Q&A with Jean Burgess

 

 

 

Jean Burgess is the author of the novel That Summer She Found Her Voice. She also has written the book Collaborative Stage Directing. Also an educator, playwright and workshop presenter, she lives in Maryland.

 

Q: How much was That Summer She Found Her Voice based on your own experiences, and what did you see as the right balance between fact and fiction as you wrote the novel?

 

A: Great question and one I receive quite often during author talks and book club visits. As a college theater major in the late 1970s, my first professional job was a singer in a 16-piece swing band touring the country. I accessed many of those “life on the road” experiences to use in the book and filtered them through my fictional protagonist, 23-year-old Margie Stevens.

Finding the balance, at least for me, occurred after reviewing my first draft. I was horrified when I realized that Margie was too much like an idealized version of me!! How boring and well, unrealistic! I quickly learned how to add interesting new dimensions not only to Margie but also to the overall plot, including a criminal intrigue with the band leader.

 

Q: You describe the book as “a retro novel”--how exactly would you
define that?

 

A: That Summer She Found Her Voice is set in 1978. Not exactly historical fiction, according to purists’ definition, but not exactly contemporary fiction.

 

To help readers and attendees at author showcases get a sense of what sets my book apart, I created my own genre, “Retro Novel,” And frankly, it has been a fabulous conversation starter.

But the “Retro” tag isn’t only about marketing. In addition to an overall theme of a young woman’s discovery of her authentic voice, I researched and wove in themes of second wave emerging feminism, continued racial intolerance, and spiritual curiosity specific to the late 1970s.

 

I supported this research with interviews of both Black and white musicians who actually performed in both swing bands and other musical genres in the Baltimore area, in order to get the true picture of how racism in venues continued to exist in the late 1970s.

Q: The writer Kate Danley called the book “a raw and unvarnished portrait of friendships, dreams, heartbreak, and growth...” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Well, first of all, I’m flattered. Kate is a USA Today bestselling author for her urban fantasy Maggie MacKay series; an award-winning playwright; has produced a comedy show in L.A.; and appears as one of seven theater artists interviewed in my nonfiction, Collaborative Stage
Directing (Routledge, 2019).

 

But most importantly, Kate was a former theater student of mine in a magnet arts program in the early 1990s! What former teacher doesn’t love a student success story?

Her statement about That Summer She Found Her Voice touches on each aspect of Margie’s trajectory in this novel – her newfound friendships among the band members; her struggle with career dreams and future paths; the heartbreak that led her to even audition for the touring band and other incidents that occur during the tour; and her overall growth as she begins to discover her sense of self and authentic voice as a woman.

 

I’m grateful for Kate’s insightful description and her consistent support.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

A: Love this question! My writer’s purpose is what drives my hope for my readers in anything that I write. I write to encourage others and to start conversations. I hope my readers will find a tidbit to discuss after reading That Summer She Found Her Voice.

I visit many book clubs, a favorite author activity, and, while I love answering questions, I prefer to sit back and listen to the group discuss a point sparked by my book.

 

Discussions might veer off into sexism in the workplace in the late 1970s and early 80s, or racial intolerance exhibited by their own parents, or funny 1970s slang they remember using, or memories stirred up from the song list.

Some readers tell me they learned something new from the book, like about the African roots of many musical genres, and are encouraged to research this further. And some readers (and Amazon reviewers) tell me they simply enjoyed a fun, vintage read. It’s all good as far as I’m concerned.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I’m excited to announce that Apprentice House Press has picked up the sequel and will be publishing Navigating Her Next Chapter: A Retro Novel next Spring 2026. It is set in the early 1980s, and readers will find Margie pursuing a writing career in New York City, much to her father’s displeasure.

Similar to my debut fiction, I used my own life experiences living in the Big Apple during the early ‘80s as I was a “starving actor” to fill in Margie’s world – my 6th floor walk-up apartment, my receptionist job at Radio City Music Hall, my love of iconic landmarks as well as those that were off the beaten path.

 

I also pulled in themes current to the times – the cocaine crisis, the disease that hadn’t been named yet, and the anti-nukes protests – and related them to Margie and her newfound NYC friends.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I’d love folks to know that in addition to writing, I’m an experienced speaker on topics ranging from historical research to book marketing to playwriting.

 

I mentioned how much I love visiting book clubs but I’d like to point out that I offer book club freebies. Information on presentations or book club offerings can be found on my website, www.jeanburgessauthor.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb