Q&A with Ginny Kubitz Moyer

 

Photo by High Tea Photography

 

 

Ginny Kubitz Moyer is the author of the new novel A Golden Life. She also has written the novel The Seeing Garden. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Golden Life, and how did you create your character Frances?

 

A: In late 2018, my fourth-grade son was doing a school project on old Hollywood. As I helped him with his research, I became fascinated anew with the early days of the movie industry.

 

I’ve always felt a connection to old Hollywood because of my great-grandfather, William S. Adams, who was a cinematographer in the silent movie era. He made about 34 movies, dying tragically in 1930 at the age of 38 due to malarial fever he contracted while filming a movie in Borneo.

 

Anyhow, the process of helping my son research this school project put old Hollywood firmly back in my mind. I had already had the idea to write a story about a secretary and her boss on a road trip somewhere, so it made sense to lean into the Hollywood idea and make her the secretary to a producer at a movie studio. The story—and the character of Frances, my protagonist—just grew from there.

 

Q: How did you research the novel, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I focused quite a lot on the movie studio system of the late 1930s. It was a fascinating time: each studio was a world of its own, with a clear hierarchy from the executives on down the chain.

 

Physically, the studios made me think of a beehive, with constant movement of stars and secretaries and screenwriters and cameramen and caterers and everyone involved at every level of making a film.

 

It was fascinating to learn little details of that world, like the fact that the young men who delivered the mail within the studios were often extremely handsome, because they were aspiring actors who hoped to gain a foothold in the movies that way. I loved finding and using little facts like that.

 

I also immersed myself in the time period by going through archives of movie magazines. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, these periodicals had a huge influence; their breezy coverage helped create buzz for upcoming films and had a significant  influence on the trajectory of stars’ careers. It was enormously fun to read those articles.

 

Of course, one of the best ways to research a novel set in 1938 is to watch movies from the period; there’s no better way to absorb the costumes, the decor, the habits, the slang of that era. It was a highly enjoyable kind of research.

 

Q: The writer Laura Spence-Ash called the novel “a wonderful portrait of an independent woman in 1930s California that explores the ways in which women's lives were constrained by the mores of the time.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I love historical fiction that immerses you in the subtleties of a different time period…not necessarily covering big, dramatic events, but giving a faithful look at the way people would have talked, dressed, eaten, and interacted. Those are the stories I love to write.

 

And one key aspect of the 1930s is that women lacked the professional opportunities that we have now. We see that in Frances, who is an exemplary secretary but who could be so much more.

 

As we see her leaving the studio and traveling up to northern California with her boss, she finds herself in new situations where her extraordinary talents are put to good and unexpected use. Changing your location can sometimes radically change your life, and that’s not only true for Frances but for other characters in the story as well.

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Frances and Kitty?

 

A: Kitty Ridley is a reclusive 90-year-old stage actress, who was the biggest star of the American stage before she disappeared from the public eye in 1895. She’s the subject of the biopic that Frances’s studio is making, and she’s vehemently opposed to the film.

 

When Frances and Lawrence, her producer boss, drive up to Napa in an effort to change Kitty’s mind, it’s very much a meeting of opposing forces.

 

But Frances, in particular, forms a unique bond with Kitty. It’s very different from the often transactional relationships found in Hollywood. Frances is fascinated by Kitty and deeply respects her and the secrets she holds close. In a similar way, Kitty can sense that Frances has had painful episodes in her own past and gently helps her to face them.

 

What begins as a mission to convince an aging actress to get on board with a film turns into something that transforms both women’s lives. It was such a joy to write this evolving friendship.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on edits for a coming-of-age story set in San Francisco in 1944. It was such a fascinating time and place.

 

During WWII, the city was basically a revolving door of servicemen on their way to and from the Pacific; as a result, young people who would normally never cross paths were thrown together in a heady and charged atmosphere.

 

Irene, my protagonist, is a seamstress who goes on journeys both personal and professional while making costumes for the first-ever full-length American performance of a ballet called The Nutcracker, which took place in San Francisco on Christmas Eve, 1944. 

 

The novel is about idealism, belonging, and the vicissitudes of love. It’ll be out in early December of 2025. I’m very excited about it.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love book clubs! It’s always a joy to connect with readers. I’m available for Zoom meetups (or even in-person ones, as geography and schedules allow). Details (and reading discussion guides) are on my website, www.ginnymoyer.org.

 

Thank you so much for the interview!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ginny Kubitz Moyer.