Claudia Hinz is the author of the new novel Safekeeping. Also a journalist, she lives in Bend, Oregon.
Q: What inspired you to write Safekeeping, and how did you create your characters Tenley and Privately?
A: This story has been with me for a long time. Maybe as long as 50 years since I was a child eavesdropping on conversations in my family’s living room.
My parents hosted gatherings for veterans and the families of POW-MIA (Prisoners of War and Missing in Action). I was fascinated by the strangers in our home, and, also, uncomfortable with the fact that some men went off to fight while others stayed home, safe.
In the course of researching Safekeeping, I came across a photo of graffiti on a base in Ramadi, Iraq. The graffiti read: “America isn’t at war. The Marine Corps is at war. America is at the mall.” These words felt like a personal indictment, because I was, quite literally, at the mall, going about my business while other Americans my age were on the front lines of war.
If America was at the mall, while the Marines were at war, how could I get my character, Tenley, a former television personality, wealthy socialite, and mother of four, to care about a war being fought far away?
When I started writing Safekeeping and was exploring the relationship between my two characters, Tenley and Privately, a handsome, young Marine, I realized that the only way Tenley would start paying attention to war was to introduce a draft. If there was a draft, she might also begin to care about the experiences of a veteran, a man young enough to be her own son.
It took me years to figure out how to tell this story. I have not served in the military, so imagining the inner world and experiences of a young Marine required a lot of research.
I spent a year reading books about Iran and Afghanistan, and interviewing veterans of these wars. I watched a lot of movies and documentaries and listened to podcasts and conducted more interviews. I endeavored to create a fully realized, compelling, complicated character.
I spent a lot of time with Privately and it was only when I felt that I had approached his character development compassionately and with my best intentions, that I felt ready to introduce Tenley and begin imagining how these two people from different walks of life might come together in exciting ways.
Tenley was an easier character for me to imagine. Like her, I am a mother, and I worked as a television journalist for many years. Tenley seems to have it all––a beautiful family, wealth, privilege, security––and yet, she has regrets about giving up her career to stay home, and as an ageing woman, she is struggling with everything from her identity to her changing body.
On many levels, Privately holds out the promise of the very things Tenley has been yearning for in her life.
Q: Why did you decide to set the novel in 2027?
A: As I wrote Safekeeping, and throughout many drafts of the novel, I played with different time frames. Ultimately, I wanted readers to recognize the contemporary setting of the novel. The terms of my fictional world are not so different from the current state of our country.
When I first explored the idea of the draft, it felt like an entirely fantastical plot point. Now, of course, with news of eligible young men registering by the end of this year, the draft feels more and more likely.
Q: The author Dawn Tripp said of the book, “With grace and insight, Claudia Hinz maps the taut practiced codes of intimacy and marriage, identity and desire, in a beautifully rendered story of the private risks a mother will take for the sake of freedom and the singular integrity of what she believes and those she loves.” What do you think of that assessment?
A: This lovely praise says as much about Dawn, a gorgeous novelist and thoughtful reader, as it does about my book. She saw straight to the heart of Safekeeping. Her identification of the “practiced codes of intimacy and marriage, identity and desire” is particularly gratifying to me as a writer because these are topics that fascinate me.
In one scene in the novel, Privately comes to dinner at Tenley’s home. His attention is drawn to these “practiced codes” between her family members, the way she interacts with her husband, all the unspoken things that are conveyed between people who know each other so well, the small things that “map” the nuances of these complicated relationships.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?
A: I can’t wait to hear what readers think of Tenley and Privately! It is my hope that the novel prompts conversations about how civilians, those who haven’t served in the military, come into contact with military personnel and veterans.
What are the limits of our interactions with veterans? Saying “thank you for your service” in the grocery store or at a Veterans Day parade? How might we initiate conversations that bring civilians and veterans into meaningful connections?
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am currently working on a novel set in 19th-century Morocco about a young Sephardic Jewish woman. It is my first foray into writing historical fiction, a genre I love. In preparation to write this book, I spent a lot of time tracking down obscure sources and accounts from the early 19th century.
I’ve been fortunate to visit Morocco on two occasions. On my more recent trip to the country, I tried to imagine my character’s path through the Tangier marketplace, to the hammam (the public baths), and to synagogue where she prayed with her family. I’ve tried to picture her daily routine and explore her thoughts and dreams.
In many ways, writing historical fiction does not feel so different from writing contemporary fiction. As novelists of every genre, we are seeking to inhabit a character and bring her to life on the page. I won’t get every detail from the 19th century right, but I am continuing to research as thoroughly as possible in order to create a compelling world in which the reader feels fully immersed.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Writing doesn’t get easier. And the journey to publication can be long and bruising, which is why we all need to be cheerleaders for one another throughout this long process.
I hope I can be supportive of fellow writers, especially those who are struggling with rejections, finding an agent, or checking their email every hour, hoping that someone will want to publish their work. Keep going! Your story matters.
To the readers of Safekeeping, I am honored that you have chosen to devote your valuable time to my book. It is thrilling to think you will have a completely different experience reading this book than I had writing it.
I would love to hear from you. I hope you’ll reach out to tell me your thoughts. And maybe you will consider starting a conversation with a veteran, someone you’ve seen in your community but haven’t known how to approach. I’d love to hear about that too. Thank you.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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