What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
The fact that I was working closely to real life, and real people, was intimidating. I knew I didn’t want to write nonfiction – I have no journalism training, and it seemed like a terrifying amount of responsibility to tell the story in a factually accurate way. But even the proximity to reality was frightening. I wanted to honour the dead and respect the privacy of the living, both things that are sometimes totally at odds with telling a good story.
How did you think of the title of the book?
The title comes from Louise Gluck’s beautiful, brilliant poem, “Myth of Devotion,” which is also the epigraph to the novel. The working title, before that, was “A Crime,” which no one except me liked. “Nothing can hurt you,” is also a phrase that appears in some translations of the bible, which I think is kind of fun.
What’s some great advice you’ve received that has helped you as a writer?
To read as diversely as possible – read from different eras, different places, different languages. It helps to keep you from imitating any one author or school too closely.
Are you able to switch off at the end of a day of writing? If so, how?
Absolutely not. Once I have started a project, I think about it constantly. I dream about it. I would actually love to be able to switch off at the end of a day and if anyone has any suggestions that are not narcotics, please let me know.
Who are some of your favourite authors? Or favourite books?
Right now I’m in love with the collected works of Gary Lutz, which were recently published by New York Tyrant. Lutz makes every other writer look sentimental and regurgitated in comparison. He’s wonderful.
What’s your daily writing routine like and what are you working on at the moment?
I don’t have a routine, though I would like to, someday. I move between writing on paper, on my laptop and on my phone, often while watching television – the background noise helps me focus. I do write almost every day, though I don’t always write a lot.
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