Author Lawrence Lee Rowe Jr. talks about the Founding Fathers and writing Tempus Fugit.

What one adjective best describes your novel?
A writer is rarely objective about his or her work, so I’ll defer to the readers. They’ve told me that the book is fast-paced and extremely entertaining. Hilarious at times, yet also profound. Well researched, and extremely educational. One reader called it a Da Vinci Code for American History. But I think the most common observation is believability. Readers honestly feel they are with our founders exploring modern America.

What book would you compare Tempus Fugit to?
There really isn’t another novel like Tempus Fugit that I know of.

Not even in the historical fiction genre?
Especially not there. Other historical fiction takes place in the past, but Tempus Fugit brings our founders to the present. Most historical fiction is aimed at history buffs, but my novel is crafted for a mainstream audience. It reads quicker and is much more entertaining than traditional historical fiction.

So Tempus Fugit is more than a mere historical or political story?
Absolutely! It is also an adventure! Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson come from a primitive eighteenth century world, and our era is overwhelming and dangerous to them. Mere survival is a struggle. Tempus Fugit conveys our founders’ bewilderment, fear and excitement vividly, and their assimilation of modern America is an action-packed odyssey.

You called the eighteenth century a primitive world. How primitive was it?
In colonial America, bathing was biannual, corn cobs and melon husks served as “toilet paper,” and a fine gown cost as much as a minivan. Technology has transformed our lives, and it is Franklin, Washington, and Jefferson’s most glaring initial observation. Hailing from an age that lacked many modern problems, the founders are also keenly aware of the price of our progress, and seeing them grapple with technology gives readers a unique perspective about advancements we take for granted.

Where did you get the idea for Tempus Fugit?
I read incessantly. I tend to spend months on a particular topic. Four years ago the American Revolution was the topic. I was blown away by our founders. They foresaw many of our current problems and had insightful views about how to solve or avoid them. Intrigued, I read more, and more, and more, and Tempus Fugit’s premise gradually precipitated.

What research discovery surprised you most?
The realization that the most illuminating documents were written by the founders themselves. These primary sources are amazing! Much like a diary, they give a sharp sense of the founders’ true feelings and personalities, and reveal realities history books often neglect.
     My novel is mercilessly accurate, yet fair, and I labored so readers won’t have to. Primary sources are the most reliable way to research history, but for those who don’t have the time or inclination for such a grueling undertaking, Tempus Fugit is the next best thing. It weaves fascinating historical facts into an entertaining story which shows a side of the founders you probably haven’t seen before.

If you could meet any one founder, does that mean you’d choose Franklin?
In Tempus Fugit, you obviously get to meet all three, but I’m not sure. Jefferson is awfully intriguing.

Many people find Jefferson intriguing because they consider him hypocritical. Is this what you meant?
Jefferson certainly had his paradoxes, but I think the Hemings allegations tarnished his image unfairly. The average American remembers him as the hypocrite who wrote The Declaration of Independence and had an affair with a slave. What a travesty. There are so many more dimensions to him.

Jefferson supposedly fathered children with Sally Hemings. Are you saying this allegation is false?
Most Americans believe DNA evidence convicts Jefferson conclusively, but that is not the case. Jefferson’s DNA could not be obtained, though tests on a relative’s prove a male in his family fathered one of Hemings’ children. Jefferson might be the father, but there are other suspects, and the physical evidence is far from definitive. The circumstantial evidence is more contentious, and historians disagree about Jefferson’s ultimate innocence or guilt.

That’s not an answer. Did the Hemings’ affair happen? Yes or no.
Tempus Fugit will eventually present all available data as Jefferson is confronted by modern African Americans. An answer will be revealed, but more importantly, readers will have an opportunity to “sit on the jury” and judge for themselves.

How much should slavery diminish our founding fathers?
I think an important concept in the study of history is to judge people in the context of their own time. It is tempting for citizens of a progressive future to make sweeping judgments about the past, but I believe this can be unwise.
     Jefferson felt slavery was wrong. He championed emancipation in his youth, but quickly realized reform was hopeless during his lifetime. Thereafter he became more pragmatic. Or more hypocritical, depending upon your perspective.
     In Tempus Fugit, Jefferson admits he was wrong for owning slaves, but he also bristles at being judged so harshly by individuals who have little understanding of the political and moral climate that prevailed in colonial America.

