A Conversation with Arisa White

As I read You're the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened, the new collection by poet Arisa White, published in 2016, I felt that I wasn't connecting deeply enough with this work.  Although I noticed and appreciated the bravery and beauty of these poems, many of which have titles from 'a List of terms for gay in different languages' on Wikipedia, I couldn't help but wonder: am I too old, too traditional, or even too straight to really “get” this work?  When I read poetry, I want to savor the beauty of the words and their arrangement, but I also seek to understand the meaning of the poems. This is essential to my enjoyment of poetry.  Fortunately, Arisa White agreed to answer my (somewhat eclectic) interview questions, presented here.  My hope was that a conversation with her would strengthen my understanding of and connection to her work. 

A Conversation with Arisa White

1) Welcome, Arisa, and thank you for being so gracious and patient with me!  As mentioned, I struggled a bit to find connection to your work.  Who do you think is the ideal reader of this collection of poems?

AW: I think someone who can live in the interstices.  Someone who understands and knows grief, a broken heart, who pines for things to be just, who is not afraid of her well, he who goes inward, they who write for the here and sensuous logic.  She who sees and resists the restraints put on the body,he who story tells and finds other ways, they who disobey hegemonic voices and choruses on and on 
and on . . . .

Spoken like a true poet, Arisa!   :)

2) Tell me something important about this collection that I may have missed.

AW: I don’t know what you’ve missed. Makes me think of the bus driving off as you run to it. And do you keep running because it is a bus you need to catch?  I wonder, what made you late?  What were the conditions that made arriving on time, now a missing for you? The funny thing is this collection is exploring that same thing--missing. The way it leaves a certain presence in the body. The absence shapes you. And as it does it’s shaping, you learn to exist with it. You learn a new understanding of your body and its emotional terrain as the relationship matures. In that maturation, things are nurtured--the imagination, for one, and the way you maneuver language, and quiet and silence too, so it better speaks to you, is another. So the language is full with you.  Each poem explores some form of missing and the transformation that occurs.

Arisa, at least I didn't miss the missing theme, mentioned above! Your poems eloquently express longing and loss and love.

3) What gift (or gifts) do you want to give your readers?

AW: Joy.  Nuanced emotional literacy.  Rigor.  Possibility.  Inspiration.  Contemplation.  Provocation.

I'd add Harmony to your list, Arisa.

4)  Do you hope to reveal, or conceal, in You're the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened, which seems to be a love letter?   How autobiographical is this collection? 

AW: It does feel very much like a love letter. A love letter that has been written in private and public places in the body and within the culture at large. A love letter written at different points on the waves of love, at different moments when you encounter a “new” way of comprehending love. A love letter to how love leaves you open and changed. This collection is not autobiographical. It pulls from my personal sphere. Too much is taken from what is around me--gossip, media, family narratives, books, popular culture, music. The I in the collection is an outward I, an I in community, in intimate relationship to the ecologies that form its making. You’re the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened is the house made from tensions of bodies in relationship to their own and other bodies. 

5) What, if anything, did you (or an editor) edit out of this book?

AW: There were six poems removed from the original manuscript. The work had a different tone, and at times reminded me of pieces that could have gone in my debut collection Hurrah’s Nest—those poems were more autobiographical. Some of the edited-out poems were an exercise in language, and after revising them, sometimes radically, they didn’t make sense to me.  I couldn’t place their sense within in the collection. With the removal of those poems, I was better able to see the overall creative enterprise of the work, and as result I then included the suite of poems “Effluvium”; “Effluvium” brings attention to AIDS and its impact on black women, but expands itself to address violence against women.

 
6) If you could set one of the poems in this book to music, and turn it into a song, which poem would it be, and why?   

AW: Not music, and that may be because there is already “music” present in the work—its prosody, assonance, slant rhyme, etc.  However, I do see “Lady in the House: Kitchen Speeches” as short film. That persona is so irreverent and radically self-possessed that to see her embodied would be great. The setting of the kitchen is very feminine, and so knowledge has been exchanged at kitchen tables, near the stove, washing dishes.  It is a powerful creative space, a space where women cook for revolutions, commune and congregate, take time for themselves, make themselves beautiful, prepare their medicines, concoct poison and bombs.

Arisa, it's interesting that you singled out this poem and mentioned that you can see it as a short film.  It's one of my favorites in your book.  I agree that the setting of the kitchen, sometimes called the heart of the home, is both feminine and powerful (I like that coupling). To my surprise, I've grown to love my own kitchen over the years; it has become a creative and comfortable space for me. There are many profound lines in "Lady in the House: Kitchen Speeches", such as:

"I've been searching for one pure answer, one complete
thing to feed loss.  Something grown for your mouths,
a recipe my pots don't refuse."

7) How does the writing process affect you, emotionally and/or spiritually?  Why did you choose poetry over prose?

AW: Writing is an integrative act.  Different parts come together to make something, and from that making something becomes known.  Something is realized, and what that means for me is that I’ve freed myself.  In the ways we are socially constructed and therefore disempowered, I get my power back, bit by bit, trauma by trauma, generation by generation, and so I know myself more by being engaged in the creative act that socially created me.  I’m more present in my body, even when I’m told to be fearful because I’m black, woman, queer, etc.  I can write myself right as an inhabitant of this earth.  My “I” has broader (in)sight.  And poetry aligns more closely with how I see/perceive the world.

Arisa, your statement, "I can write myself right as an inhabitant of this earth", is excellent.  The act of writing, to a writer, is, of course, extremely valuable.  As far as poetry goes, you seem to be a natural poet. 

After thinking about your answers, I realized that I needed to read your poems with more freedom, meaning that although your content is meaningful, I shouldn't seek or expect a complete, literal understanding.  I was reminded (once again!) that my approach to reading poetry should be different than my approach to reading prose. This  conversation did help me to connect more closely with your work.  Thank you very much for this interview, Arisa! 
 

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Thanks as well to Serena from Poetic Book Tours for arranging this tour and for providing a print copy of this book.  For more reviews and features, please visit the other stops on the tour for You're the Most Beautiful Thing That Happened.  I've linked this review to Serena's 2016 Poetry Challenge.

Thanks for reading!  As always, your comments are welcomed. 

About A Good Man: Another Conversation with Vanessa Morgan

In December of 2010, I first interviewed Vanessa Morgan, after having read her unnerving novella,  Drowned Sorrow.  I'm thrilled to present another interview with this writer, in which we discuss her latest project. 



