Kenneth James Hawkins was born in Leeds, England. When he was five years old, he stood up on a stool and proclaimed loudly, “Goodbye, cruel world, I now commit adultery!” He then proceeded to stab hismelf in the chest with a prop knife and tumble from the stool, supposedly dead.
Hawkins is named after the main character in Treasure Island
Since his family didn’t appreciate his dramatic leanings, he repressed those outbursts and internalized everything. Though he grows up to be a psychologist, he never completely leaves the dream of acting behind him. He has rare moments of drama and loves improv.
After going to a couple different American boarding schools, Hawkins finally settled down at Grover Cleveland by the sixth grade. Quickly labeled “Cute but weird,” Hawkins didn’t garner many friends until he met Scout.
It’s hard to describe Hawkins accurately. He’s the only one of the group who will probably never get his own book. This isn’t because he has no personality; it’s more because he is so in tune with everybody else’s feelings that he never has time to dedicate to his own.
Here’s what Rahab has to say about him:
Sometimes Rahab wondered how it was that Hawkins understood her so much better than Scout did. But then, Hawkins was a very understanding guy. She supposed it was a natural result of spending more time listening than talking.
I’ve mentioned before that I have character sheets for each of my characters, and one of my favorite questions on those sheets is, “What are your hopes and dreams?” For Hawkins, the answer is, “To be able to help people.” He is a great listener and always has time for people. No wonder, then, that he is considered by many of my beta readers to be “The perfect best friend.”
Learn more about Hawkins when my book Into the Flames is released in March 2012!