Photo by Bill Truslow
Kate Woodworth is the author of the new novel Little Great Island. She also has written the novel Racing Into the Dark.
Q: What inspired you to write Little Great Island, and how did you create your cast of characters?
A: Little Great Island was created in a Big Bang moment. I was working on an article on climate change for our local newspaper while simultaneously indulging in some writerly playtime.
The play involved writing some language-forward descriptions and character snippets that allowed me to visit—in my imagination—a place that holds a very special spot in my heart: the island of North Haven, Maine. I was intentionally not writing a novel with those pieces as I wanted to let go of craft lessons and just have fun.
My concern for the climate collided with my play space when the article fell apart, but then I was faced with primal ooze that needed to be shaped into a novel. That process took me nearly a decade.
I suppose evolution best describes the process of determining the final cast of characters for Little Great Island. Since all characters had equal weight in the primal ooze, I had to eliminate some and scale others back to keep the plot focused.
I decided to keep two principal point-of-view characters rather than one to carry the story because it’s a story about relationships. I chose to have one of those points of view be that of an island native and one be that of a seasonal visitor because I’ve always been intrigued by the dynamic between these two groups, who come from very different life experiences and yet who both love the island deeply.
Q: The island itself seems to be one of the point-of-view characters in the book--why did you decide to structure the novel that way?
A: The omniscient sections—which function as the island’s point of view—gave me the opportunity to demonstrate the interconnectedness of life, both in the present moment and across time.
When we fill wetlands, we are causing damage to entire ecosystems. When we drill for oil in places like Bears Ears National Monument in Utah, we are destroying land that was inhabited by those who came before, and we are impacting the lives of those who will come after. I wanted readers to see how each of us is part of this vast web of life.
The last omniscient section I wrote was Shell, Dirt, History. Several years had passed since I’d written the others, but I felt it was an important passage because I’d overlooked a significant piece of Maine island history: the original settlement by the Wabanaki people and the takeover by European colonists.
I think it’s useful to consider the relationship those original Americans had with the land versus our current relationship with it.
Q: The writer Shari Goldhagen called the novel a “beautiful book about loss and forgiveness and second chances. About going home again and confronting the ghosts that haunt us.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love that Shari picks up on those themes because I intended them to resonate throughout the book. Both main characters, Harry and Mari, have made mistakes in their lives. Both have guilt and self-doubt in the present as a result of those past mistakes.
I’ve made mistakes and suffer from self-doubt myself, so I wanted to explore the possibility of growth and redemption through human relationships and through our relationship with the natural world.
I also hoped readers might see a parallel between Harry and Mari’s struggle to forgive themselves and the remorse some people feel about what’s happened to our planet.
We’ve lost a lot of human lives, plant and animal species, and beautiful landscapes to anomalous weather events. Catastrophic flooding, devastating wildfires, mudslides, droughts, heatwaves, and record-breaking rainfall have become so frequent as to seem commonplace.
Denial, guilt and despair aren’t the answer. We need to confront what we’ve done, forgive ourselves, and embrace a second chance while we have one.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: Forefront in my mind in the early stages of revision was the concept of homeostasis, or the tendency of a living organism to maintain…or return to…a balanced state. When Harry and Mari have different ideas about what should happen with the land, the island’s equilibrium is upset.
That part was easy, but then I had to find a way for a new equilibrium to take hold in a way that felt organic and would be satisfying to readers. That process took many, many changes over a period of years.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m loving working on a monthly Substack, Food Curious, that highlights the fishermen and farmers who work at the juncture between our food supply and the planet.
My research allow me to learn about the lives and challenges of these hardworking individuals, who are constantly having to adapt to changes in the growing season and weather and to new pests and diseases.
I’ve also had the honor and pleasure of writing articles for the Climate Fiction Writers League newsletter. The Climate Fiction Writers League is an international organization that facilitates the exchange of ideas among writers from across the globe.
I’ve just begun a fun project that involves connecting climate writers from different countries and generations for an article in a question-and-answer format.
The first conversation will be between Jane Ekstam, a retired professor of English literature at Østfold University College in Norway and author of the trilogy Katja’s World Game, and a 12-year-old student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas who writes climate-focused science fiction.
Finally, there is another novel rattling around that revolves around two sisters in their 70s and a saltwater marsh. I’m one of those writers who likes to keep novels to themselves in the incubator stage, so that’s all I’m willing to reveal.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: A recent study showed that climate fiction doesn’t lead to climate action in the way that many climate writers hoped. I’m trying to strengthen that connection by including a call to action with the launch of Little Great Island.
The initiative, called “Be the Butterfly” in reference to the butterfly effect—which states that a small act can have large consequences in a complex system—invites readers to perform one small act or behavioral change to help mitigate climate change.
As part of the initiative, we invited a dozen climate writers from around the world to participate by suggesting a nonprofit that readers could, if they choose, support.
Participants include winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, numerous state award and honorary degrees, and awards for climate activism. Authors Barbara Kingsolver, Bill McKibben, Omar El Akkad, and Peter Heller are among the participants.
The full list of author names and suggested nonprofits is available on my website, katewoodworth.com, and is included at the back of Little Great Island.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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