You'll notice, however, that pretty much all of my boy main characters are struggling and making some poor, misguided decisions. It's the strong female characters that help get them on track. Just as most of the wise people who have helped me in my life have been female.

There must be an extra chromosome - the Smart Chromosome!

Question: On your Web page, www.tombirdseye.com, you mention two Oregon authors who helped you with your writing?

Answer: Nan Phillips (deceased) and M.K. Wren of Lincoln City had an instinctive knack for teaching. I had learned that, although undeniably important, writing mechanics alone don't make a story. After all, who has ever gone running to a friend with a book in hand exclaiming, ``You've got to read this one! It's got the most incredible spelling and punctuation I've ever seen!''?

Question: What's your back- ground?

Answer: I grew up in North Carolina and Kentucky, an ardent fan of anything that smacked of sports, crawdads, mud balls, forts built in the woods, secret codes, bicycles without fenders, butter pecan ice cream and snow.

I was, however, decidedly uninterested in writing - or any academic aspect of school, for that matter - never imagining that at the age of 35 I would become a published author. And yet, after two unrelated college degrees, a year living in Japan and 10 years of teaching experience, that is what happened. Life, it seems, is full of who'd-a-thought-its.

Question: What are you reading?

Answer: I've just finished a National Book Award-winning novel by Don DeLillo, ``White Noise,'' and a nonfiction work by Bill McKibben, ``Long Distance: A Year of Living Strenuously.'' And I am savoring Gary Snyder's book of poetry, ``Mountains and Rivers Without End.'' I jump all over the genre map, but read more novels than anything.

Oregon authors appears regularly on the Books page. Direct comments or suggestions to Assistant Features Editor Paul Denison, who can be reached by phone at 338-2323, or by e-mail at [e-mail].