Hilma Wolitzer is the author of nine novels, including Hearts, The Doctor's Daughter, and An Available Man. She also has written a guide to writing, The Company of Writers, and books for young readers.
Q: Your most recent novel, An Available Man, focuses on a
widower, Edward, and his family and potential love interests. How did you come
up with these characters, and why did you decide to write from a male point of
view?
A: Several of my women friends were widowed or divorced and
re-entering the dating world. I heard some harrowing and funny (and
wonderful) stories that made me want to write about starting over later in
life. At first I was going to have a female protagonist, but then I began
wondering how men coped with the issues of loss and loneliness, which didn’t
seem to be gender-specific. Suddenly, I envisioned a man ironing in his living
room, and that was Edward. His story, and all the characters in his life,
grew from that image. It was a challenge to write from the male point of
view, especially for someone without brothers or sons, but one that I
enjoyed. The title, An Available Man, is somewhat ironic because Edward
is pursued by women soon after his wife’s death, but doesn’t feel emotionally
available.
Q: You've written nine novels. Do you have any favorite characters
among all of those that you've created?
A: That’s something like asking which of my children is my
favorite! I love all of them, of course, but for different reasons.
The most recent ones, like Edward and his family, are freshest in my mind, but
I still have a soft spot for all the others. My fiction is always
character-driven, so whenever I finish a novel, I feel a little bereft.
Maybe that’s why I’ve written sequels to a couple of them.
Q: In addition to your novels, you've also written non-fiction
and books for young readers. Which type of writing do you prefer, and why?
A: I enjoy writing fiction of any kind the most. It
gives me a chance to “live” additional, alternate lives, even if they’re only
inside my head. The age of the characters (or my readers) doesn’t matter.
Q: Your daughter Meg Wolitzer is also a novelist. What
similarities and differences do you see in your writing and hers?
A: Meg is one of my favorite writers (as well as one of my
favorite children!) I think we both see the pathos and humor in most
human events. Some readers see a similarity in our styles, but I think we
share a world view more than a way of writing. For one thing, her
chapters are longer! We often admire the same books, and our shared
profession does give an extra dimension to our relationship.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’ve just begun a new novel—a kind of psychological
mystery. It’s too early to talk about in any coherent way, except to say
that I’m becoming attached to the characters and hope they’ll reveal their
story (which I never know fully in advance). I write for the same
reason I read—to find out what happens.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I’m one of those lucky writers who are able to read other
people’s work in the midst of writing my own. Some of my favorite books
this year are The Patrick Melrose Novels by Edward St. Aubyn and Carry the One
by Carol Anshaw. I’m also re-reading books by Edith Wharton and (my
birthday twin) Virginia Woolf.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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