1) Welcome back, Vanessa!  Tell us something about your new work, a screenplay called A Good Man, currently in preproduction with Radowski Films.  Although I haven't read it, I did read the description of it, so I know it's about Louis Caron, a "good man", a vegetarian who cares about homeless people, animals, and the future of our planet.  If Louis seems too good to be true, then trust your instincts, because he has a sinister side as well--in fact, he's a vampire.  The story, the screenplay, the film--it  all sounds very exciting to me!

VM:  A Good Man is a dark comedy with a few horror elements.  I could best describe it as American Psycho with a vampire.  Some people have also compared it to the TV-series Dexter.  It's a fun and moving story that turns the vampire myth completely on its head.  It's not the kind of vampire story you've seen before and if you think you know how things will turn out, then think again.

                         Cast Members of A Good Man

Pierre Lekeux as Louis Caron

Flavio Tosti as Vincent

Matthias Pohl as himself

Avalon, Vanessa's cat

2) What is it about vampires?  I want to know why America and Europe are so intrigued by these mythological beings, who have demanded center stage since the publication of Dracula in 1897.  What do you think? 



VM:  Although vampires have always existed in literature and film, that 'thing' about vampires is actually a quite recent phenomenon that started with Twilight. There have never been as many vampire books and movies as there are now.  Modern vampires are handsome and sexy, whereas the vampires in mythology are ugly and evil-looking.  The Ghanan Asasabonsam vampire, for example, has iron teeth and hooks for feet, which they drop from treetops onto unsuspecting victims.  Certain regions in the Balkans believe that pumpkins and watermelons would turn into vampires if they were left out longer than 10 days or not consumed by Christmas.

(True, the Twilight series transformed gruesome vampires into sexy, sparkling beings, made them acceptable aesthetically, then gave them the spotlight.)


3) How did you learn to write a screenplay?  How does this type of writing differ from other forms? Did you take any classes, and/or have any special teachers or mentors?


VM:  It's the same as with learning to write novels.  You always learn more by practicing and listening to what reviewers have to say about your work than by actually reading books about it. I didn't take any classes and didn't have any mentors or teachers either, but I'd love to have one because you evolve more quickly with a good mentor.  That said, writing a screenplay is different than writing a novel in the sense that a screenwriter can't tell what's in the character's mind; everything has to be shown, everything has to be visual.  Structure is also important, because a screenplay (and the movie for that matter) quickly becomes boring if you put too many scenes in it for character development but that doesn't move the story forward at the same time.  In books, you can get away with that, but not in a screenplay.  My experience as a screenwriter has obviously influenced my work as a novelist in that I am more concise and more visual than most other novelists.  I 'explain' a lot through the images and details I portray.  Sometimes it's about two characters talking about ordinary things, but it's actually about something more profound that you can only 'get' once you have read the whole book.  I love putting information into details that seem irrelevant at first.



4) Did the screenplay change a lot during the rewriting process?



VM:  More than you can imagine and not always for the better.  Everyone was quite wild about the first draft I wrote of A Good Man, but although it was fresh and original, it missed some character development and the second half of the story wasn't really going anywhere.  I said I wanted to cut the second half and put the mid-point scene as the second turning point near the end (for those who have read A Good Man, I'm talking about the important Emma scene).  My producer argued though that I should keep the same structure and transform the second part into a revenge story.  I didn't think it was the right thing to do with the characters and the story because it really felt out of character for the people I created, but I tried anyway. Three drafts later, the screenplay had become slow-moving, overly long and not very logical.  Everyone said that the first part of A Good Man was brilliant; it was the second half that focused on the revenge story that had a million problems.  It's true that the first draft had developed nicely; it stayed the same in terms of structure and story, but I added some really interesting character development that added a lot of originality and depth to the story.  But once I came to the mid-point, I had no idea what to do with the story apart from the final two scenes.  I then decided to not listen to my producer anymore and to just follow my intuition with A Good Man.  I went against all advice and cut the second half of the screenplay, put the mid-point near the end and added a few scenes to have a good transition between all the parts.  Just by cutting the second part and changing the structure, I changed A Good Man from the revenge story with lots of murders that my producers wanted into a touching character piece about why we sometimes end up ruining our own lives and that of others without really wanting to.  I sent the new draft to my producer and a day later he wrote to me: "Brilliant structure and story.  Very surprising and very touching."  We were finally ready to move forward with the production.

5) Did you use character traits of people you know for the screenplay?

VM:  I love using real people for my books, but for A Good Man I abused this and so the book is populated for 99% with people I know *looking down with puppy eyes*.  The main character, Louis Caron, was obviously based on Pierre Lekeux, the actor who is going to play the part.  I observed him in real life and in his interactions with women and it really helped me in creating an original vampire character.  I particularly loved the idea of an old vampire who suffers from arthritis and who is so insecure about his wrinkled face that he seduces ugly women as a means to feel better about himself. The hypochondriac vampire Madame Renaud was loosely based on my own mom (sorry mom, I hope you don't read this).

6) Why did you write the screenplay for A Good Man, Un Homme Bien, in French, originally?

VM:  

The Belgian production company Radowski Films asked me to write a screenplay for them about a vampire.  It had to be in French, because they already had some French actors in mind to star in the movie, so I did.


(How many languages do you know, anyway?)

VM:  I speak Dutch, English, French, Spanish and a little bit of German.  I love writing in different languages and chances and I'll most probably write screenplays in Dutch and Spanish as well some time soon.



(Impressive!  Very likely, each language influences your writing in numerous and various ways.)


7) Which actors would you choose if there were to be a Hollywood remake?



VM:  I think Steve Buscemi would be brilliant as Louis Caron, because he is odd and charming at the same time, and he can be funny without losing depth.  For the other characters, I would choose Melissa George as Emma and Jim Sturgess as Vincent.

Superb casting choices, Vanessa!  Steve Buscemi, in particular, is a wonderful, quirky (character) actor.  I'd love to see this film, either the original version (if it becomes available on DVD, please let me know), and/or as an American remake in the future.  It sounds like it would be quite entertaining.  I remember watching a werewolf movie (whose name eludes me, unfortunately) many years ago as a teenager, and being absolutely transfixed.  I think this film would have a similar effect on me.  Thank you for this follow-up interview, Vanessa, and best of luck with A Good Man!