Some people feel that the wages paid in third world countries are a modern form of slavery. Do you agree?
My focus is our founding fathers’ opinions. In Tempus Fugit, I drop the founders in the crucible of modern America and extrapolate their past behaviors to create plausible present-day actions. Franklin felt extremely low wages could be comparable to slavery, and published A Conversation Between An Englishman, A Scotchman & An American on the subject of Slavery in which he advocated this view.

Are you giving the founding fathers a pass on slavery?
No, and I definitely don’t in the book.

Was Washington the greatest President?
Yes, I believe so. Washington spearheaded the military effort that secured American Independence, chaired the Constitutional Convention that designed our government, then reluctantly supervised its construction and shepherded its infancy.
     If you only consider his accomplishments while President, the decision becomes more difficult, but in a broader context, no American has done more to guarantee life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to future generations.
     In Tempus Fugit, Washington learns about Presidents like Lincoln and Kennedy, and compares himself to them. He also contrasts modern Americans with their colonial predecessors. We like to ask how great Washington is, but he wonders the same about us, and tries to determine if we have proven worthy of the gifts he bequeathed.

Did you say Washington reluctantly supervised the government’s construction?
Yes. Washington repeatedly expressed a strong desire not to be President, and he meant it. He’d spent almost 8 years in the field fighting the Revolutionary War. He wanted to relax at Mount Vernon, not risk his reputation in the political arena and be shackled by power again. America had to campaign to get Washington to consider the Presidency, and he only accepted because the Revolution’s leading figures told him America would perish otherwise.
     In Tempus Fugit, this eventually makes for some interesting moments. What does Washington say to Bill Clinton, a man whose dream in life was to be President? Or Colin Powell, the type of leader many Americans wanted in the Oval Office, but who refused to run?

What is Washington’s single greatest accomplishment?
Ironically, and arguably, something he didn’t do. He would not accept the American Kingship. In refusing it, he prevented the crib death of America.
     When the United States won their independence, there wasn’t a single democratic government on Earth. Monarchy was all men knew, and many viewed a republic as a dangerous, perhaps disastrous, experiment. They therefore thought King Washington was America’s best hope.
     Washington was disgusted by the idea, and quashed it. Unlike numerous lesser men before and after him, he remained totally incorruptible.
     This episode is an excellent litmus test. Would you trust most modern leaders in a similar situation?

Is there a modern American politician you would trust in such a scenario?
John McCain is the only national politician that comes to mind. I don’t agree with his stances on many issues, but in terms of character, he’s the only individual I can think of that comes close.

You can only think of one modern politician who might be his equal, yet you’d want to meet Franklin or Jefferson instead of Washington?
I would enjoy picking the brain of a genius like Jefferson or Franklin, having ranging discussions on everything from Rome to archeology to electricity to education. You could be marooned on a desert island with either man, and never run out of things to talk about.
     In Tempus Fugit, the founders are marooned in the future, but as they acclimatize to their new time, the diverse conversations and situations that arise give readers a chance to truly get to know them.

Franklin and Jefferson are both considered geniuses. Who was smarter?
A big part of Franklin’s genius was his ability to observe the world and make intuitive inferences. For example, he watched a northeastern storm once and deduced the Gulf Stream. In Tempus Fugit, Franklin excels at deciphering modern inventions and gleaning technology’s political ramifications.
     Jefferson’s genius was more academic. He could churn through volumes of disparate data, organize it mentally, and discern fundamental patterns and causalities. In Tempus Fugit, Jefferson reads religiously and develops a comprehensive understanding of the political and socioeconomic evolution of America.
     Obviously, their intellects transcend the simple categorizations I just offered, but that’s a quick comparison. As to who was smarter, that’s like asking if King Kong could beat up Godzilla, but I’d say Franklin.

Some Americans feel their current leaders are less than brilliant. It is interesting to ponder the solutions men like Franklin and Jefferson might implement.
Interesting, inspiring, and a little disheartening. In Tempus Fugit, the founders make penetrating observations about modern America, and eventually offer perspicacious solutions to our current problems. These remedies are radically different than those espoused by modern politicians, and are rooted in our founding principles.
     Of course, implementing solutions is harder than merely offering them. Tempus Fugit’s protagonists are smart enough to know what to do, and principled enough to stay the course and do it.

We’re out of time, but let me close by giving you a chance to plug your novel. In one sentence, why should I buy Tempus Fugit?
You should buy Tempus Fugit because it is an entertaining story that gives you a chance to truly meet George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, and see how they would solve current American problems.