Q&A with Gail Crowther

 

Photo by Kevin Cummins

 

 

Gail Crowther is the author of the new book Dorothy Parker in Hollywood. Her other books include Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz. She lives in the UK.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Dorothy Parker in Hollywood?

 

A: I had been thinking about some of my favourite women writers, and it was while I was chatting to my agent, Carrie, that she mentioned there had never been a book that focused solely on Dorothy Parker’s years in Hollywood.

 

I realised that I had no idea just how long she spent there and the level to which she was politically involved in establishing so many key organisations such as SWG and the Hollywood Anti-Nazi League.

 

I was also straight off the back of writing about Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton and both these writers have really detailed and exciting archives. Dorothy Parker has no archive at all so I thought the contrast would be interesting and researching her would be a real challenge — which it was.

 

Q: The writer Delia Ephron said of the book and of Parker, “This is a lesson in fame and in the destructiveness of your own demons.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it is a really accurate and perception description, and I am so grateful to Delia Ephron for writing the blurb and for really understanding what the book was trying to say.

 

Ultimately Parker’s greatest demon was herself, in all sorts of different ways, both professionally and personally. Many of her problems also felt like contemporary problems too, which just goes to show that in many ways life hasn’t changed so much for women.

 

Yet Parker was tough. She made it in a man’s world, both in New York and Hollywood, something which she never seemed to give herself credit for.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I researched the book by looking into lots of secondary archives given Parker did not have her own. So, people such as Robert Benchley and Orson Welles, any archives that mentioned material from Parker. Some turned out to be no use at all and others had some gems.

 

I also trawled all the newspapers of the 1920s, ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s to find interviews Parker had given to make sure I got her voice into the book.

 

But it was researched at such an odd time too – during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when the world was in lockdown, so lots of archive material was scanned. I even had a Zoom archive visit with the University of Michigan, which was fabulous.

 

I discovered lots of things about Parker which surprised me – not least the extent of her left-wing political activism, which was an especially brave thing in those McCarthy years in Hollywood.

 

She went to Spain during the civil war, despite being terrified, and she helped to get people out of Germany after the Second World War. She spent so much time fundraising, raising awareness, campaigning and seemed to be on endless committees, as well as giving a lot of her own money away.

 

On a less grand scale, I was surprised to discover that she liked knitting!

 

Q: What are some of the most common perceptions and misconceptions about Dorothy Parker?

 

A: I suppose the most common perception about her is that she was a witty, jaunty wisecracker – and she was.

 

But she was so much more than that. I feel she never really got credit for just how many genres she was able to work across; verse, plays, short stories, and screenwriting. She was nominated for two Academy Awards for her screenwriting, something which I didn’t know before I started the book.

 

Plus, she knew there was a time and place for humour, and during the 1940s in particular, she just backed away from being the woman who always delivered a devasting one-liner, feeling there was nothing to laugh about in the world at that time.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have two new books to work on. The first is called Marilyn and her Books: The Literary Life of Marilyn Monroe, and will take a look at all the books in her personal library and aim to re-cast Marilyn as a serious and intelligent reader.

 

Following that I will be writing a biography of Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca, looking at how the book came about and what happened when Rebecca seeped from the pages into the world at large. So once again I’ll be back writing about Hollywood and Hitchcock and Orson Welles which I’m very excited about.

 

I’ll also be considering why Rebecca has such lasting appeal given this is a novel that has never been out of print since 1938. I also aim to offer a very different, unusual reading of the book…

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: If you haven’t watched any of Dorothy Parker’s films, you should, starting with A Star is Born (1937) starring Fredric March and Janet Gaynor.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Alex Bollen

 

 

 

Alex Bollen is the author of the new book Motherdom: Breaking Free from Bad Science and Good Mother Myths. She is a researcher and is a postnatal practitioner with the NCT, which is a parenting charity in the UK.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Motherdom, and how would you define that term?

 

A: I wrote the book because I am fed up with all the guilt-inducing garbage that mothers have to put up with! In particular, I want to bust the unrealistic and contradictory Good Mother myths that can make motherhood so miserable.

 

The word “motherdom” conveys the dignity and power of mothers – the suffix “dom” means “condition, state, dignity, domain and realm.” It is my vision of a more generous and expansive concept of motherhood, which values and respects the many different ways women nurture and protect their children.

