A Chat With Laurie Boris
Today I welcome Laurie Boris to my blog. Laurie is a fellow Book Junkie and a writer of women's literature. Laurie was my guest on the Book Junkies Interview Livecast on February 14. Please take some time to listen to that episode here:
When did yo u decide to get serious about writing?
When I was thirty (twenty years ago, for those who are counting), a novel fell into my head. Before that, I fooled around with shorter fiction. When I told my husband about my idea for a longer work, he said, "You can't write a novel." Hah. Nothing like starting your career on a dare. I've written eight more since then.
Which writers have inspired and influenced you?
TC Boyle. Vladimir Nabokov. Tolstoy. Kurt Vonnegut. John Irving. Joyce Carol Oates. Pat Conroy. I could go on all day. Nearly every author I've read has taught me something.
Share some information about your book with us
My first published novel, a hybrid of chick lit/women's fiction, came out this past July. The Joke's on Me is the story of Frankie Goldberg, a former actress and stand-up comic whose life in Hollywood falls apart with an exclamation mark when a mudslide destroys her home. Hoping for comfort, she returns to her mother's B&B in Woodstock, New York, where she spent her teen years making coffee, folding towels, and chasing after the handyman's hot, high-school-jock son. Now she has to deal with the mess she left behind, her bossy older sister, her mother's illness, and the family responsibilities she's been shirking. And the handyman's son, now a minor-league baseball coach, is back in town…
What started you on the journey to write this book?
I was working in Woodstock at the time. I'd gone into town for lunch and on the way back, got stuck in traffic. Two cars ahead of me, a driver had stopped to have a conversation with a female pedestrian. This woman was wearing a gypsy dress and a lot of bracelets…like a lot of women who come up from New York City to "do" Woodstock. The convo went on forever. Finally, I gave a little tap on the horn. I was late. The woman looked up, smiled and waved. Frankie started talking to me in my head. A whole stand-up routine about how annoying Woodstock has gotten. Then she started talking about her family and her ex-hippie sister.
How would you describe your literary voice and what do you think makes it unique?
I'm wry and quirky. I like inventing words and love to write crackling dialogue.
What is your process for creating characters? What do you do to get them to feel genuine to your readers? I get still and listen. Someone usually pops up with a story to tell. Often I'll use people I've met or known as an armature. Eventually they become "themselves." If a character is not being forthcoming, I'll interview him or her.
What genre do you most love to read? Are your stories exclusive to that genre?
I read nearly everything: literary fiction, humor, historical fiction, fantasy, memoir, biography, romance, mysteries. But I mainly write contemporary, mainstream fiction.
What does writing do for you, personally? How does it make you feel?
It's an outlet for me, a way to explore life through the eyes of others. Writing fiction takes me off the planet for a while. I literally lose myself and become these other people.
Are there other genres of fiction that you would like to explore in the future?
I would love to write a historical novel. I've felt "connected" to specific eras and would like to explore that. Plus, I love doing research.
What new projects are you currently working on?
I'm finalizing a literary YA novel, Drawing Breath, about a teenage girl who falls in love with the man who lives upstairs, an artist with cystic fibrosis. It touches my heart because a good friend died from CF. He ran out of his borrowed time, but was one of my heroes because he went at the things he loved with singular focus and passion, and never talked of himself in terms of limits until the very end. By example, he taught me to do the same. I'm honored to have one of his paintings in my home.
What is the story you remember best from childhood, and does it still influence your writing today?
I was a big Dr. Seuss fan, still am. I loved his wordplay and imagination, which cleverly hid deeper messages without sounding preachy.
Where do you see yourself as a writer five years from now?
Several more novels out. Hopefully a Woodstock series, a la William Kennedy's Albany. Several of the characters from "Joke" have told me they would like their own books.
Is there anyone you'd like to give a shout out to?
A BIG thank you to my husband and my family, who have all been so supportive. My PNN pals, who always have my back. And of course, the Book Junkies.
Any last words for our readers?
Thank you! Thank you for reading, and if you have children, thank you for encouraging them to read. And write.