We Bury the Landscape: The Art of Flash Fiction

Sometimes, more times than I'd like to admit these days, I feel sort of "old school".  I grew up typing papers on typewriters, and using correction fluid or tape for errors. The switch to a personal computer was pretty easy for me (I'm a huge fan of Apple computers), and I'm tech savvy enough to have a blog, but in some respects, I'm rather "old school".  In my mind, I still picture writers hunched over typewriters,  cigarettes dangling out of their mouths. (Not the healthiest image, thanks to Hollywood!) And flash fiction, also called microfiction, is a relatively new concept to me. I've heard of flash fiction (and have tried my own hand at some writing prompts, like Tess Kincaid's Magpie Tales),  and I enjoy reading short stories, very much, but what constitutes the essence of  short, short stories, called flash fiction?  What is flash fiction? Additionally, I noticed the word 'ekphrastic' used in reviews of We Bury the Landscape: An Exhibition-Collection, a new collection of flash fiction by Kristine Ong Muslim; I needed to look up this word.  Before I could attempt to write something about this author's work,  I had to do a bit of research.

What is flash fiction? Wikipedia to the rescue! Flash fiction is a style of fiction of extreme brevity.  Although there are no hard and fast rules or requirements for this genre, many pieces of flash fiction range from three hundred to one thousand words, although to Steve Moss, editor of the New Times, the requirement is exactly fifty-five words. The title of a piece of flash fiction is often short as well, seven words or less.  As for the term ekphrastic, it means a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art. 

We Bury the Landscape, published in 2012,  is a collection of one hundred flash fiction stories based on various pieces of art (mostly paintings), by writer Kristine Ong Muslim, whose short fiction and poetry has been featured in numerous publications around the world.  Her short, descriptive, intelligent flash fiction is ekphrastic; each is based on a work of modern or contemporary art, by artists like Salvador Dali, René Magritte, and Joan Miró.  Although the artworks were not pictured in my copy of the book, I did not miss them; it was easy to read and savor the power of her pieces, which are bold and evocative, sometimes humorous, and always to the point, in a way that must be unique to flash fiction. Because of the brevity involved, each word must be exactly right.  Her pieces are impactful, expressive,  and profound.  Here are a few lines from her piece, Colored Pencils, inspired by Paulo Rosa's coloured abynthesis--coloured pencils:

"Our eyes bleed a thousand colors as you push us against paper.  Funny how you think these strokes are yours.  They are our pain, you see, our stories." 

As I read We Bury the Landscape, I had a couple of questions for the author, which she graciously answered for me.  Fittingly, here is the micro-interview.

1) Why did you choose to write flash fiction?  How were you introduced to this genre?

KOM: I chose flash fiction because of its aesthetic quality – it can be forced to appear as a single block of prose. When I planned to write We Bury the Landscape, I imagined the artwork on the left page and the block of prose on the right. I also believe that there is no way I can make longer stories out of paintings. The story is already sort of pre-written for me. I am a big reader of clever, entertaining, pithy stories. Rhys Hughes is one of my favorites; he has clearly mastered the art of the flash fiction. The writers who introduced me to flash fiction were Bruce Boston and Bruce Holland Rogers.

2) What additional work of art, if any,  do you wish you'd also written about in this book, and why?

KOM: A Michael Whelan art! Michael Whelan did many of the covers of the books on my bookshelf. I should have done, at least, one mini-tale for one of his paintings. But alas, I already reached the 100-story mark when I realized the oversight. If I did a Whelan story, then I would probably choose this particular minimalist image. It’s called Passage Avatar. And it would probably be about a sentient gate wondering where everybody had gone.

Kristine, thank you for answering my questions, and for sharing this stunning collection with me. You, too, have mastered the art of flash fiction!

Your comments are appreciated as always.

A Conversation with Helen Schulman

Helen Schulman is the author of a short story collection, Not a Free Show, and the novels, A Day at the Beach, P.S., The Revisionist, Out of Time, and the book I've just read and reviewed, This Beautiful Life.

Welcome, Helen!  I'm honored to have the opportunity to interview you.  I'll start my interview with a confession. We went to the same high school, The Bronx High School of Science.  I'm not sure that you knew me, but you became friends with a good friend of mine, so I knew who you were. When I first heard your name in relation to this book, I wondered if it was you from my high school days. Then I saw your picture, which confirmed that it was you. That made me interested in reading your work.  

1) Tell us about what inspired you to write This Beautiful Life, a gripping story about a 15-year-old boy, Jake, who impulsively forwards a sexually explicit video sent to him of and by a younger girl, Daisy, to a friend, who then forwards it to others, and which soon goes "viral" and is viewed by countless others around the world.  I know you've been asked this before, but I think it's important to discuss. There are serious technological dangers for young people related to the Internet and cell phones which were not present while we were growing up, such as what happens in your book and "sexting". (How do we warn kids?  How can we prevent them from doing things that they'll regret--can we?)

HS: The novel was inspired by many real life events—more than I reckoned for when I first starting thinking about it. This Beautiful Life is set in 2003, the year I sort of woke up to the fact that incidents that once would have lived and died in a private sphere of embarrassment had through the ease of the internet become huge scandals with a worldwide audience. Over email, a friend sent me a photo of a bridesmaid reaching joyously to catch a bouquet at a wedding, only to have her breasts pop out of her strapless dress. A young woman in the U.K. sent a recent date a sexy email and he forwarded it to a few friends and within days the email had gone global and the woman was afraid to leave her house. And then there were kids and their indiscretions, incidents I read about in the New York Times about cyber-bullying, but also thoughtlessly self-inflicted wounds where kids sent pictures and videos of themselves naked or performing sexual acts. I think of myself as a private person, and I found by proxy the after-effects of these actions haunting and painful. There were several incidents in New York City, where I live, involving teenagers and their schools and I found the gossip surrounding them overwhelming—some compassionate conversations to be sure, but also some needlessly vicious. I was working on my last book then,  A Day At The Beach, and was thinking ahead to my next project. I thought to write a non-fiction account of one of these incidents but was stymied, so since my first instinct is to make things up, that’s what I did in writing this book.

As for your question regarding how things have changed since when we were kids (re: the Internet, sexting, etc.), I think in a lot of ways my book was meant to be a defense of privacy.  It goes without saying that the Internet has changed the way we live now--in great ways in terms of collecting information, forming communities, even inspiring and maintaining relatively peaceful uprisings like the Arab Spring or our own Occupy Wall Street. But it can also be a risky forum in terms of privacy violation, and the fact that the Internet does not forget (at least at this moment) presents new hazards for adults and kids alike. I don't think any of us really have come to terms with its powers yet, and certainly adults seem to be making the same mistakes kids make all the time (Anthony Weiner is a case in point). There is something about typing alone onto a screen that seems to shed inhibitions, at the same time as it makes it possible for one's actions to become public and irretrievable--a very dangerous combination.

