Q&A with Deborah Lakritz

 

 

 

Deborah Lakritz is the author of the new middle grade novel Things That Shimmer. Her other books include A Place to Belong. She also has worked as a social worker, and she lives in Milwaukee.

 

Q: In the novel’s author’s note, you write that Things That Shimmer was inspired in part by your own childhood memories. Can you say more about that?

 

A: I am grateful to have grown up in a loving and stable family despite the challenges we faced after having gone through the trauma of a serious car accident that left my mother with a host of health problems during my tween years.

 

I wanted to explore those feelings in a story for middle schoolers, not only for myself, but to provide a place of understanding and recognition for kids going through similar circumstances.

 

My story has many autobiographical elements, as people who grew up with me will recognize, but I also put on my writer’s cap and asked a lot of “what if…” questions in order to build a compelling plot.

 

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: I have a daughter who is a gifted teacher of AP English, and has also interned with publishing houses and literary agencies, and is a great reader and writer in her own right, so we bounced around a lot of ideas.

 

The significance of the title has to do with the idea that we place a lot of expectations on people and things based on who and what we think they are. But life can be full of illusions and people aren’t always who you expect them to be.

 

When something shimmers, we all agree that it’s beautiful, but we don’t always acknowledge that what we are seeing is temporary, or an illusion.

Q: The Horn Book Magazine called the book a “tale of friendship dynamics that doesn’t reach for easy resolutions or immediate forgiveness.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I’m grateful that they saw that as a defining feature of my book. Not everything can be fixed with an apology. Words can hurt. Trust can be broken. Friendships can suffer. Learning hard lessons can be painful.

 

I didn’t want my story to be completely wrapped up in a neat package at the end because life isn’t like that. But I did want my main character, Melanie, to learn something significant about herself that would carry her through as she grows up.

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write this book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

 

A: Several things: I revisited many parts of my tween years that were both painful and joyous; I delved into history (Watergate, the Women’s Movement, the Vietnam War, the Yom Kippur War, popular culture of the early 1970s) and learned so much and revisited so much from an adult perspective; I felt the deep satisfaction of having started this project many years ago and being able to see it through to completion!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Lots of projects! First, I’m querying a contemporary YA novel because my agent retired and I’m looking for new representation. I’m working on a fascinating picture book biography, a new middle grade novel, and dipping my toes into the world of early chapter books. I never run out of ideas, only time!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m extremely grateful to PJ Our Way for awarding me their Author’s Incentive, and for choosing Things That Shimmer as one of their upcoming selections. And I owe sincere thanks to Joni Sussman from Kar-Ben Books for seeing the heart of this book.

 

And I’d like to point out to readers that the 50th anniversary of many of the events in the book are now happening, including President Nixon’s resignation. There are sure to be interesting looks back at the history in the media this summer!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Deborah Lakritz.