Carrie Callaghan is the author of the new novel A Light of Her Own, which focuses on two women artists in the Netherlands in the 17th century. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Amsterdam Quarterly and Silk Road Review. She is a senior editor with the Washington Independent Review of Books, and she lives in Maryland.
Q: Why did you choose to focus on the 17th century artist
Judith Leyster in your novel, and what did you see as the right blend between
the fictional and the historical?
A: When I saw Judith's self-portrait, I was moved by what I
assumed must have been her bravery and daring. Who was this woman who had
painted at the time of Rembrandt? I wanted to know her story, and my writing is
my vehicle for diving into a topic and learning about it.
Once I began learning about Judith, the line between
historical fact and fiction was quite clear. We know relatively little about
her life (though I crammed in almost every relevant fact that I could find,
including the legal proceeding she goes through), and the rest I had to guess.
Of course, I tried to come up with a way that would
illuminate the character and challenges I was trying to portray. What
sacrifices does ambition demand of us? How do we choose to pursue our dreams
and still give of ourselves to those who love us? Within the outlines of
history, I tried to paint a believable and interesting fictional story.
Q: What kind of research did you do to write the novel, and
did you learn anything that particularly surprised you?
A: The exhibition catalog compiled on the occasion of
Judith's 400th birthday (the same exhibit that first introduced me to her work)
contains a marvelous collection of scholarly essays about Judith's life and times.
The essays plus the catalog's paintings by Judith and her
contemporaries served as an excellent launching point for my research. From
there I read multiple books, ranging from 17th century philosophy to the Thirty
Years War to the tulip financial bubble and beyond. I picked up little details
from all of those books.
In addition, one of the delights of researching this novel
was the paintings I had as resources. The gorgeous paintings gave me details
about Haarlem in the 17th century, Dutch interiors, and of course Judith's
character.
There were many small details about the way of life 400
years ago that were so different from our own, from birth notifications on
doors to funeral rites.
I expected to find differences, but the details themselves
are always a little surprising, and, as such, delightful. Like, for example,
how the Dutch at the time mostly slept in sleeping alcoves, often covered by
wooden doors to hold in the heat, since houses were generally cold.
I love how our common humanity endures no matter the unique
life patterns provided by our era's homes, habits, and passions.
Q: What do Judith's and Maria's experiences say about the
role of women artists in the Netherlands during that time period?
A: As much as I enjoyed researching the 17th century Dutch
art scene, I'm not a historian, and the actual scholars will have the best
answer for that question.
I will say that I learned, from looking at Judith's and
Maria's lives, that women had far more options than I imagined -- but that's
only because my imagination was constrained. If we know more about what women
have achieved in the past, we'll have higher expectations for what we can do
today.
Q: Who are some of your favorite writers?
A: I love the fierce and tender realism of Hilary Mantel, the
gentle wisdom of James McBride, the fearless scope of Linnea Hartsuyker, and
the complete mastery and profound humanity of Kazuo Ishiguro. There are so many
writers I imagine, it's hard to pick just a few.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Another historical fiction about a woman forgotten
by history! This one a much more obscure woman -- an early 20th century
journalist. I won't say more than that, though. I'm still on the first draft,
which is always a painful place to be.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I love books profoundly. I'm so grateful other people do
too, and grateful for readers and lovers of the written word. It's my biased
view that we book-lovers represent some of the best in humanity, with our
endless curiosity and willingness to slow down enough to absorb a story.
Thank you, Deborah, for building another space for
book-lovers to congregate!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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