 

Q: What would you say are some of the most common perceptions and misconceptions about motherhood?

 

A: Probably the most common – and certainly the most enduring – Good Mother myth is the idea of the self-sacrificing, nurturing and happy mother.

 

This can be damaging in many ways. Women can feel there is something wrong with them if they have negative or ambivalent feelings about motherhood. Also because mothers are expected to be “naturally” selfless, maternal love and care is taken for granted.

 

A misconception which is especially prevalent today is the idea of “optimization” – that Good Mothers should do everything in their powers to optimize their kids’ development. 

 

Q: The scholar Tina Miller said of the book, “This passionately written and impeccably evidenced book reminds us of the myriad ways in which mothers are blamed for pretty much everything.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I’m very happy with it! Tina has been researching motherhood for more than two decades and I’m a great admirer of her work.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I hope readers come away from the book feeling both hopeful and angry. We don’t have to put up with these Good Mother myths! We need to focus instead on all the relationships and resources children need to flourish.  

 

I’d also like any mothers reading my book to have a greater appreciation of everything they do to love and care for their children.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now, I’m in the thick of publicizing this book but have two potential book ideas that I have started working on. I just need to figure out which one to pursue…

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m planning to do some book events in the US this summer, but dates and locations haven’t been sorted yet. Please follow me on Instagram (@alexbollen) if you want to find out when these are happening!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Katherine Davis-Gibbon

 

 

 

Katherine Davis-Gibbon is the author of the new children's picture book Words. She also has written the picture book My Old Friend, Then. She is the founder of Riverlet Press.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Words?

 

A: I’ve always felt an affinity for words, but my relationship with them deepened profoundly in the early months of the pandemic. I was stuck at home with two bored kids, an 8-year-old I suddenly needed to homeschool and a 3-year-old who missed her friends.

 

Amid the stress and isolation, I found myself craving the company of words and turning to them for attunement. Whenever I was reading to my kids, or if we were singing songs together, every word fully landed—which is not the case in normal life, when we’re distracted and so many simply wash over us.

 

The more attuned I became to words, the more I was able to access their power. I felt this wonderful sense of partnership, like words were coaching me through that time and reassuring me that I wasn’t alone.  

 

I wanted to share this message with kids. It’s easy for children to take words for granted, but they truly are an invaluable resource that we can lean on in so many ways.

 

They’re very good at solving problems and guiding us closer to our dreams. They naturally help us reach out to others or comfort ourselves when we are alone.

 

I wrote this book to encourage children to fearlessly engage with language, because the more willing we are to let words in, the more access we gain to their gifts. And the more value that we place on language, the more likely we are to use it with care.

 

Q: What do you think Anne Berry’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: My intention with this book was to literally bring words to life, by creating a cast of word-characters that would straddle the line between text and illustration. It was essential to find the right illustrator, who was up for the challenge and open to collaborating closely with me on developing these imaginative characters.

 

When I saw Anne’s portfolio, I was immediately drawn to it. Her work radiates wit, charm, and tenderness, which were qualities I wanted these word-characters to have. I wanted them to be funny, relatable, and endearing to children, so that befriending them would feel organic.

 

When I reached out to Anne, we instantly clicked and dove right into the creative process. We wanted the phonetic decoding of each word-character to feel like a game or puzzle, instead of a chore, so we employed humor, novelty, bright colors, and fun prints, which we hoped would be irresistible to kids and engage them in the act of reading.

 

It was also very important to us to present as diverse a cast of characters as possible, with the hope that all children might see themselves in the book—in the child-characters, the word-characters, or better yet both!

 

We wanted each word-character to have its own personality and its own special charm, so we rehashed them many times over, adding tons of quirky details to make them idiosyncratic, like people.

 

It took us almost two years to complete all the spreads, because we poured so much of ourselves into the art, but I think and hope that we achieved our goals.

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: I hope it sparks a love of language and supports their capacity to connect. For little ones especially, words can be daunting. Adults and older siblings always seem to have the upper hand when it comes to accessing vocabulary and making an argument.

 

I’d love for even the youngest children to believe that words belong to them, too, because the more of themselves they invest in language, the more that words will support them.

 

Q: What first interested you in writing children’s picture books?

 

A: I’ve always written, but I never delved into children’s work until I had kids of my own. Reading to children, which I’ve been doing for 14 years now, has been a master class on the depth, breadth, and quality of work that exists in this genre.

