Ask the Author: Patricia Hruby Powell
Answered Questions (11)
Patricia Hruby Powell
Why does the protagonist dream that she'll be found out for criminal incident committed years ago, when as far as she can remember, she's never enacted a crime?
Patricia Hruby Powell
I'm highly steeped in reality, but if this included "when" I'd time travel to a woman's suffrage rally, maybe the Woman Parade of 1913 organized by Alice Paul and Lucy Burns and convince them to allow the black women to march with the white women, rather than segregating them to their own section at the end of the parade. (Because this is what I'm writing about now). If it's simply where, I'd go to the Amazonian rainforest up in the canopy.
Patricia Hruby Powell
Well, a documentary novel is creative nonfiction. The book, Loving vs. Virginia, is an information book, but I told it in the voices of the protagonists, Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving--that's fiction. Although I did weave in some of the words they said in the sixties when they were interviewed by film maker Hope Ryden, for newscasts concerning their court case. Truman Capote did it with In Cold Blood, which is sometimes called a nonfiction novel. Certainly others are doing research like this--that is interviewing the "players" in the story. In the case of Mildred and Richard, I could not interview them, since they're deceased. But I spoke with Mildred's brothers Otha and Lewis and the Lovings' friends who still live in the neighborhood.
Patricia Hruby Powell
I care about civil rights issues. This is a love story and a civil rights issue. I want to get this into the hands of kids and adults who either care about world issues and civil rights or who should care about world issues, history and civil rights.
Patricia Hruby Powell
Good question. The book is highly researched and accurate, but is a "documentary novel" because I tell the story in the voices of Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving. "Documentary novel" is a category closer to nonfiction that "historical fiction" but in our world, it must be classified. In some libraries it will be placed with fiction. In some, in nonfiction--depending on the library. Thanks for asking.
Patricia Hruby Powell
As a dancer/choreographer I knew I couldn't dance forever, but I still had something to say. I considered being a visual artist, I became a storyteller, but settled on writing as the most satisfying art form. I feel it was a good choice. I mean, I still dance (tango mostly), I still paint, and I tell stories--mostly on paper.
Patricia Hruby Powell
Megan, what a great question. It makes me think I SHOULD have a celebration ritual. What I probably do is push that send button, shriek hurray and then collapse on the ground with relief. And then I'll find out I'm not done, when my editor says, I need for you to...So I do whatever needs to be done and go through the whole send, shriek, collapse routine. But, ritual...Must work on that.
Patricia Hruby Powell
Well, Loving vs Virginia, a young adult documentary novel about the the multi racial lovers (named Richard (white)and Mildred (black, Indian, white) Loving) who married in rural Virginia in 1958, were arrested while in bed, banished from Virginia for years; but the landmark case was decided in their favor by U.S Supreme Court in 1967. The story is mostly about their courtship, but set in the time of the Civil Rights Movement.
That's in the can. I'm now working on a jazz age novel for young adults.
That's in the can. I'm now working on a jazz age novel for young adults.
Patricia Hruby Powell
Read. Read extensively in your own genre and in other genres. Read the best writing you can fine.
Patricia Hruby Powell
Losing myself in the writing. Connecting with my readers.
Patricia Hruby Powell
I walk, roller blade, or play/dance at the pool. I don't actually swim, but I do developés and run and, uh, dance in the water. I do my best thinking while moving.
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