Suzzy Roche is the author of the new novel The Town Crazy. She also has written the novel Wayward Saints and the children's book Want to Be in a Band?. A musician, she was a founding member of the group The Roches, along with her sisters.
Q:
How did you come up with the idea for The Town Crazy, and how was the book's
title chosen?
A:
There were a few ideas that converged. I’ve always had a fascination with the
poet Anne Sexton. I keep her collected works by my bed. Her poems cry. They
seem to reflect the despair of a housewife in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
I
was born in 1956 and grew up in a small suburban town. Catholicism was a huge
influence on my early life, as if I was steeped in a pot of Catholic tea.
However,
I remember very little about myself as a child, and was interested to explore
those forgotten years. All I had to go on were shards of memories, and the
feeling of being a child, of watching the adults. The world seemed like a scary
place.
The title The Town Crazy came to me in a flash early on. I knew it was the right title. Obviously, it refers to one character, but also to the entire town. I love the way the title looks. I actually have a “thing” about the way words look.
The title The Town Crazy came to me in a flash early on. I knew it was the right title. Obviously, it refers to one character, but also to the entire town. I love the way the title looks. I actually have a “thing” about the way words look.
Q:
The novel takes place in 1961 in a small Pennsylvania town. Why did you choose
that time period and setting?
A:
Hanzloo, Pennsylvania is not a real town. I thought of it because as a touring
musician I’ve driven across Pennsylvania a million times. It’s a very long
state, and it’s the gateway from New York City to the Midwest, where I have
often toured.
I
thought I remembered a sign on the highway for a town that looked something
like Hanzloo, but I doubt there is such a sign. Again, I liked the way it
looked on the page.
Q:
Did you know how the book would end before you started writing it, or did you
make many changes along the way?
A: I know that many writers have an outline before they write a book, but I had no idea what was going to happen in my book. It turns out to have quite a detailed plot, almost like an intricate puzzle, but I kept focusing on the deeper feelings of the characters. I was trained as an actress, so I guess I become deeply curious about the characters and understanding them from every angle.
A: I know that many writers have an outline before they write a book, but I had no idea what was going to happen in my book. It turns out to have quite a detailed plot, almost like an intricate puzzle, but I kept focusing on the deeper feelings of the characters. I was trained as an actress, so I guess I become deeply curious about the characters and understanding them from every angle.
Of
course, all of the characters in the book are fictional, but they presented
themselves to me as real.
Q:
How do fiction writing and music coexist for you?
A:
Writing fiction and writing songs are intertwined for me. Many of my songs are
mini-short stories. It all boils down to making something out of nothing. My
life’s work!
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
What’s next? I have just completed a recording with my daughter Lucy Wainwright
Roche called I Can Still Hear You due out on Oct. 30. We began the album in
Nashville at the end of February 2020 but completed it in our bedrooms during
the bleak and frightening lockdown in New York City. It’s a real “pandemic”
baby. It sounds so beautiful.
But I have to say, it’s a strange time to be releasing a book AND a record. All our gigs are virtual or postponed, check my website for updates.
But I have to say, it’s a strange time to be releasing a book AND a record. All our gigs are virtual or postponed, check my website for updates.
A:
One last thing I’d like to say about The Town Crazy is that when I was writing
the book, I was struck by how different life is for women now. I consider the
book a cautionary tale. I worry that younger people won’t understand what life
was like then. The idea of going “back” to an America in the ‘50s and early ‘60s
is a nightmare for many women.
The
pendulum swings back and forth, and I think we’re seeing that now.
Upcoming
events:
Sept.
18
Suzzy
Roche In Conversation with Meg Wolitzer
Hosted
by booksaremagic.net, 7 to 8 p.m.
Oct.
9
Suzzy
Roche In Conversation with Rebecca Coffey
Hosted
by Cultural Connections, Queens Public Library
Queenslibrary.org,
7 to 8 p.m.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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