Q&A with Ann E. Burg

 

 

Ann E. Burg is the author of the new middle grade novel-in-verse Force of Nature: A Novel of Rachel Carson. Burg's other books include Flooded.  She lives in Rhinebeck, New York.

 

Q: What inspired you to write this novel-in-verse about environmentalist Rachel Carson (1907-1964)?

 

A: I had been reading up on climate change and actually wondering what one person could do. I kept coming across snippets of Rachel Carson’s writings, and while I knew she is considered by some to be the mother of the environmental movement, I knew very little about her life. I thought it was time to reintroduce her to a younger audience.

 

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

 

A: My editor and her team came up with the title but I love it because it captures the spirt of Rachel.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it a “convincing and charming portrayal of a woman who made a difference.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Well, while Rachel did make a difference, I’m not sure this is the best description. The difference she made was wise and weighty.

 

Of course Kirkus is describing my portrayal as charming, which seems to boil down what I wanted readers to take away from the novel. Charming just seems too genteel a word for Rachel’s strength of character, which is really what I hoped to portray.

 

Q: What do you see as Carson’s legacy today, and what might she think of today’s environmental problems?

 

A: If we listen, I think Carson’s legacy would be the honor she brought to the earth and all her creatures. Unfortunately, not all of us are listening. Rachel believed we had a responsibility to care about the environment. There are too many today who have forgotten this message.

 

In her words, But man is a part of nature, and his war against nature is inevitably a war against himself. I am sure Rachel would continue to be a voice for the planet.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: It’s soon to talk about my newest project but I have started one and am further along than I was yesterday. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Every book I write, like every book I read, changes me and I will continue to look for ways to better care for the earth and all her creatures. I’m still trying to make peace with spiders who like to hide in my house, but I haven’t given up.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Ann E. Burg.