Nov. 21, 1694: Voltaire born.
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Q&A with Faith Sullivan
Faith Sullivan is the author of the new novel Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse. Her other novels include The Cape Ann, Gardenias, and The Empress of One. She lives in Minneapolis.
Q: Many of your novels are linked through their characters
and setting. Did you plan Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse as you were writing the earlier
novels, or did the specific idea for this book come to you later?
A: The idea of linking Wodehouse, an idol of mine, and Nell
Stillman came to me later though it was always my intention to write about
Nell. When writing The Cape Ann, I created histories for many of the
characters, including Nell. I like to do this with major characters, and even
then I considered her a major character though her role was not huge.
When Nell's time came, I said to myself, "Here's a woman
with a pocketful of troubles. In
telling her story, why not give her a source of escape and relief?" Wodehouse has long been the author to whom I
personally escape so I loaned him to her.
Q: At one point, Nell thinks, "The years could rob [people]
of friends and farms, of youth and health but books would endure." What role do you see literature playing in
your characters’ lives?
A: I make a conscious effort in most of my books to convey
the notion that literature, more than religion, is the path to understanding ourselves and the world, if indeed either
can be understood.
I truly believe that the more people read worthwhile books,
the more empathic they become and consequently the more they value human life.
Q: Can you say more about your use of P.G. Wodehouse's work
as a major theme in the book?
A: Well, as I said, I have always turned to him when I
really needed to escape. He was perhaps the quintessential stylist of the 20th century
and in my opinion the funniest writer ever.
I have long hoped to pay homage to him.
And, great humor has the ability to heal. Who knows why or
how? Maybe by taking our minds off the kind of thoughts that make us sick,
maybe by making us laugh. Laughter
is healing, who would deny it?
Q: How did you research all the historical details in the
novel?
A: I was a history major in college, and 20th century
American history was my special interest. Over the years, I've amassed a fair
library of books on the subject. Since I'm not on the Internet, I turn to these
reference works constantly. They are old friends.
Add to this the fact that
I am no spring chicken, as the saying goes. I lived a great deal of the 20th century.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: A novel titled Ruby,
set in the early years of the last century. The idea grew out of Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse and Nell's recalling the
story of a farmer's hired girl who fell in love with a neighbor, another
farmer, who happened to be married.
This fellow's wife discovers his deceit but doesn't know
who his paramour is. The wife attempts suicide, hanging herself in their barn, but
is rescued by the hired man.
In the rescue, however, she breaks a hip and her husband's
lover (Ruby) is sent to help during her recovery. You can see why Nell considers
this story as complicated as a Wodehouse plot.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: After Ruby, I
will finish a novel about Lark Erhardt, a character in several of my books.
One might guess, upon reading Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse, that I love people who love
books, whether they write them or read them. Books and writers are my religion, and that religion has served me well.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Q&A with Rebecca Kanner
Rebecca Kanner is the author of the new novel Esther. She also has written the novel Sinners and the Sea. Her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Cincinnati Review and The Kenyon Review. She teaches writing at The Loft in Minneapolis.
Q:
Why did you decide to write a novel based on the story of Queen Esther?
A:
I had originally...set out to write
stories about the women in Genesis. I didn’t get very far; I wrote Sinners and
the Sea [about Noah’s wife], and then I wanted to go beyond Genesis and write
the story of Esther.
In
the Megillah, her submissiveness and reaching for Mordecai [didn’t seem
sufficient]—it takes more than a pretty face to win a king. I wanted her to be
a little smarter. I wanted her to wait to tell the king she was Jewish because
[of her intelligence].
Q:
How much of your novel was taken from the biblical story of Esther and how much
is your own invention?
A:
I took the basics from the story, but there was still a lot to fill in. I like
the writings of Herodotus. I wanted to mostly stick with the Megillah, but add
to it, in the Jewish tradition of midrash, coming up with an explanation of why
Esther delayed telling the king she was
Jewish.
Q:
How do you think the way women are portrayed in biblical stories compare with
the way you present these women in your novels?
A:
I went to Jewish schools, and the teachers were mostly women. They made it seem
that women had an equal role in the Bible, and I didn’t realize they were given
short shrift until I went back and looked on my own.
In
the Noah story, she didn’t have a name, she was just Noah’s wife. [There’s a
question] about the identity she would have, in the part when she’s on the Ark
and if her husband and sons die, she didn’t have a name. I wanted to bring
women out a little more. She’s the matriarch of a new world—you’d think she’d
at least have a name.
With
Esther, she was just pretty. She was not known just for her husband, and no
children were mentioned, so it was an opportunity to see how she’d make her
legacy.
Q:
What did you see as the right combination of the biblical story and your own
imagination?
A:
I wanted to stay true to the Megillah, but my novel is 300-some pages and the Megillah
is [about] 12, so you’d have to flesh it out…I needed setting, characters, and
complexity…
Q:
So some of your characters were added.
A:
I added Erez. It’s unrealistic that a 14-year-old girl would have feelings only
for a king she rarely sees. [Her situation] has got to be traumatic; she’s
vulnerable, and forms connections quickly. For a 14-year-old, that’s in the
form of crushes. There’s got to be someone besides the king.
I
know some people might think that’s not the best idea, but I wanted to make
Esther a real girl. Having crushes are a big part of being 14!
Q:
And the character of Haman’s niece?
A:
I wanted to add a female villain, not just a weak king and a male villain. I
didn’t think Esther would have a lot of contact with Haman.
Q:
How did you research the novel?
A:
This book is a lot different from Sinners and the Sea. There’s a lot of
information available about the Persian Empire in [Esther's] time period….I had to be
more careful. I did a lot of research about what the palace was like. I read Herodotus—you
never know if it’s completely accurate!
