"THE NEXT BIG THING" asks writers to self-interview about their current or upcoming books
with 8 designated questions, post somewhere in the internet-o-sphere and
then "tag" other writers to do the same. Karla Huston tagged me. Please see for my interview Q and A.
What is the working title of the book?
Gathering the Harvest
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Originally I thought about a chapbook that dealt with my
experience of throat cancer, cellular collapse, and almost
death. Not expecting to live, and living fully was something
I wanted to share. I sent the manuscript to Tiger's Eye for
a critique which was positive. Before that my writers' group
and a special poet friend encouraged me. I never submitted
it. Decided that I wanted to continue writing poems rather
than market them probably because I had thought I'd never
write again.
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a?
movie rendition?
I'd want Meryl Streep to play the main character. She is interested
in art and music as I am, is married to a sculptor, and both of my parents
were creative. She plays with emotional depth and courage, and her passion
for what she does feels similar. As a model of a strong independent woman,
one who loves and lives deeply, she would understand what it is like to
be thought dead and live with the consequences of both loss and joy.
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
A blurber says it is both an elegy and a quiet celebration—an elegy for a world
either lost or never fully realized, but a celebration too, of all that remains,
survives and flourishes.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
The cancer part of the book was begun in 2008, but there are poems
much earlier than that as well. I just wrote the poems as they came with
no particular idea in mind. When I realized I it was time to take stock of
what I had accumulated, and finally do something about it, the idea of a
book came back strong. I had published a chapbook in December
with none of the poems in this present book. There were more poems
that had been published, some which had won awards so I decided
on a book. I brought 90 some poems to a friend and advisor and we
discussed what the book could look like. She spent time thinking about
an arc, sections, etc. and was most encouraging and supportive. I found
a way to include some art poems and then at a certain point, my daughter
and I spread the poems all over the floor like pieces of a puzzle. The arc of
the book presented itself, the title. The cover.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Having cancer and its aftermath inspired the book, and the thought
that this was a second chance. When I finally left the hospital, I could
not even write my name. With the support of all my poet friends, and one
in particular who never gave up on me, I slowly came back to writing.
I wanted to share that experience knowing there were many people out
there who thought they'd never do certain things again—that their life
was over. I wanted to show that great loss changes one; life will be
different, but it can be lived with richness and even more meaning.
It seemed a great opportunity to convey that. So I had circled back to the
original intended chapbook.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
I'm very happy with the cover art—done by a young graphic designer and
poet, Chrys Heidel who lives in Delaware. It shows so well a life moving
forward toward harvest, reaping all the world has to offer.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
The book was published in November by Bellowing Ark Press in Shoreline,
Washington. I had worked with editor and publisher, Robert
Ward, on my first book and knew that he worked closely with
authors and sought to produce the best book possible. |