Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I grew up in coastal New England so we spent considerable time at the beach, even in winter. The East Coast is quite a contradiction with its high-energy, uptight cities and its relaxed, summer-at-the-shore communities all within short distances from each other. These mentalities have given me a great balance of my craving for being in the middle of life while also needing space to myself. Traditionally, Bostonians are naturally shy and reserved until you earn their trust. If a stranger passes us on the street, in a hallway, or any other situation, our instinct is to look to the ground for fear of rejection. If the stranger greets us and we feel safe, we light up and are then a warm and welcoming people. Because of this reservedness, I am a consummate observer and ponderer.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Writing is my oxygen. I prefer to write by hand with a great pen. Like my choice of coffee receptacle, the perfect pen for any given writing task depends upon my mood and the feeling I want to evoke from my writing, though generally a fountain pen. There is something truly wonderful about writing with a fountain pen. Getting caught up in the energy created by the nib scratching furiously across the paper; seeing the words actually formed on the page after the thoughts have been rummaging around in my brain for some time is a truly satisfying endeavor. The greatest joy I derive from writing is the aspect of painting and sculpting with words. Like Michelangelo with his paint and marble, writing is physical work that translates a personal, intimate vision or feeling into something breathtaking, something that profoundly effects other human beings until the end of time.
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