 

Since little ones, in particular, love being read to—and because they get attached to wonderful books—I’ve had the opportunity to reread the best of the best picture books, realistically, probably thousands of times.

 

I admire them as much as I do novels, because it takes great skill to distill a message or narrative into 32 pages, using very few words.

 

Then, pairing text with illustrations to create a vibrant visual narrative that is magical, yet still cohesive, takes more than just talent; it takes patience, diligence, and determination, too. It’s a unique challenge that I find fun to take on.

 

Another fun challenge is finding ways to innovate in a genre that is so saturated. With my work, I look to fill gaps in the market—to write the books I was wishing to find when my children were younger.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My next children’s book is about resilience and the hidden gifts of not always getting what we want.

 

With that said, writing Words and having the opportunity to discuss it with people has raised all sorts of interesting questions around how the child of today interfaces with language. From the scourge of bullying to the post-pandemic slump to the influence of technology in our lives, experts agree that kids are struggling.

 

I’m fired up about these issues, so I have briefly pressed pause on my next children’s book to investigate them in a series of articles. I have already begun posting content at my website, www.riverletpress.com, under the resources tab, with more to come in the weeks ahead.

 

I love hearing from readers and caregivers, so if you’d like to connect, feel free to reach out to me via the contact page.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Earlier, I discussed the pandemic. Interestingly, what I’m gleaning from parents, pediatricians, teachers, and therapists is that the lag we’re seeing in kids’ social development had already taken root prior to 2020.

 

Other influences, such as the role that technology plays in young people’s lives, have driven them away from interacting with others: texting, gaming, shopping online—even little things, like using self-check-out lanes, instead of chatting with a cashier.

 

In isolation, none of this sounds significant, but add it together and introduce it to kids from the start of their lives, and one can appreciate the impact that all of it, collectively, has on them.

 

Another influence I think we could pay more attention to is how divided public opinion has become in this country and how frequently adults weaponize words. There’s so much noise and hostility in the air that it’s daunting for kids to find their own voice—let alone trust it.

 

I think we, as caregivers, have an opportunity to address this with very young children. By introducing language in a warmer, more positive, more nurturing way, I hope that kids will consider it sacred, and in due course treat it with care.

 

In addition to explicitly teaching children about kind, effective communication, there is also room for us, as caregivers, to self-reflect—to look at what we model for kids and how their behavior mirrors our own.   

 

Thanks for hosting me! I enjoyed answering these thoughtful questions.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Riverlet Press. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Words, signed by Katherine Davis-Gibbon. The grand prize winner will also take home a $10 gift card to Barnes & Noble. Don’t miss out on your chance to win!

Q&A with Ginger Park and Frances Park

 

 

 

Ginger Park and Frances Park are the authors of the new children's picture book Suka's Farm. Their other books include The Royal Bee. The sisters own a chocolate shop in Washington, D.C.

 

Q: Suka’s Farm is based on your family history--can you say more about that?

 

A: The story was inspired by our father’s impoverished boyhood days growing up during Japanese-occupied Korea. Every night, our father went to sleep to the sound of his own growling tummy.

 

At age 10, he was compelled to help put food on the table for his family, which prompted him to ask a Japanese farmer for work. Our father rose every morning at dawn to work before and after school, tending a herd of goats. Just like in the book, our mother told us that our father named each of his beloved goats.

 

Q: What do you think Tiffany Chen’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Tiffany’s reimagination of a bygone era is nothing short of masterful. She brought the 1941 Korean landscape to life―the surrounding mountains, the endless fields, the clothing of yore―in breathtaking fashion. It’s like looking at photos from the past only in vibrant color.

 

In contrast, her cartoon-like portraits (and we mean that in the most positive light) gently complement a story about the harsh realities of Japanese-occupied Korea.

 

Q: How do the two of you collaborate on your books, including this one?

 

A: It’s a magical experience! Truly an organic process. One of us comes up with the idea and drafts out the story, then passes it on to the other. Funny thing is, we never talk about our work in the light of day―it’s our unspoken rule of collaboration.

 

Early on, in the ‘90s, our communications were handwritten comments in margins, eventually progressing to email. Now we use Gmail chat. Once the manuscript is “perfect,” we take turns reading the story out loud. Of course, there are always a few edits.