2) In This Beautiful Life you write in the third person, from the perspectives of members of the Bergamot family, Jake, his parents, Liz and Richard (Coco, their precocious Chinese daughter, is of course too young), and Daisy ("Great Gatsby") Cavanaugh. Why did you chose to use multiple perspectives, and how difficult was that?  You seem most sympathetic to Jake and Daisy (or at least I was), probably because they're young (and innocent), and didn't mean any harm.  Daisy presented herself to Jake as a gift, and he was just puzzled about what to do, and a bit proud of the video (look what I'm getting!).

HS: I used third-person limited points of view so that I could get under the skin of the different members of the family. I had a great deal of sympathy for all of the characters, even when they made terrible choices and did terrible things, which is why I chose to employ their different perspectives.  I had a lot of territory that I wanted to cover with this book--the Internet was only part of it. Even though I see the technological revolution as a real earthquake in the culture, and a divide between generations, I was also frankly interested in other aspects of post 9/11 America, the greed and selfishness that led to the banking crises of 2008 and the world-wide recession. I was also interested in sex roles, the early sexualization of girls for example (poor Daisy and Coco, they are taught from a very young age that that is where their power lies).  And I was pretty interested in what happens to highly trained women of a certain economic and educational class who choose not to work, and also what happens to their partners. When we were in high school, which was the '70's, I did not think that we would be embracing such rigid sexual roles again, but I think many of us have, often out of good, loving parental reasons, but not without cost. Richard and Lizzie are both really talented academics and, at heart, parents who love their children, and yet the way they have divided up their roles in their family, coupled with their ambitions, has warped their strengths, their relationships with their kids and with each other.

3) Jake, along with his family, is quite distraught, but at school he is almost seen as a hero by the boys, and is now the recipient of a new girl's ardor.  As awful as the events are in this book for the Bergamot family,  isn't part of the point of this story that even negative events may have some positives, and that things eventually blow over or die down?

HS: I often think about Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" when I'm writing, because his play about the Salem Witch trials (written as an allegory of McCarthyism) profoundly illustrates the effects of a specific time period on people's lives.  Even if someone declares themselves to be a witch now (or a Communist) they won't be hung or blackballed (we sincerely hope). So yes, everything has its moment, and the moment when Daisy sends her email and Jake forwards it, is the hottest moment for a scandal of this kind.  It happens in 2003, before "sexting" really, and before this kind of teenaged behavior became ubiquitous.  I'm not trying to devalue its impact now--there are plenty of kids who have really suffered recently over sexting scandals--there are kids labeled as sex offenders for sending them, and kids who've committed suicide after being bullied because of them.  But my novel takes place at the start of this phenomenon, so it's all the more shocking to the community.   As a writer, I always want to put as much pressure as I can on my characters--that creates dramatic tension.  But there's another factor at play here that I think you are alluding to, and that is that some things in our culture, which were formerly "shameful" are now career or social calling cards.   Paris Hilton is a prime example. She achieved celebrity via a sex tape.  So for some of these kids, some of this notoriety is sort of cool. Rachel, the girl you mention above, is so damaged, she gets off on degradation. I think that the boy who is being kind to Jake is telling him that there are way worse things in the world than this episode, and they blow over too, so that this one will as well--there's wisdom and generosity in that. The kids in the novel also talk about ubiquity and what ubiquity does to shame (which is that it dilutes it). I think some of the characters wrestle with how inherently "shameful" they think Daisy's act is--Richard, for example, sees the bravery in it, the desire to connect and to be known. 

4) Let's talk about Daisy, the girl who made the explicit video of herself for Jake. She's an interesting character, and becomes famous or infamous (the distinction between the two seems to have lessened) as a result of her actions. While you are not telling young girls to do what she did, you are saying, I think, make the most out of the situation that you're in, even if it's devastating, which is quite empowering.

HS: I don't think I'm saying make the most out of this situation.  I think what I am trying to convey through Daisy is that a) she has been taught from practically the moment that she was born that her value and currency in the world is primarily sexual, so that it makes sense that she would see this video as a means to getting love.  And b) that she is a survivor.  I don't think she is unscathed by this episode, not by a long shot.   I think it hurts her deeply and it costs her tremendously.  I just think she is not stopped by it.  Jake is.  He is more vulnerable and weaker.  And the parents and the school and all the lawyers rob him of any chance really of learning to grow, to accept responsibility and to make the reparations that he can, and then learning to live with the baggage of what he can't repair.  This leaves him feeling crippled.
 

5) Your story is set in New York, my hometown, and I enjoyed the references to various parts of NY and the culture.  I do think, though, that it's a story that could have happened anywhere in the U.S., or in other countries that are also technologically advanced.  How important was it to you to set the novel in NY? (Do you subscribe to the belief that we should write about what we know?)

HS: I set the story in New York because once again it was Ground Zero, only this time in terms of the banking crises, and the novel is meant to be, among other things, a bit of a time capsule on Post 9/11/ pre-crash America. This same story has occurred all over the country--I've done some traveling for the book and some radio, and wherever I go people have a similar story to tell (with different details of course). I picked New York because of that city's "big guns"--money, media, litigation--and how explosive the community's eruptions were in utilizing them in response, which seemed emblematic of America during that time. But every community has its own big guns and I suppose I would have employed those if I'd set the story in Texas or Kansas or California. You are right in suggesting that I do know this city well--I do. I've lived here for most of my life. But I don't think writers have to write about what they know, they have to write about what they can fully imagine.

6) How do you juggle all of your responsibilities as a writer, associate professor of writing at The New School, and mother?  Do you have any advice to aspiring writers who also have a lot demands on their time?

HS: I just got tenure last year at The New School and so I am on sabbatical this semester, my first Spring semester off in about 20 years. It's interesting, because usually I am so stressed out and so scrambling, and now I have the luxury of time. The break came at a good moment, there was more work to do promoting my book here and in England, there was a screenplay to finish, etc.,  and the hard work of dreaming up what comes next (which is the hardest work of all, for me at any rate). I am really enjoying it--I've traveled some, read more, seen friends and thankfully I've spent more time with my family (I teach at night which is hard on everyone). From where I'm sitting now, I keep thinking, how did I do all of this stuff at once, while teaching?  But I have, and I will do it again, starting in June when I go back into the classroom.  I guess I just find ways to slip in time to write when I can--it's not a very comfortable or steady schedule, but over time books get written.   I've learned not to count the hours at my desk or the years on projects, but just to do what I can, when I can.

7) What are you willing to reveal about your next book or writing project?

