Marsh Rose is the author of the new memoir A Version of the Truth. Her other books include the novel Escape Routes. Also a psychotherapist and educator, she lives in Northern California.
Q: Why did you decide to write this memoir?
A: I felt that it had a message that isn’t typically addressed in the context of a memoir or novel: In this era of believing we can have all the answers, sometimes we need to realize that we won’t always know the truth.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between you and Jack, with whom you had a relationship for many years?
A: It was one of mutual trust and acceptance despite the differences in our lifestyle and beliefs.
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: I stewed over the title, since there was a risk the book would be misperceived as a rom-com at the outset, or that readers would think it was solely about the relationship. I wanted them to know, going in, that there would be a deeper take-away for them.
The title is an oxymoron: it juxtaposes “version” with “truth,” concepts which are usually mutually exclusive, and I hoped this title would be an intriguing hook.
It actually was given to me in a moment of exasperation by a dear friend who was with me as the end of the story evolved. “You will never know the truth, so get a version you can live with….” It took me a few weeks of stewing to realize she’d given me the title.
Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?
A: It helped keep me sane, since I was writing it as the end of the story evolved. I kept promising myself that, although the situation sucked and I was miserable, it might all be material someday so I needed to stay conscious (aside from long bouts of binge-watching Friends).
I hope readers get the underlying message: that we don’t always know the truth, and we have some choices about how to cope with the unknown.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: A collection of short stories about my family.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I appreciate the invitation to include A Version Of the Truth in your blog!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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