 

When we’re ready to submit to our awesome agent, Jennifer Unter, we do a celebratory high-five.

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the story?

 

A: If children read Suka’s Farm and feel hope and inspiration, then we feel we have made a small contribution to the world. The book is a tribute to our father, the story a testament to his spirit during one of Korea’s most tumultuous eras.

 

Suka’s Farm focuses on small fields and the day-to-day life of a hungry boy with dreams, and of friendship and humanity. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Actually, we have a forthcoming picture book to share with your readers. My Sister’s Doljabi (Albert Whitman and Company, fall 2025) stars Hoon, a Korean boy, who helps his parents plan his baby sister's first birthday—the most important birthday for Koreans.

 

The celebration traditionally closes with a fun ceremony called the doljabi (which translates to "birthday grab"), where the baby is placed before a set of symbolic items and encouraged to choose one of the objects, which is thought to predict the baby's future.

 

What we’re working on… it’s sort of a secret, but hint, hint: It’s going to be a sweet picture book! As you know, when we’re not writing, you can usually find us at our sweet shop in the heart of Washington, D.C. Chocolate Chocolate is our happy place and the inspiration for our next work.

 

For 41 years, our beloved customers have stopped by our shop for their luscious bon bons and real-time chat. We’ve watched children grow up and young parents become grandparents.

 

Chocolate Chocolate has been deemed the “Cheers” of chocolate for good reason―our shop has always been a safe pause from the office chaos, the world’s woes. Whatever is happening out there, stays out there. For us, our shop has always been an extension of home where customers feel like family.

 

But the time has come to pass the chocolate torch to a new ownership. In honor of our 41 years behind the candy counter, we are going to write a picture book about Chocolate Chocolate and the love of our community.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: We’ll be at Politics and Prose on May 4 at 10:30am and Scrawl Books on May 10 at 10:30am.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ginger Park.

April 18

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
April 18, 1864: Richard Harding Davis born.

Q&A with Jill Elaine Hasday

 

Photo courtesy of University of Minnesota Law School

 

 

Jill Elaine Hasday is the author of the new book We the Men: How Forgetting Women's Struggles for Equality Perpetuates Inequality. Her other books include Intimate Lies and the Law. She is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and the Centennial Professor of Law at the University of Minnesota Law School.

 

Q: What inspired you to write We the Men?

 

A: I first began thinking about some of the ideas in the book when I was in law school. So many of the stories I heard in class treated men’s lives as the ordinary baseline and women’s lives as exceptions to either skip over or mention as footnotes.

 

I thought: women are not an exception. We are half the population. Our experiences within and outside of the law are just as important as men’s experiences.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The United States Constitution purports to speak for “We the People.” I wrote this book because too many of the stories that powerful Americans tell about law and society include only We the Men.

 

Q: The law professor Naomi Cahn said of the book, “We the Men is a thoroughly engaging read that offers a rich history of women’s ongoing struggles for equality. Hasday’s compelling book provides a new understanding of women’s halting progress and a roadmap for a more promising, and egalitarian, future.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I appreciate Professor Cahn’s kind words!

Q: Given the current political situation, what do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: Women’s rights and opportunities have unquestionably expanded over the past century. But progress has not been nearly fast or far-reaching enough—largely because of fierce opposition to changing women’s rights and roles. Sometimes courts, legislatures, or presidents have even dragged women backward, reversing earlier victories.

 

We the Men outlines an unfinished reform agenda that spans teaching, commemoration, political representation, legislation, litigation, and everyday life. The long history of women’s struggles for equality makes clear that progress on this agenda is unlikely to be quick, easy, or achieved by anyone acting alone. Generations of women have learned that lesson and persisted nonetheless.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am starting a new book project. Stay tuned.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I would like to share a favorite story from the book. Anne Davidow was a trailblazing attorney in Detroit. She represented four women who sued to block a 1945 Michigan law that prohibited women from bartending in cities with 50,000 or more people, unless the woman was “the wife or daughter of the male owner” of the bar.

 

The Michigan statute was part of a wave of anti-barmaid legislation that the male-only bartenders’ union helped push through statehouses after Prohibition ended.