HS: I just finished a screenplay, an adaptation of a super-short story of mine, for an independent producer.  Floating on the horizon is the prospect of adapting This Beautiful Life for the academy award winning Danish director, Susanne Biers, but we're still looking for funding for the project, so that's on hold (I hope temporarily).  I'm working on short fiction now, nonfiction, and researching my next long project.

Helen, thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions, some of which were really multiple questions. Your responses gave me more insight into your book, This Beautiful Life.  Best of luck in all of your future  projects!

A Conversation with Deborah Reed, and a Giveaway

1) Welcome, Deborah! I've just finished reading your books, A Small Fortune and Carry Yourself Back to Me, both published in 2011. I'd read an earlier version of A Small Fortune, and I must say that the newer version is even better than the first. Wow! Your writing is exceptional, and I enjoyed reading both books very much. Your first novel, A Small Fortune, is suspense fiction, which I found thrilling, while your latest book is literary fiction, which held my rapt attention. Why did you decide to write books in two different genres?

DR: I've been writing literary fiction for years and never tried my hand at mystery or any other genre. But in 2009 the publishing industry was in complete flux with most of the houses imploding and it was so difficult to get published as a new writer, especially in fiction. After reading an article about genre books weathering the recession, I decided on a whim to try my hand. I'd enjoyed books by Kate Atkinson and Benjamin Black and Lisa Unger, to name a few, so I gave it a shot. The result was A Small Fortune, which came to me very quickly and is, coincidentally, about a book editor who has gone from editing literary novels before the recession, to having to edit romance novels, as this is the only work she can find. As for Carry Yourself Back to Me, this is a novel long in the making, and a large piece of my heart.



2) Why did you write your first book, A Small Fortune, under a pen name (or nom de plume--it sounds so elegant in French), Audrey Braun, instead of using Deborah Reed?

DR: Originally, I used a pen name in case the book was a flop. That way no one would know it was me. Silly, for so many reasons, I know, but thank goodness the sales are doing great. And now that I have two books out in two different genres the pen name helps to differentiate between the two. A reader knows what to expect when they see Audrey Braun has written the book, and the same goes for Deborah Reed, who writes (now I'm writing about myself in third person--this can get a little confusing) character driven stories in a more careful prose style with a bit of southern Gothic thrown in.

(Deborah, your fears were unfounded. You can't go wrong with passages like this one in A Small Fortune :

"I've been an ungrateful, neglectful wife to Jonathan. A resentful mother to Oliver. They'll never know how sorry I am, how much I wish I could make it up to them. I'll never be able to tell them how in that moment my love for them wrenches my insides more violently than the fear of what might happen next.")

3) Of course, I usually assume that female protagonists are at least partially based on the character of the writer who brought them to life. How is Celia Donnelly from A Small Fortune like you? How is Annie Walsh from Carry Yourself Back to Me like you? Both characters are real and likable and strong women, and I rooted for them throughout the books.

DR: Celia Donnelly from A Small Fortune is like me in the sense that we're both raising a teenage son (I already have a former teenager out the door) who can be a challenge at times, and who wears ear buds all the time and plays the drums. I know all too well the stresses she feels while juggling being a mother and a wife and a professional. But I'd like to think her lack of self-awareness is not something we share. I do like how she takes the reins in this story and kicks some butt. I could do that. I think I could. I've also spent time in Puerto Vallarta and Zurich, and of course, I live in Portland, not far from where Celia used to live in the story.

As for Annie Walsh in Carry Yourself Back to Me. Oh, Annie. I love her. She is in so many ways, the me who went in another direction. The one who followed her love of music and stayed in Florida after all. She is very much me from an emotional standpoint. Her sense of loss and melancholy, her take on nature and love and music. All of those things are a huge part of me. But I would also add that most of the characters in this novel are a part of me too. Flawed, fumbling, trying to do better, asking for forgiveness. That's me, but I guess it's all of us, too.

(I think you're right, Deborah. Like your protagonists, we fumble and we stumble, and we keep on trying.)



4) Which genre did you prefer writing, if either?

DR: Both are pleasurable in their own ways. Suspense is way more fun in the sense of entertaining myself. My imagination runs wild and I don't have to hold it back. It's great fun and the writing comes quickly. Literary fiction, however, is a lot harder to write. It's more time consuming, and painful, trying to get at the truth of something in a more meaningful way. It's more character (instead of plot) driven, and requires very close attention at the sentence level. But it is also more satisfying. The intent is that all the hard work should create something beautiful and meaningful and illuminate a truth or two. At least that is what I strive for.

(Your writing in Carry Yourself Back to Me is beautiful. Here's an example from early in the book:

"Cold fog quiets the birds and shifts like hot steam above Lake Winsor in the east. Minutes earlier hailstones sliced past Annie's bedroom window and skipped off the ground like pearls on concrete, escaping in all directions. The timer on the coffee pot had already gone off, and Annie dressed quickly in a fleece and jeans, her red rubber boots with the knobby black soles. She emerged onto the porch as if from a cave, coffee sloshing down her wrist, Detour stumbling at her heels the way old dogs do, scared old dogs, with no direction."

Gorgeous prose. I'm compelled to accompany literary fiction with a generous helping of ambiance, a cup of tea or cinnamon-scented coffee, a lit candle, and a pet or two nearby for quiet company. And when I read literary fiction, it incites me to improve my own writing.)



5) I think what made both books work for me is your exquisite attention to detail, which brought the characters and situations to life, but never became tedious. How did you achieve this?

DR: One of my favorite aspects of writing is portraying a sense of place. I love to immerse myself in the detail of the scene. I travel a lot and have lived in many different places in the world, and the detail of place always inspires me--the sounds and smells and sights--I try to make a point of absorbing it all in real life for my own satisfaction, and then recreating these things in my writing for the reader's satisfaction. And since I don't get to travel as much as I'd like, spending time in other places inside my head can be the next best thing.



6) Do you have a writing schedule or certain portion of the day or night allotted for writing? Are you a disciplined writer? Please share a photo of your work space with us.

DR: I'm an extremely disciplined writer. Mornings are best for me. My mind feels ready to go from the moment I wake up. It's a deeply ingrained habit to sit down with a cup of coffee and go. My mind and body expect it and respond to it as a natural part of the day. In fact, when I don't write I get a little cranky, and the whole day feels thrown off.

Deborah's work space is clean and classic, with a mid-century design. According to the author, it's no coincidence that the Swiss bank lobby in A Small Fortune features some of her favorite furniture designs. The dog you can see a bit of here always seems to get into Deborah's photographs. His name is Lou. Lou Reed.

