Photo by J.D. Cohen
Priya Parmar is the author of the new novel The Original, which is based on the life of the actress Katharine Hepburn. Parmar's other books include Vanessa and Her Sister. She lives in Hawaii and in Connecticut.
Q: What inspired you to write a novel based on the life of Katharine Hepburn (1907-2003)?
A: I was watching The Philadelphia Story with my mom, and she mentioned that it was Hepburn’s comeback movie. I thought, comeback from what? I had no idea Hepburn had ever had a moment when she was not on top. I fell down a research rabbit hole and never came back.
Q: Did you learn anything that especially surprised you as you researched the book?
A: So much! I thought I was familiar with their lives before I began this project, but I wasn’t. I had no idea both Hepburn and Grant came from such traumatic backgrounds.
Q: The author Christina Baker Kline called the book a “riveting and unputdownable journey through fame, rebellion, and the relentless pursuit of authenticity.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love Christina’s writing and so am utterly honored and thrilled that she enjoyed the novel. She also absolutely nailed the central thread of the story.
Q: Do you have a favorite among Hepburn’s films?
A: The Philadelphia Story is my all-time favorite, but I absolutely adore The Lion in Winter and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner also.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am in that hopeful, secret, early part of my next novel when I do not yet know if it actually is a novel.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: That you do not need to know anything about Hepburn or old Hollywood or film history to enjoy this novel!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment