Q&A with Heather Murphy Capps

 

 

 

Heather Murphy Capps is the author of the new middle grade novel The Rule of Three. She also has written the middle grade novel Indigo and Ida. In addition, she is a journalist and an educator.

 

Q: In The Rule of Three’s Author's Note, you write, “I wrote this book because I wanted to explore the way inherited trauma can rewire a person's body--and their genetics.” Can you say more about that, and about how you created your character Wyatt?

 

A: My author’s note refers to the study of epigenetics—an important and fascinating area of investigation.

 

What scientists have learned is that descendants of populations who have experienced chronic trauma, such as the Holocaust, racism, or abuse, have genetically inherited physical and emotional traits tied to the stress of that trauma. These traits can express themselves as high blood pressure, heart disease, depression, and difficulty with emotional regulation.

 

When I created Wyatt’s character, my goal was to tell the story of a person who has a genetically inherited trait that is a result of familial trauma.

 

However, it was important to me to show the whole person, not just the trauma—which is why we get a chance to see Wyatt’s friendships and his love of baseball. At its heart, this is a story about family, friendship, and baseball as much as it is about trauma.

 

Moreover, because many trauma-related inherited traits are invisible, I wanted to make them visible. This is why Wyatt and his father both produce visible smoke when they are stressed out.

 

Q: Did you learn anything surprising in the course of researching the book?

 

A: I spent a lot of time reading about both epigenetics and the MOVE bombing in 1985.

 

Probably the most surprising and encouraging thing I learned is that it’s possible to heal generational trauma with the right kind of support. This is what I wanted to illustrate with Wyatt and his father’s shared experience working with a counselor.

Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the novel says, “Capps incorporates real-life events...to tell an illuminating tale that utilizes a physical manifestation of trauma to effectively demonstrate the compounding results of racism across generations.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: It’s pretty spot on! I was so honored that the PW reviewer “got” exactly what I was trying to do—treat a complex, difficult theme in a way that was accessible to young readers.

 

To that end, I chose to use the narrative technique of magical realism to tell Wyatt’s story. Magical realism helps create space around tough topics by bringing in light elements of the fantastic and weaving them into everyday life.

 

This touch of magic differs from true fantasy or supernatural storytelling in that the characters mostly view these not-so-normal elements as part of the fabric of their lives.

 

Readers recognize that there’s magic going on, of course, and that buffer of otherworldliness creates space between them and the painful parts of the narrative.

 

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I had a general idea that the story would end with a baseball game and that Wyatt would have to face his nemesis, and I also knew I wanted to have the final scene in the hallway with the locker gallery (I won’t go into more detail than that because spoilers!).

 

It wasn’t until I was actually writing those scenes that the details themselves unspooled. I do like to outline my work before I write, but I typically work from broad outlines and let the story tell itself as I sink into the characters and the scenes.

 

My editor, Amy Fitzgerald, is extraordinary—she helped me clarify important elements of the story. This book is so much better because of the ways she helped me shape it and ensure I was digging deeply into the complexity of the various characters.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on another historical fiction, also with baseball and friendship themes!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: These are challenging times for creators—sometimes it feels dangerous to write. I encourage everyone who appreciates the freedom to read a variety of books from a broad representation of writers to support those writers.

 

In concrete terms, that means: 1) request that your public library stock the books you like! 2) Write reviews of the books you like—these are so important for a writer’s visibility. Without reviews, books often get buried. If you are on Goodreads, leave a review there! And if you are comfortable doing so, please leave one on Amazon, too.

 

I know many of us have complicated feelings about Amazon these days, but the uncomfortable truth is, they’re still a significant influence on a book’s visibility to new readers, and therefore, an author’s success.

 

Thank you, Deborah, for this great conversation—I appreciate the chance to chat!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Heather Murphy Capps.