7) What advice do you have for aspiring writers, particularly women?

DR: I wish someone had told me long ago that it's alright to write horribly. That most of what initially comes out isn't very good. I would have stopped beating myself up sooner. My advice is, let it out and then shape it into the thing you want it to resemble more closely. Rewrites are key to getting the manuscript right. Also, perseverance. It takes a long time to learn this craft and even when you're halfway decent there's still more to learn. Be a student of writing, always, and read, read, read.

(As for the second part of the question, Deborah didn't address my query specifically about women writers. In her words, "I tried to, but it just kept getting longer and longer. I could write an entire essay on that one, which says to me that it's best for another interview on such a hot button topic that fills me with frustration. In other words, don't get me started...;)")



8) Is there a new book in the works, and if so, can you can tell us something about it?

DR: There are two new books in the works. My Audrey Braun novel is close to finished. It's about the same characters in A Small Fortune, several years later. This one takes place in the south of France--a place I just went to for the first time earlier this year. The story focuses on Benny, Benicio's nephew. The novel is due out next year, but we'll see. I need to hurry up with it! The other project is a literary novel by Deborah Reed, and, like Carry Yourself Back to Me, it takes place in Central Florida, where I used to live. It's the story of three generations of estranged women and how an incident decades earlier changed the lives of everyone in as many ways. Family secrets, a cantankerous grandmother, and two adorable little sisters figure prominently in this one.

I'd hoped there' d be a sequel to A Small Fortune! And more literary fiction sounds wonderful! Thanks very much for doing this interview with me, Deborah. I truly enjoyed our conversation, and think my readers will, too.


Exciting news! The author is very generously offering a giveaway for a signed copy of both books, A Small Fortune and Carry Yourself Back to Me, to one reader (U.S./Canada only).

• To enter this giveaway for both books, simply leave a comment.
• For another chance at winning, become a follower of this blog, or let me know that you're already a follower, or that you subscribe in Google Reader.
• For an additional chance, post about this contest on your blog, Facebook, or Twitter.
• For one more chance, answer this bonus question: what is your favorite genre (or genres), and why?

Enter by 5PM PDT on Monday, October 17. One lucky winner will be randomly chosen and announced on Tuesday, October 18.

Thanks for reading!

Special thanks to Deborah and Jessica for providing advance reader copies (ARCs) of these books. The passages quoted above may differ slightly in the final versions of these novels.

An Interview with Bogdan Tiganov

"You're telling us how everything's rosy and how we're the best but I don't see that on the table. My table's empty and I'm hungry. The electricity's gone off. We light some candles. The walls start shaking and so does the floor."
~A Personal History of a City Called Brăila, The Wooden Tongue Speaks, Bogdan Tiganov

Having very recently read The Wooden Tongue Speaks ~ Romanians: Contradictions & Realities by writer and publisher Bogdan Tiganov, I'm honored to have had the opportunity to interview the outspoken author of this original, often arresting work. I must admit that I worried that my questions for Bogdan would not be edgy enough--and they probably weren't--but he kindly completed the interview for me. I should also admit that my knowledge of Romania before reading The Wooden Tongue Speaks was scant; now I feel as if I at least have a sense of the people of Romania, garnered through this author's lucid and evocative work.

1) Welcome, Bogdan. Your book, The Wooden Tongue Speaks - Romanians: Contradictions & Realities is a collection of short stories as well as poetry, set in post-Ceaușescu and post-Cold War Romania. Often startlingly honest, your words depict life in Romania in a realistic way, rather than giving readers a sugar-coated, watered-down version of it. Please tell us something about your background, and the inspiration for this unique collection of prose and poetry, published in 2010.

BT: I was born in a totalitarian state and then spent eleven years as a refugee. Life wasn't easy and hard work and dedication were the only way to get through the hardships my family and I endured. I experienced communism first hand and also went through the exile experience.

As a writer, I'm not interested in sugar-coating anything. There's enough sugar and spice to be had by telling it like it is. I don't want to patronise people through my writing, I just want the writing to affect them. I don't want a neutral reaction to my work. I don't do beach reads.


2) The first story in the book, A Personal History of a City Called Brăila seems at least partially autobiographical and captures the character of a Romanian city most of us know little about. The very next story, An Interview, is about a young woman, Darina, who wants to apply for a job as an au pair in America, and subsequent stories are about a variety of characters with different perspectives (a 43-year-old man who wants to get married to alleviate his loneliness, an old woman trying to apply for disability). Was your goal or intent to bring many everyday Romanian people to life, men and women of all ages?

BT: My goal was to go beyond clichés. Most people know very little about Romania, apart from what a right wing media might focus on (gypsies, orphans, thieves etc). Most of the stories in this book are written from experience, or based on stories I heard from others, showing the character of Romanians, the problems they face, their spirit and humour.

And if it's grim, or upsetting, well that's just the way it is. For millions have left and are leaving Romania in order to earn a living. The old are left behind to deal with their loneliness, middle-aged people are lost in wild democracy, the young dream of instant riches and Western goods.

Another goal was to deliver the literature equivalent of the Romanian New Wave cinema, which has gained positive reviews around the world. The story of the old woman applying for disability allowance, for example, shows the absurdity of a system grounded in deceit, mini dictators in every establishment just waiting to abuse their power.


3) The Poet of A Thousand Love Poems, features a supporting character named Bogdan in it. Are you making a cameo appearance in your own story?

BT: No, I'm not. Bogdan is a popular name in Romania. The story is actually about my childhood best friend, whose name is also Bogdan.


4) Tremendous frustration with life is a recurring theme in your stories. Men anger quickly, curse freely, and resort to alcohol abuse, and violence, domestic and otherwise, often ensues. What social, economic, and/or historical factors created or contributed to this sense of frustration, which you depict so vividly, in your stories?

BT: Romania was an extremely closed off country, more so than other communist states of the Soviet era. Nevertheless, the infrastructure was such that certain individuals had built up their future investments before the Iron Curtain dropped (see Kapitalism Our Improved Formula: http://www.alexandrusolomon.ro/kapitalism-our-improved-formula-2/#more-152). So when the Revolution of 1989 happened and Ceaușescu conveniently wiped out, a certain imbalance grew to an unimaginable scale. This is a country in which important people never stand trial. Never. No matter what they do. Here you buy your jobs. When you go for an interview you'd better have lots of money ready. And there is a certain amount of sentimental yearning for the old days, while, at the same time, cheap television programs blast confusion and fantasies into the minds of desperate individuals.

