Tom Vetter asked Frances Mayes:

The enormous magnolia grandiflora in my yard demands attention nine months of the year. I could save a lot of work by cutting it down; but I love the flowers - big as dinner plates and better than air freshener - too much! You divide the year between Cortona and North Carolina to get the best seasons in both. Do you write in both locales, or gather material in Cortona and write about it in North Carolina?

Frances Mayes Yes, the magnolia leaves--big and leathery when dead--cause quite the mess, and, yes, the flowers are worth it. In the South where I grew up, a single one often adorned a coffin, insead of a "blanket" of flowers. My mother often kept an arrangement in the fireplace, as I do now. Cut branches can stay green for weeks. I have two grand trees in my NC yard and look at them everyday. They are so beautiful in the snow.
I have written many books in Italy--somehow the days seem longer there than anywhere on earth. Where you feel inspired is a mysterious matter, and I feel inspired in my third floor study there. I can get up and look out at my garden and at the classic Tuscan view in the distance. Wherever I am, I can work. We live in the country in NC, too, so I have no excuse whatsoever here! Much of writing, for me, comes from reading, so I read with post-its beside me, tagging passages, images, words, and even felicitous sentences as I read. I like to read once for pleasure, and then again, if I like the book, to see how it is structured, what makes it work, how the writer uses language. This work I do on planes, in bed, at the beach--everywhere.
Other material lies in my notebooks and the little one I keep in my bag. Recently, I've been using my phone to capture images I might later need.
Thanks for the question!

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