12 or 20 (second series) questions with Renée D. Bondy

Renée D. Bondy taught in Women’s and Gender Studies atthe University of Windsor, where she facilitated courses on queer activism,women and religion, and the history of women’s movements. Her writing hasappeared in Herizons, Bitch, Bearings Online, and the HumberLiterary Review. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers. Renéelives in Chatham, Ontario. [non]disclosure is her first novel.

1 - How didyour first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare toyour previous? How does it feel different?

My début novellaunched just a couple of weeks ago, so I haven’t processed the effects of itbeing out in the world quite yet. The experience of writing the novel changedme, certainly. I wrote it in the seclusion of the covid-19 pandemic, which hadits challenges as well as its advantages. I was fortunate to be able to enrollin the graduate program in creative writing at the Humber School for Writers,and I also joined a stellar writing group. The opportunities to learn and growas a writer were life changing.

2 - How didyou come to fiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?

Actually, I wrotenon-fiction first – articles, essays, creative nonfiction. Popular writing,mostly for feminist magazines, and scholarly writing were ways that my teachingand research interests in Women’s and Gender Studies found expression. I neverthought I would write fiction. Ever. The isolation of the pandemic, and mydesire to find a creative way to express my thinking on the subject of childsexual abuse in the Catholic Church led me to fiction. As strange as it sounds,the novel came as a surprise, even to me.

3 - How longdoes it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writinginitially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear lookingclose to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?

My thoughtprocess is lengthy. I am ‘in my head’ a lot at the outset of a new project. Ithought about the novel for years before I began writing. When I begin a shortstory, it is only after weeks of living with the characters. I am a slowwriter. However, with both the novel and short stories, my drafts are not sofar from their final shape.

4 - Where doesa work of prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces thatend up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a"book" from the very beginning?

Until recently,my initial ideas about the form and length of any project remained constantfrom start to finish. However, my current project, which is in its very earlystages, is a novel that grew out of a short story. I decided to keep going withit when I realized that I knew far more about the characters than I was able toconvey in the short story.

5 - Are publicreadings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort ofwriter who enjoys doing readings?

I love readings.Perhaps it’s my background in teaching, but I like reading aloud and hearingwork read aloud. I’m definitely a writer who writes with my ear, and I thinkthere are layers of meaning revealed in tone, inflection, and cadence.

6 - Do youhave any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions areyou trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the currentquestions are?

My novel, [non]disclosure,is political. I hope to challenge the reader’s thinking about the abuses enabledby hierarchical religious institutions, and the misogyny and homophobiaimplicit in those structures. Another important takeaway from the novel is thecomplicated nature of silence and silencing; that is, how silence can beimposed and damaging, but it can also be chosen and protective. As a culture,we have redefined ideas about privacy in recent decades, so it's important to thinkabout the complex meanings of disclosure and secrecy.

7 – What doyou see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they evenhave one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?

I definitelybelong to the camp of writers who feel that art is, in and of its nature,political. Whether by accident or by design, we change the world when we write.At least for me, I feel a responsibility to pursue truth in my writing. If I’vedone that, I’ve done my job.

8 - Do youfind the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (orboth)?

I suppose itwould depend on the editor, but my experiences have been overwhelminglypositive. I wrote for Herizons magazine for several years, and workedwith its long-time editor Penni Mitchell, who is a gem of an editor: sharp, perceptive,and incisive. Liz Johnston edited [non]disclosure. Not only is Lizexceptionally skilled, but she was sensitive to the traumatic material in themanuscript, which was of paramount importance to me. She and I had a wonderful collaboration,and I learned so much from her.

9 - What isthe best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?

A yellow Post-itabove my desk reads, No one is watching. This helps me remember that Iwrite for myself first, that nothing is set in stone, and it’s okay to takechances with my writing.

10 - How easyhas it been for you to move between genres (historical fiction to criticalprose)? What do you see as the appeal?

Since I completed[non]disclosure, I’ve been writing short stories. Most of them are muchlighter in subject and tone than the novel, and writing them has been anantidote to the stress of writing about trauma. My second novel will have adifferent structure than the first, and I think the challenge of figuring thatout keeps the writing fresh.

11 - What kindof writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does atypical day (for you) begin?

I’m not a morningperson – I wish I could be. I tend to write after coffee and the morning news,and before my daily swim.

12 - When yourwriting gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a betterword) inspiration?

I walk. I read. Iwalk some more.

13 - Whatfragrance reminds you of home?

I grew up neartwo large distilleries – Hiram Walkers and Seagrams. When they were inproduction, the sweet, yeasty smell of mash permeated the town. That scent takesme back to childhood.

14 - David W.McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other formsthat influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?

I’m not sure thatI can pinpoint a direct link between other forms of art and my writing. BecauseI’m an auditory person, I appreciate the musicality and poetics of prose. Also,while writing [non]disclosure I watched many excellent films whichaddressed the subject of sexual assault by Roman Catholic priests – fromfeature films like Doubt and Spotlight, to lesser-knowndocumentary films, like Prey. The emotional intensity of film made animpact on the work.

15 - Whatother writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your lifeoutside of your work?

I admire so manywriters : Miriam Toews, Heather O’Neil, Katherena Vermette, Casey Plett, Suzette Mayr, Alicia Elliott, Sigrid Nunez, Lauren Groff… I could go on and on. Diane Schoemperlen’s work has been a huge influence, particularly her penchant forlists, which I share.

16 - Whatwould you like to do that you haven't yet done?

Hmm… I might trymy hand at poetry one day. But not soon.

17 - If youcould pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately,what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?

I love to bake,so if I had to choose a career that didn’t involve writing (except on birthdaycakes), I would be a baker.

18 - What madeyou write, as opposed to doing something else?

I often joke thatI am good at just two things – words and cake. My first career, teaching, utilizedmy skill with words. Writing was a natural next step.

19 - What wasthe last great book you read? What was the last great film?

All the Colourin the World, by C.S.Richardson, is a wonderful book, in content as well as design. I love a bookthat merges fiction and nonfiction, and Richardson does this brilliantly. Idon’t watch many films these days, but I recently saw Wicked Little Letters,starring Olivia Colman, which was highly entertaining.

20 - What areyou currently working on?

I always have ashort story in process. And I’ve started a new novel, which is in its wobblyearly stages. It’s an intergenerational story, and it explores ideas aroundsexuality and aging.

12 or 20 (second series) questions;