Romanian society is very patriarchal. Alcohol abuse is very common. And when you mix the two you get domestic abuse. The mental health system is extremely poor. Care of the elderly is practically non-existent. These are the themes I dissect in The Wooden Tongue Speaks.


5) Do you think conditions for both men and women have improved in Romania since you wrote this book? Is life less harsh today for Romanian people?

BT: If anything, life is worse. The financial crisis has hit Romania hard. Now the struggle to find jobs has reached a new level of mania. Words like "hope" are brandished far too easily around in the UK. It means nothing to your average Romanian. It's just another word, a linguistic exercise. People there are used to working for nothing. Work in itself is better that sitting around being bashed over the head with expectations from family.

(How sad! That's what I was afraid of. Thanks for your continued frankness, Bogdan.)


6) Poetry also plays a part in The Wooden Tongue Speaks. Some of the stories are formatted in an unusual, poetic manner, and the last section of this book consists solely of poems. Below is the first stanza of HOME, which I can imagine being set to music (in other words, it has rhythm):

Home's like, home's like this
Walking down streets gypsies on
Street corners chasing me
Wanting a lock of hair for good luck.

Here are a few lines from another poem in the book:

ALL MY LIFE

Been sticking my neck out
For truth,
Only to be lying
All day long.

Why did you decide to include poetry in this collection?

BT: Originally, this book was two separate collections and the poetry was a full length collection in itself. I first published this book in 2008 and the publishers at the time suggested that combining the two might work best. Being a fan of Bukowski's sprawling works, I agreed and felt that the poetry added something to the stories. A few more angles to the subjects I dealt with. Also, I've written poetry for many years and feel it's one of my strong points as a writer.

(Yes, the poems are excellent, and add another dimension or layer to your work.)


7) Tell us about your company, Honest Publishing, a British independent book publisher, and your philosophy of publishing "uncompromising raw voices".

BT: Having been around publishing since the age of fourteen, I worked out soon enough that publishing, like any other business, is market driven. I realised that rejection wasn't necessarily about not being good enough but about not fitting into a certain program. Not ticking the big sales box. The edgy, independent stuff wasn't edgy enough or agenda free enough for my liking. So I got together with a couple of friends and decided to do something about it.

Honest Publishing is a very small company and we rely on help from volunteers and word of mouth. But we believe in what we stand for. Writing with an edge, distinctive voices that you won't read anywhere else. Stuff the big boys shy away from. We're currently working on our fifth book, Homegirl! by Ryder Collins, and we're looking to sign up a few more writers this year.


8) Bogdan, is there a new book or project in the works, and what are you willing to tell us about it?

BT: There are several projects that I've started in the last couple of years. At present, though, I'm spending time on the publishing rather than on my writing (except for the occasional blog post on the Honest Publishing site). One day I hope to mix the two in a more even fashion.

I'll give you an idea of the stuff I've been working on:

Colour poems - I have about thirty colour poems done in which I explore the relationship between colour and words
Memoirs - mainly of my time spent as a refugee - I want to write a refugee book that's far more rounded than others I've read
Novel - got a few ideas for a novel, the issue is which one will prove to be strongest

Thank you for doing this interview, Bogdan. I enjoyed working with you. Your answers are truly thoughtful and informative, and your ideas for future projects sound exciting, worth the diligence they'll require. And, of course, best of luck with Honest Publishing!

***************

Comments are welcomed and appreciated.

A Conversation with Anene Tressler

1) Welcome, Anene!  I absolutely loved reading your debut novel, Dancing with Gravity. It's freshness, originality, and intelligence are extraordinary.  Please tell us about your background and the inspiration behind your book.  Why did you choose a priest, Father Samuel Whiting, as the protagonist?

AT: Oh Susan, thank you! I’ m thrilled that you enjoyed my book. And what’ s more, your questions show a really thorough and sensitive reading of the text...for which I am very grateful. Thank you for the attention and effort you’ve put into my review. As for my own background: It certainly informs the book. My family moved around a good deal as I was growing up. And while my own childhood was nothing like the one that Whiting experienced, the idea of frequent relocation found its way into his story. I am also an RN by background, and worked some ten years in a hospital setting (so that was also very familiar to me). As for making Whiting a priest: While I was studying for my MA in creative writing, I wrote a short story with Whiting as the central character. He really needed to be a priest in that story (he was called to officiate at a memorial service). But I fell so in love with him as a character that I wanted to place him in a novel. Although he is an individual and certainly not a stand-in for all priests, I wanted/needed him to be literally unavailable for certain life choices because of his calling. His identity as a priest made that automatic. As an aside, I’ve just received a review on Amazon from a Methodist minister who writes that she also identified with Whiting because, as a minister, she must function as “ an outsider” (her term) and cannot enter relationships in the same way that many of us take for granted.


2) Along similar lines, what gave you the idea for the Little Flower Circus in the book, and in having Father Whiting bless the circus and have increasing interaction with the circus and its performers?

AT: I've always been intrigued by the circus. It requires so much athletic ability and showmanship. The costumes are often very beautiful and exotic. And the lifestyle of the performers is so unlike what most of us ever experience. Circus people are “ set apart” as Whiting himself is. And since his mother was also an entertainer, he would have had a visceral reaction to the circus. It would have been both appealing and may also have evoked a certain longing. We have a St. Louis circus, called Circus Flora. Some years ago, my husband and I both spent a few summer months volunteering as ushers and general hangers-on. I took notes. I listened. I watched. I found a life that seemed at once inside and outside the community. They (circuses) have their own communities, much like portable small towns.

As for the blessing: Catholic parishes (at least here in St. Louis) often offer a blessing of the animals on Oct. 4th each year (the day of St. Francis). And it’ s not uncommon for a priest to bless a new home. So the idea of a blessing seemed the perfect way for Fr. Whiting to get involved. Then too, Whiting is a Pastoral Care provider...so it would be an easy fit for him to stay involved with the circus after the blessing, in order to minister to the spiritual needs of the circus troupe.


3) Although Father Whiting is devoted to his mother--he calls and visits her regularly--their relationship is strained. He has other relationships that are also not quite right, with his secretary, Carla, and his friendship with his longtime friend, Jerry, who has cancer. Whiting acknowledges that he struggles in his relationships and even considers the possibility that he may be autistic (to an extent). But I have felt that way myself at times, that my relationships are draining and/or puzzling. Aren't many human relationships inherently difficult, especially to a sensitive person?

