Ask the Author: Allegra Goodman
Answered Questions (11)
Allegra Goodman
Amy, thank you for this question, and forgive my delay responding. Somehow I did not see it here! I am so happy you enjoyed "Isola." Reading that book on a snowy day sounds perfect. As a Jewish person, I did quite a bit of thinking when I wrote about a Catholic woman brought up with a Christian education. My own tradition is different in many ways, but I tried to get inside of Marguerite and understand what she has been taught. I read a lot about her world, including convent schools, and the religious controversies of the day--especially the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. I also studied parables that I thought Marguerite would think about on her island. In addition to my reading, I drew upon my experience attending a Christian school as a child. My school was Protestant, but gave me some access to Christian tradition. Finally I took advantage of the fact that Christians and Jews share quite a bit of scripture. When I discovered the courtly poet Clement Marot and his translations of the Psalms into French, I decided to include his book as one of Marguerite's possessions on her island. I am familiar with the Psalms and enjoyed this common ground with Marguerite.
Allegra Goodman
Thank you for your question! I was indeed quite young when I wrote "Sarah." I think I must have been 25 or 26. It's funny but I've always enjoyed writing older characters, and I particularly enjoyed writing them when I was young. In fact I felt more comfortable writing older characters than writing about people my age. Now that I am an older writer in my 50s I feel at ease writing about young teenagers and young adults as well as older people. What characterizes fiction is the imaginative leaps the writer makes. That's the challenge and the fun of it. Getting into the head of someone with a different perspective / age / gender. If you enjoyed "Sarah" you might enjoy the stories in my new book "This Is Not About Us." Like "The Family Markowitz" that book explores a family from many perspectives--old and young. Grandmother, great aunt, cousin, niece, grandchild, father, mother, husband, wife, ex-wife, future stepmother . . .
Allegra Goodman
I'm so happy you enjoyed "Sam!" It would be so interesting to do an illustrated book. I'd have to get my publisher to agree, though. :) I do wish there were more illustrated books for grownups. My favorite edition of "Moby Dick" is designed with woodcuts by Barry Moser . . . Thanks for writing! As an artist you might find my new novel, "Isola" interesting.
Allegra Goodman
I love that you might be interested in hearing about Marguerite's future life. I usually don't write sequels, and I think in this case I've said what I have to say about Marguerite--but I like to imagine her teaching happily and telling amazing stories to her wide-eyed students, some rich and some on scholarship at the school she founds with Claire and Madame D'Artois. Thank you so much for reading and for your question.
Allegra Goodman
Hi Jeffrey! Yes, the name of the woman is Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval. You can read a bit more about her in my Author's Note and online she has her own Wikipedia entry. Another good source online is the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
Allegra Goodman
7 year old me: The Land of Oz
10 year old me: Neverland
12 year old me: Earthsea
16 year old me: Middlemarch
20 year old me: Mansfield Park
30 year old me: The Land of Oz where I returned to travel with my children
40 year old me: Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and the Land of the Houyhnhnms, where I returned to travel with my children
50 year old me: Meryton, where I returned to travel with my daughter
10 year old me: Neverland
12 year old me: Earthsea
16 year old me: Middlemarch
20 year old me: Mansfield Park
30 year old me: The Land of Oz where I returned to travel with my children
40 year old me: Lilliput, Brobdingnag, Laputa, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and the Land of the Houyhnhnms, where I returned to travel with my children
50 year old me: Meryton, where I returned to travel with my daughter
Allegra Goodman
Books I want to finish this summer:
Mozart: the Reign of Love" --Jan Swafford
"The Blessing and the Curse: The Jewish People and Their Books in the Twentieth Century"--Adam Kirsch
"Rescuing Socrates"--Roosevelt Mantos
"Hubbub: Filth, Noise, & Stench in Early Modern England"--Emily Cockayne
Novels I want to read:
"The Candy House" --Jennifer Egan
"Beautiful World, Where Are You?" --Sally Rooney
"Free Love" --Tessa Hadley
Book I want to reread!
"John Keats: the Making of a Poet" --Aileen Ward
Mozart: the Reign of Love" --Jan Swafford
"The Blessing and the Curse: The Jewish People and Their Books in the Twentieth Century"--Adam Kirsch
"Rescuing Socrates"--Roosevelt Mantos
"Hubbub: Filth, Noise, & Stench in Early Modern England"--Emily Cockayne
Novels I want to read:
"The Candy House" --Jennifer Egan
"Beautiful World, Where Are You?" --Sally Rooney
"Free Love" --Tessa Hadley
Book I want to reread!
"John Keats: the Making of a Poet" --Aileen Ward
Allegra Goodman
The best thing about being a writer is that you get to create new worlds--and live new lives. A novelist performs every part, sets the scene, controls the lights, mixes the sound, and conjures all the costumes too. It's quite amazing to create theater out of thin air. But I don't do it alone. I create along with the reader. You.
Allegra Goodman
Hello there! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! There is no one currently adapting the book. If you are interested, the best course would be to contact my agent Julie Barer at The Book Group to find out about rights.
Allegra Goodman
Writer's block means difficulty writing. Some people think (despairingly) that they can't write because they have nothing to say, or because they aren't "good enough." I prefer to think of writer's block as growing pains. I've definitely experienced times when I just didn't have it in me to write another sentence--and looking back, I see that those times came when I was confused or uncertain. I had to figure out what to do next. In other words, I had to grow--to stop writing and learn something new. You remember the aches and pains you had when you were shooting up as a kid. Writer's block is like that too. Don't think of it as a malady. Think of it as sign of a growth spurt. Don't force yourself to write through it. Stop writing for a day or a week or even a month and read and think instead. Then try again after this respite, and see what happens.
Allegra Goodman
My best advice is to watch, listen, and read. Watch the people around you, observe the weather, be that person, on whom nothing is lost. Listen to the way people talk; really listen to their voices so that you can write dialog that sounds real. Read widely--not just in your own genre but in others. Fall in love with your public library. Read poetry, read history, read published diaries and letters. Read books old and new.
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