While Suzanne Collins didn't set her "Hunger Games" trilogy in Kosciusko County, she has a close connection to the area. Collins is married to Charles "Cap" Allen Pryor, 58, a 1976 Wawasee High School graduate. Cap's parents are Charles and Dixie Pryor, of Winona Lake. Dixie was a 25-year school teacher at North Webster. Cap's grandmother was Alice Rinker of Rinker's Department Store in North Webster. Cap's sister is Laurie Owen, the dean at the School of Education at Grace College. "I'm thrilled to pieces for them, the whole family," Dixie said during an interview Tuesday. Dixie said she read the books before they were even published and she thought they were "excellent, well done." "Suzanne lived with us for awhile before they were married. She had started her writing," Dixie said. At that time, the Pryors lived on Armstrong Road in Leesburg. During a telephone interview Tuesday morning, Owen downplayed the effect of the books and the movie that was released last weekend on the family. In its first weekend, "The Hunger Games" made more than $155 million, the third largest opening for a movie. Owen said the family is, however, excited about the success of the books and movie. They had a family event at North Pointe Cinemas for the movie, with Dixie being presented flowers by North Pointe General Manager Yvonne Kern. When the family gets together, including Collins, Owen said they just talk about family matters. "We work hard not to get too excited," Owen said. "We don't talk about the movie or anything." She said Cap and Collins were here in September for Owen's oldest daughter's wedding at Warsaw Community Church. It was just a "typical" family gathering, she said. Owen said she tries not to ask Collins for autographs or to sign stuff for someone else. "They are just the kindest, humblest people," Owen said. "They are far removed from Hollywood." Asked to describe Collins, Owen said, "Her image in the public is very much her. She's very quiet and introverted." Dixie said, "She's the same person she's always been. She's shy. She likes the fact that her books have been so well received." Owen said Collins is more interested in the fans and talking to them than the media and paparazzi. "Anyone who knows her will tell you this won't change her as a person," Owen said. Dixie said, "The press has called her a reluctant housewife, but she's anyting but that. She just chose not to be a part of the (hype)." Collins' relationship with her father is very close, Owen said. According to Dixie, Collins' father was a military career man and they lived at several places at a time. He would take her to battlefields and explain the battles to her. Dixie said he was a tremendous military historian, while Collins' mother was big in mythology. To create "The Hunger Games," Collins mixed the two worlds of her parents together after watching a reality show and a program about a Mideast battle late one night on television, Dixie said. Owen said Cap and Collins met at Indiana University when they were in theater together. The first time Owen met Collins was at a play Cap and Collins were in. Dixie said Cap and Collins played husband and wife in a play they were in together at Indiana University. Life imitated art and the two ended up married after Collins went to New York University for her graduate work and Cap went to Penn State. They were married in Indianapolis. They have two children, a son in high school and a daughter in middle school, Dixie said. "I get to see them at least two or three times a year," Dixie said.[[In-content Ad]]Cap was in a lot of musicials in high school like "The Music Man." Cap still does a little acting, Dixie said, but now he is predominantly the caretaker of their children. He did teach for a few years, working with autistic children. Dixie said he gave up that to take care of his kids and has been very blessed to be able to be a father to his two children. "We're very proud of both of them," Dixie said. Of course, Owen said, she has read all of Collins' books. The "Hunger Games" trilogy is a "must read", she said, and the movie doesn't tell the whole story. Dixie saw the movie Friday and said she was very pleased with the movie. Director Gary Ross captured the story very well, she said. After seeing the movie, Dixie said, people who haven't read the books want to read them. "We've been blessed to be a part of it," Dixie said. Collins has another five-part book series, "The Underland Chronicles," about Gregor the Overlander. Owen said it's intended for a younger audience but is like "Alice in Wonderland" in the inner city, and she likes that series a lot. For more about Collins, visit her official website at www.suzannecollinsbooks.com For more about "The Hunger Games" books, visit www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/