AT: Exactly! Relationships are difficult. And they are a challenge to Whiting just as they are trying to all of us. But on top of that, he’ s a shy man. He’ s painfully aware of his loneliness...and he lacks the life experience that many people his age would naturally have had. That is a common burden for most priests (Catholic) to accommodate as they try to serve their communities. Another note: I ended up taking that reference to autism out of the book just before it went to press. I revised some dates in my novel to better capture the period of upheaval in Central America, and so the reference didn’t work. (I was actually citing the memoir of a real-life person, Temple Grandin, who wrote a book about her autism. With the new dates, I couldn’t use the reference, because Grandin hadn’t yet written her book.)


4) Father Whiting develops a fierce crush on Sarah James, who is working alongside him on the circus project. The experience brings him to life and he feels alive rather than "asleep in his own life". How did you go about developing this aspect of the story?

AT: Whiting is lonely. He lacks life experience and is therefore vulnerable to Sarah’s attention. He is heading towards a perfect tempest. Again, this is his very particular reaction to the situation. (For example, I’ m sure that if Jerry Stemple had been in Whiting’ s position, he would have had a very different reaction to Sarah.) Whiting’ s relationship with Sarah serves as his motivation for much of his interaction with the circus, but it also helps reveal the complexity of his personality. Whiting progresses from a cordial work relationship to a raging crush...then a deep hurt...and, ultimately, wisdom.


5) Although your book is written in the third person, it is about the innermost thoughts of Father Whiting. He is a very sensitive man. I think I may call him a highly sensitive person (HSP), a term I read about many years ago. As I remember, an HSP may fall in love more easily than a "regular" person. What do you think about this idea?

AT: I hadn’t heard that idea about highly sensitive people falling in love more easily. It’ s intriguing. But that reminds me of an anecdote I heard years ago (although I can’t recall the source). Supposedly, if a person is deeply, madly in love, their brain waves look very much like those of someone suffering a mental illness such as schizophrenia. Again, I have no idea whether that’ s true, but love—in all its forms—is one of the most powerful forces in the universe.

***********

Thank you for answering my questions about your book, Anene. Next are a few questions about writing, a photo, and because I cannot resist, a single question about music.

6) After you had the basic idea for your book, how long did it take you to write Dancing with Gravity, from start to finish? Are you a disciplined writer?

AT: I feel as though I’m living that refrain in the Beatles’ Paperback Writer: “ Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?/ It took me years to write, will you take a look?” I’ve been working on this book for years. Literally. But there were VERY LONG periods of time—many months at a stretch—when I didn’t touch it. So no, I have not been a disciplined writer of my own work. In part, that may be because I make my living as a freelance writer. And I am very disciplined about that. In part, that was pragmatic: I needed to earn a living. And client work resulted in a check, while fiction might not. But I think part of my behavior was also due to fear. I’ m exposing myself and what matters to me in my own creative work. That kind of risk and resulting vulnerability can be tough....and painful. The photographer Ansel Adams used to take portraits of school children to support his own work and he spoke about the difference between work that comes from the outside (client work) and work that comes from the inside (your own). You approach the client work with integrity. You want to do it well. But it’s not the same. Work I do for clients belongs to them...and I take their direction in making it just right. This book is mine. It’s a completely different universe.

The author's writing space looks inviting and organized.

7) Usually I ask authors to share some writing advice, but today I ask you this question with a twist. What was the worst writing-related advice that anyone gave you?

AT: The VERY WORST advice I ever received (and as you may note by my capitalized words— it makes me angry still) is the kind of precious and self-satisfied advice that a writer once gave me when I asked for encouragement: “ It’ s not a question of whether you “ can” write (read: have the talent to write) but whether you MUST write.” I mean really, what does that mean? It’s an absurd comment. Breathing. Food and water. Shelter. Those are essential. But writing is not in that category. Worse, that type of comment is designed to exclude. To keep an aspiring writer out of “the club". Well…ignore them. Ignore anyone and everyone who wants to get in the way. If writing matters to you, then write. It’ s hard work. There are no guarantees. And in that, it seems very much like life.


8) Your book is funny, sincere, and offbeat. If Dancing with Gravity were made into a movie, what would you include on the soundtrack?

AT: Oh Susan...what a surprising question....I love it! Well...let me first direct you to the book trailer, which has a combination of more traditional circus music as well as a bed of music—in several different styles—that supports the text.

I can't take credit for those selections, but I like them. I'm also delighted that the range of emotions I tried to convey in the book came through to you as a reader. In a perfect world, the music in a film would underscore the action and support the overall tone of the film the director envisioned. And because of the range of events and settings in the novel, I think the opportunities for visual and musical interpretations could be stunning and wide-ranging—with or without lyrics. Imagine the fanfare and drama of musical possibilities with the circus performance, or something a little unsettling and lonely under Whiting's drive to the Motherhouse in the fog to say Mass. Think what music might underscore the night of the fireflies or the scene after the storm when the circus men are trying to calm the horses. When I think of music I might associate with Fr. Whiting, my mind turns to the bittersweet. There was a little film called Once a few years back. It had the loveliest songs. There's one called "Falling Slowly" that feels right for Whiting. But actually, now that I think of it, there are several songs from that film that have the tone and lyrics that would be wonderful. And we haven't even talked Bob Dylan. He has a song, "What Was It You Wanted?" that always makes me think of Nikolai. But before I float away on fantasies of the red carpet, I suggest we make a pact: if anyone ever makes a film from Dancing With Gravity, let's both go to the world premier! (See...I REALLY am getting carried away with this dream!)

(Me, too, Anene! I'd love to attend the premier. And may I suggest a great-sounding song from the 1970s, Tight Rope by Leon Russell, which I think would fit the film perfectly?)

9) Please tell us about your next writing project.

AT: If you had asked me this question the day after I turned in my manuscript to my publisher, I’d have told you that my fantasy is to be Harper Lee: Write one book that becomes a classic and never write again. But my memory about the demands of writing a novel is short. So I am planning another work. I have several things I’m considering...and I’ve been keeping ideas in a notebook. I’ve given myself the artificial date of June 1st as a starting date for the new work (which makes this sound very much like my annual New Year’s Resolutions). But one thing I’ve promised myself: I WILL write every day. Because the best advice I can give myself, having lived through the way I did things in Dancing With Gravity is this: a novel is big. It’ s more complicated than I thought. And it takes a lot of organization and energy. Writing it, putting it away for months, and then trying to go back to it, is a very tough route to take. I don’t advise it. And I promised myself I wouldn’t put myself through that sort of unnecessary torture again.

Thank you very much, Anene. It was a pleasure to read your first novel and to get to know you through this interview.

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Please visit the Anene Tressler's blog for additional information, or my review. Your comments are welcomed. Thanks for reading!