I’m
a writer, and I like to think the story is the most important. There’s a
section where Esther’s cousin is telling her how important stories are.
Q:
Which authors have inspired you?
A:
I don’t always stay within my genre! I have read various historical fiction;
not a lot of biblical historical fiction. I like Philippa Gregory, and I wanted
to bring some of her page-turning abilities to Esther.
I
can’t say I modeled myself after incredibly serious writers. I was looking at
Game of Thrones for the intrigue and interesting characters.
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
I was working on a book about the exodus. It’s interesting to consider how
people who were slaves would think about freedom.
Then
a few weeks ago…I got a book, a thriller, and couldn’t stop reading. I decided
I have a thriller stuck in me, trying to get out. I’m in a mystery-writing
group, so I might as well take advantage of this opportunity.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Q&A with Stephanie Sprenger
Stephanie Sprenger is the co-editor, with Jessica Smock, of the new anthology Mothering Through the Darkness: Women Open Up About the Postpartum Experience. She also has co-edited My Other Ex and The HerStories Project, and her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including The Huffington Post and Brain. She is also a certified music therapist.
Q:
Why did you and Jessica Smock decide to create this book, and how did you select
the authors to include?
A:
This is our third anthology, and one of our contributors (whose work was in
both the first and second anthology), Alexandra Rosas, actually suggested the
idea to us, and we loved it.
We
personally had both experienced a degree of postpartum depression, although we
had never discussed it with each other prior to the inception of this book. We
also know many writers and bloggers who write about postpartum depression and
advocate for women who are experiencing it, and we knew there would be
many talented authors who would want to write about this subject.
We
were right! We received about 220 submissions for this book! We put out an open
call for submissions that was advertised in various literary networks and
social media communities, and the response was overwhelming.
Needless
to say, the experience of selecting only 35 essays out of that mix was
excruciating. We had to carefully balance the styles, stories, and subject
matter of the essays so that the anthology was cohesive and worked well as a
finished book.
We
turned down so many absolutely gorgeous, powerful essays simply because we put
so much effort into balancing the voices and styles. It was so difficult, but
we were extremely pleased with the authors we selected for this book.
Each
essay is unique, and yet there are common themes underlying the
entire book. Their voices stand out and are authentic, and we feel the
essays really complement each other.
The diversity
of the women’s experiences really shows how very differently postpartum mood
disorders can manifest from mother to mother.
Q:
What are some of the most common perceptions and misperceptions about
postpartum depression?
A: There are so many myths out there that prevent women from seeking care. Here are some of the main ones we are trying to eliminate:
They
are sad every second and cry all day long.
They
are likely to harm their children.
They
do not have a “real” illness and do not require professional help, only a more
positive attitude.
They
should just wait for it to go away on its own.
They
can only develop PPD during the first few months after childbirth.
They
can only develop PPD if their babies are their biological children, not if
their children are adopted.
Q:
How have views about postpartum depression changed in recent years, and what do
you see looking ahead?
A:
We have made a lot of progress as a culture with speaking out about
postpartum depression, but it’s still not enough. Whenever celebrities share
that they have, or are, struggling with it, there is always a lot of media
attention, but it doesn’t go deep enough.
People
are becoming more aware that PPD happens often to women, that it’s not
something to be ashamed of, but there is still a lot of progress that
needs to be made. We as a culture still have those “extreme cases,” the
ones where women hurt their babies, stuck in our minds as the definition of
PPD, and it’s simply not accurate.
Our
book reveals stories of medical providers and clinicians who were
lifesavers to women, but there are also a number of stories in which care
providers minimized or ignored the needs of these mothers. Many of the
submissions we received include the experience of being dismissed or brushed
off by a doctor or medical caregiver— this is just not OK.
In
our preparation for the book’s release, we were overwhelmed by how many
fantastic resources there are for women experiencing PPD or other perinatal
mood disorders— organizations at hospitals, therapists, support groups, and we
think resources like this will continue to grow in the future.
We
are donating a portion of our proceeds to Postpartum Progress, an
organization that has done so much to eliminate stigma and provide resources to
women.
That’s
a long answer, so in short: awareness and understanding has improved in recent
years— in part thanks to celebrities speaking out— but we still have a ways to
go.
Q:
You also include a Q&A with a clinical psychologist. Why did you decide to
incorporate that material into the book?
A:
In addition to sharing real stories of women, we wanted to provide a clinical
perspective as well, one that has a bit more of a treatment-oriented element.
Dr. Jessica Zucker is an incredible resource for postpartum women, and it’s an area
she specializes in. We knew readers would benefit from her wisdom and
expertise, and we wanted to take the opportunity to have a clinician share
advice with women who may be struggling.
Q:
What are you working on now?
A:
We have already selected the essays for our fourth anthology— So Glad
They Told Me: Women Get Real About Motherhood— which will release
next spring. This essay collection is based on the viral article and social media movement we launched last winter.
We
are really excited about this one, and we will officially announce the
contributors to this anthology soon. We think it will have tremendous
appeal for mothers, particularly new mothers. We also teach online writing
classes throughout the year, and we’re working on our winter 2016 course
now.
Q:
Anything else we should know?
A:
To go along with the book’s release, we are organizing a social media movement
called “Shatter the Myths,” in which we are asking women who have experienced
PPD, their friends and family, and clinicians, to share messages and photos
with the hashtags #endPPDmyths and #motheringthrudarkness.
Messages
like “You’re not alone,” and “It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help,” and
other supportive statements. You can find out more about that movement
and view the photo gallery here.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)