Q: As a reporter and published writer in outlets like Women’s Books, Story Magazine, and The Boston Globe, what inspired you to take on long-form fiction for this project?

This story has been with me for a long time. Maybe as long as fifty years since I was a child eavesdropping on conversations in my family’s living room when 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. Years later, as a reporter covering stories on military bases in California, Washington, and Texas, I continued to be struck by questions about what it means to live in a country dependent on an all-volunteer army. Writing news stories that only ran one or two minutes didn’t allow me the space to explore these questions. I started to imagine a novel. 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 pay 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.

Q: What was the most challenging part of writing this story? Were there any scenes or characters that were particularly difficult to get right, especially considering the sensitive nature of the topics you were dealing with (grief, war, motherhood, and resistance)?

I have not served in the military, so imagining the experiences of a young Marine was daunting. 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—and yet, she has regrets about giving up her career to stay home, and as an aging woman, she is struggling with everything from her identity to her changing body. It was really challenging to imagine the steps that would lead her to jeopardize her marriage, but as her story progressed, and I had greater insight into her frustrations about her own personal sacrifices, it made sense that she would enter into a relationship with Privately, as inappropriate as that affair seemed.

Q: SAFEKEEPING also deals with themes of patriotism and protest as its own form of patriotism. This is a complex line to walk in our current sociopolitical climate. How did you try to balance the tensions of each competing interest as you were writing?

I was really interested in exploring Privately’s ideas about service. As a combat veteran, did he believe there were other ways of serving beyond the military? What did he think about protesting against the very government which sent him to fight? He becomes involved in MOMS, Mothers Opposing More Senselessness, an anti-draft organization, as a way to bring attention to the war’s death toll. On some level, this protest is very personal; it is about honoring his comrades who were killed. On the other hand, Tenley forms MOMS with the explicit goal of keeping her son safe and out of war, but as she works to bring a national spotlight to this anti-draft movement, her own understanding of the end goals of protest changes, and her perception of the romanticized war hero is challenged. 

Q: Veterans are often ostracized or blamed for wars after they return home. How do you think we, as a community, can better support our veterans when coming back from combat while also holding our government accountable?

This is an important and multi-faceted question, and I wish I had actionable answers. I feel passionately about bringing veterans and civilians together in meaningful conversations. Too often, civilians’ interactions with veterans are limited to a brief exchange in a grocery store or a Veterans Day parade when we might say, “thank you for your service,” before walking away. As civilians, we have little insight into the experiences of military personnel and their families on bases here in the U.S. and across the world. If we knew more about their lives and the daily risks they face, we might be better positioned and motivated to provide adequate support for them and advocate for services they are entitled to receive. I hear plenty of jingoistic slogans from our government, but our servicemen and women are not a priority in this administration. Our society continues to fail our military and their families. 

Q: What’s your process like for starting, writing, and finishing a story? What are the challenges, and what comes easiest to you? Have you ever gotten writer’s block?

My process is messy and painfully inefficient, but I have come to accept this is my process. I write longhand and try to maintain momentum. I don’t go back and reread or attempt to revise. I look at my first draft as a discovery draft, a “zero draft,” with draft #1 being the one I enter into the computer. It is only after I have this first (still rough) draft in a document, that I begin to think about creating an outline and shaping what I have into a story. Writer’s block is very real and can be crushing. I try to remember the words of the great poet William Stafford who when asked what he does to avoid writer’s block, responded that he simply lowered his standards. This helps a lot: I don’t have to write “well.” I don’t need to complete a daily or weekly word count. I just need to keep showing up and engaging with whatever is before me on the page. As writers, sometimes we need little tricks to keep us coming back to the work with curiosity.

Q:  Who are some writers or storytellers who have influenced you? What is one book you think everyone should read?

At the end of SAFEKEEPING, I include a list of books that were helpful to me as I drafted my novel. Many of these titles, particularly BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK by Ben Fountain and WAITING FOR EDEN by Elliot Ackerman, beautifully, and compassionately imagine the inner worlds of combat veterans and inspired me in my own writing. As for one book everyone should read… ooh, that’s tricky. Reading is vital to my existence. I am guessing Harvardwood readers feel the same. I am a fan of reading whatever feels compelling, any genre, any title, any subject. For me, all reading is worthwhile.

Q: What's next for you? Are there any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to explore in your future work?

I am currently working on a novel set in nineteenth-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 nineteenth-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 nineteenth 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: What’s your biggest tip for aspiring authors looking to get published?

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 email every hour, hoping that someone will want to publish their work. Keep going! Your story matters.

Q: And finally, what do you like to do in your free time?

I am an avid (obsessive!) reader. After my family, and dogs, of course, reading is my greatest joy. I am fortunate to live in Bend, Oregon, an outdoor wonderland of activities, and I love running and hiking along the Deschutes River and up in the mountains. If you’re passing through Central Oregon, please reach out and I’ll take you to my favorite spots along the beautiful Deschutes!