Q&A with Michael Swartz

 

 

 

Michael Swartz is the author of the new young adult novel Split. He works in the medical field. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Split, and how did you create your character Ethan?

 

A: In early 2019, while at the pediatric cardiology office, I learned about a patient who was a fetal chimera.

 

Rarely during early gestation in a set of fraternal twins (two separate eggs fertilized by two separate sperm, each with their own and unique genetic code vs. maternal twins where a fertilized egg divides into two separate fetuses, each with the same genetic code), one of the twins dies, and the surviving fetus absorbs the genetic material. The result is someone with two distinctive sets of DNA.

 

The patient learned about her diagnosis from an astute clinician who observed slight left vs. right-sided physical differences. I had read about chimera patients within the medical literature, but had never read about a protagonist with a chimera diagnosis. However, the scenario seemed perfect for a nature vs. nurture coming-of-age story. 

 

I imagined Ethan, the protagonist in Split, with left vs. right-sided physical differences, but most importantly, those differences aligned with traits he observed within his parents.

 

Families often discuss the physical features of children, such as eye color, a pointed or rounded chin, or hair color, that are passed down through each generation. In my own family, my son is a near replica of when I was a child, and my daughter looks nearly identical to my wife.

 

Those physical traits could serve as a constant reminder of the genetic differences between his left and right sides, creating the feeling that he had two different identities. Whenever he looked in the mirror, his two different colored eyes would stare back.

 

If his mother were passive and his father was violent, it would give the protagonist reason to worry about which side might dominate their identity.

 

Q: How did your work in the medical field affect the writing of this book?

 

A: That’s a great question! I enjoy writing about characters and protagonists with a unique medical condition or diagnosis.

 

Although working in the medical field provided the background for Ethan, and was helpful during Ethan’s interactions with his allergist, most of the story comes from my imagination. Once the story gets rolling, unfortunately, my medical and scientific background doesn’t help much.

 

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

 

A: The book's title, as I originally wrote it, was Split in Two. However, after several different rounds of editing, it was shortened to Split. The single word, in my opinion, really drives home the point of Ethan focusing on his left and right halves and struggling to understand who he will become.

 

When I thought of the title, I was thinking about yin and yang, black vs. white, and ultimately Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. Da Vinci’s work demonstrates the symmetry between the left and right sides and the divide between. It’s exactly what Ethan is thinking about during the entire story.

 

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

 

A: The main thing I hope readers take away is a perspective on the importance of environmental and genetic factors. The nature vs. nurture debate is hundreds of years old and certainly won’t be solved by Split.

 

But as the medical community's understanding of genetics has increased, there is an increasing suggestion about the importance of an individual's genetics. I hope that the readers of Split understand how both genetics and environment influence a person's development.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am currently writing a novel that explores inaction or indifference vs. action. I can remember as a kid learning about the question of what I would do if there were a victim in a burning building. Of course, there are more than a few answers, but the most common are to either run in after the victim, call for help, or do nothing.

 

My current project is exploring this concept through the eyes of a protagonist who also has a very interesting medical condition.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: A chimera is anything with two different sets of DNA. Ethan is a fetal chimera, also known as having vanishing twin syndrome, and current estimates suggest that one out of every eight multiparous pregnancies may result in a fetus with chimerism.

 

Interestingly, there are many ways someone can become a chimera later in life. A bone marrow transplant recipient, for example, will always retain some of the DNA from the donor. We are learning more and more about genetics every year, and who knows what we might learn in the near future.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb