Joanna Hughes
asked
Brendan Halpin:
Your writing is really exceptional, I feel immediately connected to your characters. I just want to ask what influenced you to write Forever Changes?
Brendan Halpin
Thank you so much! I really appreciate the compliments!
Forever Changes was inspired by the death of my wife Kirsten from breast cancer in 2003. I actually think of Forever Changes as the last of my "grief trilogy." In Donorboy, I wrote about a grieving kid, in Long Way Back I wrote about a grieving husband, and in Forever Changes I wanted to write something about the person facing death.
I was and am in awe of the way in which Kirsten faced her death, and I wrote Forever Changes in part to honor her. But also, I wanted to address the issue of how you live with the knowledge that you're going to die. Which is Brianna's problem in the book, but also everybody's problem, really.
Sorry to be a downer, but, hey, it's a sad book. :)
Forever Changes was inspired by the death of my wife Kirsten from breast cancer in 2003. I actually think of Forever Changes as the last of my "grief trilogy." In Donorboy, I wrote about a grieving kid, in Long Way Back I wrote about a grieving husband, and in Forever Changes I wanted to write something about the person facing death.
I was and am in awe of the way in which Kirsten faced her death, and I wrote Forever Changes in part to honor her. But also, I wanted to address the issue of how you live with the knowledge that you're going to die. Which is Brianna's problem in the book, but also everybody's problem, really.
Sorry to be a downer, but, hey, it's a sad book. :)
More Answered Questions
Alona Bagley
asked
Brendan Halpin:
My favorite is Donorboy because of how simple it is, told entirely in transcripts, journal entries, messages, emails; all sorts of points of views, but never really any point of view at all. Just what the people in the story thought was important enough to write down, to save, to remember. Many things are only shown by the beginning and the end. I love it. But I was wondering, was it ever hard to write like that?
Tole
asked
Brendan Halpin:
I really like your books because (apart from great style) you seem to write about a bunch of important issues, (mental health, queerness etc). Do you choose these things because you want to make statements about them, or are they just where you stories go? And how do you make sure you stay representative of marginalised groups you aren't necessarily a part of?
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