Q&A with Lygia Day Peñaflor

  

 

 

Lygia Day Peñaflor is the author of the new novel Beautiful to See You (Again). Her other books include Creep: A Love Story. She lives on Long Island.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Beautiful to See You (Again), and how did you create your character Tia?

 

A: It’s hard to pinpoint a single inspiration because so many different factors came together in order to write this. I’d been wanting to write a then/now timeline, and maybe I’d always wondered if I could pull off a story with time travel (I’d never written magical realism before).

 

Tia was a character I thought about on and off for years. Every so often, I would imagine a girl walking through Central Park, missing her first love. Somehow, I decided to combine all of these thoughts together. 

 

I think Tia originally came about because I went to Columbia Teachers College. The setting, and its proximity to Central Park North, stuck with me.

 

Tia’s character was interesting to write and develop because her personality changed so much throughout the novel. She was happy, fun, and innocent at first. But all of that disappeared when tragedy struck the summer after high school graduation.

 

Her personality changed again after she dropped out of Columbia. There’s a different version of Tia in each section of the book.  

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Tia and Natty?

 

A: Aww, Tia and Natty, I just love them so much. I love them individually. And I love them together, which is what I think makes a great couple in real life as well as in fiction.

 

Their friendship starts sweetly with a bit of a spark. It grows naturally through shared moments and getting to know each other more deeply. There’s so much warmth and mutual admiration between them. It’s a first love that’s very pure, light, and full of promise.

 

Q: The author Jeff Zentner said of the book, “If time is the fourth dimension, Beautiful to See You (Again) makes a compelling argument for love as a fifth dimension; a force more powerful than time itself.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: First of all, to have a quote from Jeff is incredible! I’ve admired his writing since The Serpent King. And this quote is so good—the concept of love as a fifth dimension is really powerful. It rings true for me and certainly for Tia and Natty.

 

Time could never lessen the love they shared. Their love is a dimension that exists on its own. No matter how many years pass, it will never fade. Tia can revisit that feeling whenever she wants, either through time travel or simply in her memory. 

 

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

 

A: I knew the ending from the very start, yes! I always know the ending when I draft a book, and I like to write the beginning and the ending first. This gives me a roadmap to follow so that I don’t waste time writing aimlessly.

 

I think of each chapter, each scene, each paragraph as a funnel. If a scene doesn’t somehow feed toward that final moment, I know it’s not necessary.

 

The first and last scenes of Beautiful to See You (Again) are very much the same as they were in my first draft! I had a very clear vision. I’m not one of those writers who can just go with the flow. I’d rather not write at all until I know exactly where I’m going.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I don’t know! I haven’t decided yet. I’m trying to be okay with this, trying not to stress so that maybe the right idea will come naturally.

 

I can force myself to write—to put hours into drafting, revising, or editing. But I can’t force myself to think of an idea. I just have to trust that the right character will come to me when she’s good and ready. Then I can put in the work.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Yes! I would love to crash some book clubs. If your book club reads Beautiful to See You (Again), let me know (email through my website), and I’ll Zoom in for a Q&A!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb