Novel For The Broken-Hearted: Q&A with author Kathleen Glasgow

Q: In Australia, YA seems to be having a big moment. What do you think is so appealing about the genre at this point in time?

A: I think readers are excited for the variety of stories and representation they find in young adult books. You can choose from space operas, romantic comedies, realistic stories that explore mental health, stories about race and justice, teen pirates fighting evil overlords, and more. There is truly something for every reader in YA.

Q: Did you choose to write YA or did the stories you had to tell determine this?

A: I write for and about young adults because to me, that’s the most interesting time in a person’s life. Teens are wide open to the world, in beautiful (and sometimes painful) ways. They are ready to explore new experiences or explore something intensely personal and reading books is a safe way for them to do this.

Q: What is it you would like readers to take away from How to Make Friends with the Dark?

A: That grief comes in all forms and is different for every person. That it’s okay to feel sad every day. That it’s okay to miss someone and still have happy moments in your life. That it’s okay to say, “I’m not okay right now and I need help,” much like Tiger does in the book with her friend Cake.

Q: In a recent article about bestselling Girl in Pieces, you were quoted as saying ‘Books can be a safe place in which to explore yourself and what’s happening to you.’ Is that an important aspect of why you choose the topics you do?

A: Yes. When I was a teenager, there weren’t any books about self-harm and I had to reach back to The Bell Jar and The Catcher in the Rye to find books that talked about depression and suicide. Which is fine, because I love both of those books. I needed a book that echoed what I was going through on a daily basis, a book that took my trauma seriously and didn’t romanticize it. And when I write, I try to write to that teen who needs a story that reflects their experience in some way, so they understand they aren’t alone, or weird, or crazy. I’ve heard from so many teens about books that have changed their lives, given them the bravery to speak out, given them the bravery to seek help, given them the bravery to live a different way. Literature truly has the power to change lives.

Q: There seems to be a consensus amongst the early reviewers of your book that you can tap into serious emotions and dealing with grief in a very powerful way. How did immersing yourself in this world while writing the book effect you and stay with you?

A: When I decided to write a book about a girl whose mother dies suddenly, I knew that it would bring up powerful feelings of grief for me, having lost my mother and sister in the span of four years. Every day, my grief changes. Some days it is quiet, some days it roars so loud I burst into tears in the grocery store. I wanted to write honestly about what it’s like to have this giant canyon of missing inside of you. It isn’t something that heals, or that you “get over.” It’s something that you have to learn to live with. You don’t get over it. You do go on, but your grief comes with you. That’s where the title of the book comes from. So, it was very difficult to let my grief rise up and out of me while writing HTMFWTD, but like writing Girl in Pieces, I wanted to readers to feel like I am speaking right to them, and in a way, holding their hand as they grieve.

Q: The parents, grandparents, teachers and librarians who follow Better Reading Kids are always looking for new book ideas so could you share with us your YA favourites and why?

A: I love this question! This past year I have loved books by:

Lygia Day Penaflor, All of This is True
Sandhya Menon, From Twinkle with Love
Janet McNally, The Looking Glass
Kara Thomas, The Cheerleaders
Tiffany Jackson, Monday’s Not Coming
Samira Ahmed, Internment
Helena Fox, How it Feels to Float
Meredith Russo, Birthday
Brendan Kiely, Tradition
Catherine Lo, Easy Prey