 

Challenging the constitutionality of Michigan’s law was an uphill battle. Generations of judges had upheld many other restrictions on women’s work. But Davidow was undaunted and appealed Goesaert v. Cleary (1948) all the way to the Supreme Court. She later reported that Justice Felix Frankfurter heckled her from the bench while informing her that “the days of chivalry aren’t over.”

 

Presumably, Frankfurter either failed to recognize the irony or felt that Davidow’s effrontery in bringing this suit excused him from any obligation to act like a gentleman. Frankfurter wrote an opinion for the Court that dismissed Davidow’s arguments in less than three pages. Eventually, though, she had the last laugh. The Court overruled Frankfurter’s opinion in 1976.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Jill Elaine Hasday.

Q&A with Marianne Richmond

 

Photo by Shoott Photography

 

 

Marianne Richmond is the author of the new memoir If You Were My Daughter: A Memoir of Healing an Unmothered Heart. Her many other books include the picture book The World Is Awaiting You. She lives near Nashville, Tennessee.

 

Q: Why did you decide to write this memoir, and how was the book’s title chosen?

 

A: Writing a memoir has been a long-held dream of mine, not as much for catharsis, but rather for the satisfying creative challenge of telling this story. I am at a place where I can view it with emotional distance and clarity.

 

For a long time, I didn't know the ending of the story arc until I did. That was my sign to complete the manuscript.

 

The title emerged from the words a neurosurgeon said to me as I was wrangling with the decision of who would do my brain surgery. "If you were my daughter," said Dr. Spencer. "This is what I would do." It was a guy from my writing group who, after I read that chapter aloud, said, "That's your title!" 

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between you and your mother?

 

A: A couple words come to mind: emotionally distant and transactional. My mom was friendly with me and to those in her community and neighborhood. She liked to laugh, and she kept in touch with old friends through letters.

 

I chose the subtitle of my book carefully — unmothered heart — because I was mothered in a sense of having my food, shelter and clothing provided. There was, however, little mother/daughter emotional intimacy in a way that landed with me feeling seen and heard. Unrequited connection also feels apt. I felt lonely in her presence.

 

Q: The author Kelly McDaniel said of the book, “Richmond pulls us into her courageous, tender heart while bringing us closer to our own.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I'm encouraged by this sentiment as my hope in writing this story was to come alongside readers in a way that feels supportive, affirming, and invites introspection of our own possibilities for growth and healing. 

 

Q: What impact did it have on you to write the book, and what do you hope readers take away from it?

 

A: It's given me low-level anxiety for months! ha! This is my most vulnerable storytelling to date; I share all of it with readers and I hope they take away a sense of feeling seen in their own family, maternal, and/or relational challenges.

 

I hope they also feel invited to a possible shift in perspective about the generational trauma and legacies we inherit. Perhaps like me, they've allowed their own sense of worth to be erroneously tied to circumstances beyond their control.

 

A narrative therapeutic lens offers this view: "The person isn't the problem, the problem is the problem." This has helped me trade condemnation for more compassion toward my upbringing, and perhaps readers will find this, too. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am working on releasing this story into the world knowing I can't control how it's accepted, liked or disliked, and/or reviewed! Sounds like a metaphor for living, no?

 

As for other projects, my mind is focused on this launch and now I may build around its message whether through workshops and/or retreats. I have a creative writing journal coming out this fall as well as more children's books in 2025. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: What I want you to know is how much I value anyone taking the time to read and/or review my memoir. I've long said I'm honored when my stories become a part of yours. It's the ultimate gift to a writer. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Tom Adams and Joy Jones

 

Tom Adams

 

 

Tom Adams and Joy Jones are the authors of the new biography A Marriage That Changed the World: Lois and Bill Wilson and the Addiction Recovery Movement. Adams has also written the book The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide. Jones's other books include the children's picture book The Sky Is Not Blue.

 

Q: What inspired you to write a biography of Lois and Bill Wilson, and how would you describe their legacy today?

 

Joy: Tom told me he had the idea of writing not just about Bill Wilson but about Bill and his wife, Lois, and how their synergy and support was the basis for the 12 Step Movement. What a fantastic idea! I told him.

 

I only meant to be his cheerleader, but somehow he talked me into collaborating on the actual project.

 

Tom: I have personally benefited from the healing power of several Twelve Step programs. I have grown spiritually and emotionally and am a better husband, father, grandfather, and friend because of active participation in the Twelve Step movement Lois and Bill pioneered.

