As you know, I had retired the literary Would You Rather interview series, but didn't want to stop interviews on the site all together. Instead, I've pulled together 40ish questions - some bookish, some silly - and have asked authors to limit themselves to answering only 10 of them. That way, it keeps the interviews fresh and connectable for all of us!
Joining us today is Jane Cawthorne. Jane writes about women
on the brink of transformation. Her debut novel, Patterson House (Inanna
2022) is set in Toronto, the city in which she grew up. She is the co-editor of
two anthologies with E.D. Morin: Impact: Women Writing After Concussion,
and Writing Menopause. Her play, The Abortion Monologues has been
produced many times in the US and Canada. Her work is often anthologized, most
recently in You Look Good For Your Age (Rona Altrows Ed) and (M)Othering
(Anne Sorbie and Heidi Grogan Eds). In 2011, she was a finalist for the Alberta
Writers’ Guild’s Short Story Award for “Weight,” which originally appeared in FreeFall
Magazine. Her essay, “Something As Big As A Mountain” was a notable essay
in The Best American Essays 2013 (Cheryl Strayed, Ed.) and was also
first runner up in the 2012 PRISM International Creative Non-Fiction
Contest. Her earlier essay, “The Cure for a Cancer Cliche,” about her
experience with Hodgkins Lymphoma was shortlisted for the same contest in 2007.
She earned an MFA from the Solstice MFA program in Boston, MA in 2016. She
currently lives in Victoria, BC and is working on her second novel set in the
1970s in Windsor, Ontario.
As a teacher and university instructor, I was always writing as part of my work but I dreamed of writing more creatively. Then, I was seriously ill in my forties and I realized that time is limited and I had better get on with it.
What’s something that’s true about you but no
one believes?
Because I was a teacher, I’ve had a lot of
practice speaking in front of big groups. I’m good with a crowd and can talk to
anyone about almost anything. Because of this, no one believes I’m an
introvert. The quiet life of a writer is most comfortable for me.
What’s your kryptonite as a writer?
My kryptonite as a writer is falling down a
research rabbit hole. It can be incredibly interesting but also a huge time
sink.
If you could have a superpower, what would it
be?
If I had a super-power, I would like it to
be invisibility. It would be a great superpower for any writer. We could be the
proverbial “fly on the wall” and get insight into all kinds of situations and
grab snippets of dialogue. But most days I would settle for always being able
to get a parking spot.
What’s the best money you’ve ever spent as a
writer?
The best money I’ve ever spent as a writer
is on writing courses. But there are a lot of ways to develop skills as a
writer that don’t cost money. Libraries have books about the craft of writing. Some universities or colleges have visiting
writers in residence that offer feedback to local writers. You can also join a
writing group. Investing in yourself as a writer is important and too often, we
put it last on our list, especially if writing is our side hustle. This is
particularly true of women who are often so busy investing in everyone else we
put ourselves last.
How do you celebrate when you finish writing a
new book?
When a book is finished and the author
copies arrive, I always open the box, pick out a book, open it, and smell it! I
know I’m not the only writer who does this. Then I go through the pages and
read little passages to myself to see how it all looks on the page and how the
book feels to a reader. It’s a quiet time for me, not something splashy. I
think about all the work that went into it and try to appreciate the moment.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
I would get along much better with
“end-of-the-book-Alden” than “beginning-of-the-book-Alden.” I would get along
with Constance and if I were her teacher, I know that she would be my favourite
student—smart, curious, and questioning everything. And Mr. Hunt would be my
favourite neighbour. I would be talking over the back fence with him about the
garden every day.
If you could cast your characters in a movie,
which actors would play them and why?
Allison Janney would make a good Alden, not
only because she’s got huge range as an actor but also because she’s so tall. Constance should be a break-out role for a
young unknown actor. She should be a bit rough and tumble and have quite a
spark to her. Whoever plays Mr. Hunt would have to wear a lot of make up to
recreate his scarred face. The actor would have to be able to get the viewer to
forget about Mr. Hunt’s shocking outward appearance and see his inner beauty. I
imagine Stanley Tucci would be great in this role, despite him being older in
real life than Mr. Hunt. His age would likely help him portray the character
even better because Mr. Hunt is an old soul.
What are you currently reading?
At this moment, I’m going through a Hilary
Mantel phase. Maybe it is because she recently passed. I’m just about to crack
open Fayne by Anne-Marie MacDonald. Fall on Your Knees is one of
my favourite books, so I am really looking forward to her new one. Similarly,
I’ve got The Marriage Proposal by Maggie O’Farrell in the queue. I loved
Hamnet and Judith. I also read a lot of essays. I’m currently into
Ursula K. Le Guin’s No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters. Give
me anything about nature, trees, birds, or wildlife and I’ll read it. I’m
half-way through What the Robin Knows by Jon Young. It’s fascinating.
What are your bookish pet peeves?
I’m hard on books. I dog-ear pages and write in them, especially if I’m studying them. Some people think books should stay pristine. That’s my pet peeve. Show me a well-worn, dog-eared book with tons of underlines and marginalia and I’ll show you a book someone loved.
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Alden
Patterson, the last living member of a once-wealthy Toronto family, is haunted
by the legacy of her grandfather, William Patterson, whose suicide taints the
family name. She lives in the decaying Patterson House with Constance, a
foundling, and John Hunt, an injured war veteran and the family’s former
gardener. When Alden is reduced to taking in boarders, she thinks she has found
a way to survive until the crash of 1929 leaves her truly desperate and one
particular boarder threatens to destroy everything she thinks she wants.
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