“Did You Always Want to be A Writer?”
What kind of student were you when you went to school?
I got very good grades, but all my teachers said I talked too much in class. Some of my friends say I still talk too much.
What were your favorite books?
If I Were Going is my all-time favorite. It’s about Mr. Sanders, a railroad and steamship agent, who won a trip around the world. Reading about all the places he and his wife visited made me want to travel. Richard Haliburton’s Book of Marvels was another one of my favorites. The places he talked about fascinated me.
I read Anne of Green Gables over and over again and I cried every time, and loved The Secret Garden. “My Book House” a 12-volume set was a compilation of world literature. It was like a treasure box filled with poems, songs, legends and stories from history.
Did you always want to be a writer? No, I wanted to be a pop singer, and I still want do. I might become one….if I ever get enough time to practice singing.
Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas are everywhere! Friends tell me about something interesting that happened to them, and I think, “Oh that would make a good book.” I read a newspaper article or watch television and want to learn more about a person or event in the news. I have a thick folder with book ideas and add to it all the time.
Is writing fun?
Yes. It’s like solving a puzzle. Researching the idea is fun, though some stories are harder to track down than others. Writing the story takes time. Finding the way to shape it, to tell it in an interesting way for others takes practice. There are frustrating times when you get stuck during the process, but seeing the finished version of a paper or a book makes you feel great.
How do you feel when an editor makes comments about your manuscript like your teachers used to do in school?
Now, I feel lucky that someone is taking time to read my book, think about it, and help me make it better. I didn’t always feel that way in school.
Do you think everybody can become a good writer?
Yes, if you listen to your own voice and have the courage to re-think and re-write your ideas.
Where do you live?
I live in two places—New York City and Copake Falls, a small town in rural New York. I love the city for its museums, music, plays, movie theaters and excitement. I love the country because it’s quiet and beautiful, a perfect place to write. I love my garden and I’m finally learning to bake.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I go to the movies. I laugh a lot with my friends. Go to art galleries with my husband Bob Rosegarten – he’s an artist. I travel and I read a lot!
Which book of yours is your favorite?
The book I am working on is always my favorite because it’s exciting to take all of the information I’ve gathered and shape it into the story of a person’s life.
Do you have grandchildren?
Yes, I have eight grandchildren. I’m writing a book about them, their parents and Poppi, their grandfather. It’s going to be a funny book, I hope!