 

I am appalled by the growing number of people of all ages whose lives are harmed and even destroyed by addictions’ tentacles. I know recovery is possible for many more people.

 

By recounting the story of Lois and Bill Wilson, my aim is to bring helpful information, hope, and the possibility of recovery to more people and to broaden acceptance and action to address our societal denial about our addiction pandemic. 

Joy Jones

Q: The writer Christie Tate said of the book, “Adams and Jones have brought Lois Wilson out of the shadow of her larger-than-life husband and let her words and incredible life works stand next to his.” What do you think of that description, and how would you describe the dynamic between the two of them?

 

Tom: For a number of reasons, the founding story of Alcoholics Anonymous centers on Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. It was Bill’s meeting with Dr. Bob and their work together in Akron that resulted in the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.

 

That is indeed a life-changing event. However, it was possible because of the love and support of Lois Wilson and Anne Smith, their respective wives. Lois, Anne and other spouses provided more than love and support. Their ideas shaped the spirituality that became the Twelve Steps.

 

Their awareness that alcoholism was a family disease and they head to personally change by embracing the same Twelve Steps changed the path of addiction recovery forever.

 

Lois and Bill’s marriage is best characterized by the words they embraced: love and service. They were ordinary humans who quite humbly admitted their imperfections and saw themselves as channels or instruments of a Higher Power or God. They loved each other for over 50 years and shared a rich life of service, travel and a constant desire to learn, grow and help others.

 

Q: How did you collaborate on this project? What was your writing process like? 

 

Joy: I regard writing as a solo act. However, obviously when you have a partner, you have to orient yourself in a different way. Since The Marriage That Changed The World was Tom’s baby, I saw myself as a guide on the side while he was the sage on the stage. I tried to stay out of the way and let him tell the story he needed to tell.

 

Tom: Joy encouraged me to write this book. We were part of a writers’ group and every time the idea came up she said what a great idea it was. She reluctantly agreed to be a co-author when I suggested it would be a better book if we worked together on it. (And it is because she said yes!)

 

I took the lead on the research and first drafts. Joy selected particular topics related to Lois and her marriage and researched and wrote on those. We intentionally wanted the book to be a good read with emotion, not a dry biography or history book. Joy is a terrific storyteller and communicator.

 

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

 

Joy: Before I studied Bill and Lois Wilson, I regarded them as paragons of faith and wisdom. Yes, they possessed great faith and much wisdom, but they displayed all the character defects, bad luck, and stupid choices that afflict every one of us.

 

The sad truth is that even if God singles you out to do great things, you still have to stumble, be humble, and suffer before you succeed.

 

Tom: I was amazed at how much incorrect information and impressions there are of both Lois and Bill and how unknown and underappreciated Lois is.

 

It was eye-opening to be working in the archives at Stepping Stones or A.A. General Services office and come across a diary entry from Lois or a letter from or to Lois or Bill, that would add another dimension to better understanding them. It was like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Each piece helped make the big picture clearer.

 

While we certainly don’t have the whole picture, and more will be learned over time, I do believe we have advanced understanding and appreciation for this complex, amazing couple. 

 

Q: What are you working on now? 

 

Joy: I have a novel for young people, Walking The Boomerang, that I’m hopeful about bringing to shelves soon. It tells the story of a young man who learns that the simple practice of walking can transform your life.

 

Right now, I‘m excited about my picture book about creativity, The Sky Is Not Blue, that’s out now.

 

Tom: Great question. I’ve learned to make space for my Higher Power I call Big Spirit to shape my intuitions. So I imagine talking about this book will shape what I write next. Possibilities include returning to some children's books I worked on, learning more about addictions' impact on families, and writing about the “family disease” and family recovery. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

Joy: This book is for anyone who enjoys biography or history, who is curious about the backstory to one of the 20th century’s major social movements, or who wants to affirm their personal journey of recovery.

 

Tom: Many years ago, I decided on a personal mission statement for my life - “to expand safe places for people to grow.”

 

Ultimately, we all want to love and be loved. Addictions, childhood experiences, and many other factors influence our belief that we are loved and able to love.

 

This book has been an opportunity for me to learn and grow in my capacity to receive and give love. I hope it offers the same gift to readers whether facing addictions or not. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Joy Jones. For more information on the authors, see

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