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Interview with Janet Fitch, author of the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller and Oprah book of the month selection White Oleander (Little, Brown & Company 1999). In this astonishing debut novel, Janet Fitch captures her readers from the very first page, leading them along a magnificent journey of self exploration into the depths of the human soul and the will to survive. Janet Fitch recently took time out of her busy schedule for an interview with The Charlotte Austin Review. Eloquent and a master of the English language, the author proved to be witty, insightful and gracious, talking simply about her overnight success. In June, Janet Fitch begins a 28 city book tour. Feature by Nancy Duncan. Read our review of White Oleander NANCY DUNCAN - Welcome, Ms. Fitch. In your interview with Salon.com, you mention that Ingrid evolved first. How did your main character Astrid evolve? JANET FITCH - I came up with Ingrid first. Astrid involved out of the original story. I listened to my intuition about what it would be like living with Ingrid. You can imagine a full plane of emotions. Ingrid is inward whereas Astrid is outward. They evolved out of that perception. What kind of research did you do for the numerous foster home settings where Astrid comes to live? I talked to women who had experienced living within the foster care system and women who had foster children. I bet you get asked all the time what your mother thinks of the book. I wont ask if any of the material is based on your own up-bringing. So what does your mother think? She loves the book. She is so happy for me. Fortunately we worked out all our personal issues long ago. Shes seen how hard Ive worked and she couldnt be happier or more pleased. Were there particular issues you wanted to explore in WHITE OLEANDER? I was interested in what it would be like to be an idealist. What happens to someone like that. The world is too big for beauty. What demons does beauty create for Astrids journey? What is it that makes some people transmute wounds? Or how can some people form moral systems and identify their system of values? Some found the book depressing. Whats your reaction? I knew it could be a depressing subject. Some want a Hollywood applause. Your prose is superb, artistically beautiful and poetic. Especially the beginning chapters. Thank you so much. It was a learned process. I didnt come out of the egg like that. I could always tell a story. But I had to learn to write. WHITE OLEANDER has been compared to Anywhere But Here [by Mona Simpson, 1992]. Any thoughts on this? Im happy to be compared to anyone. I read the book. Its a very funny book. In the United States, White Oleander is compared to Anywhere But Here. But in Europe its compared to John Irvings work. I find that interesting. How long did it take you to write WHITE OLEANDER? Four years. Each sentence is like a door. Has anything in your life changed since WHITE OLEANDER was selected as an Oprah pick? Its been very surrealistic. Suddenly people are listening to me. Im enjoying that. Now when friends call they ask me if I am working. Im being validated for putting in olympian efforts. Writing is invisible. Its like raising a child. Writers continuously struggle. Luck plays a role. My publisher has been tremendously supportive. We are playing it low key. The phone rings more now. We havent made any changes. Im doing what Ive been doing for twenty years. Only now I get respect for my work. When my daughter was six, the teacher asked the children what they got in the mail at home. One child said letters from grandma. Another child said junk mail. My daughter said we get rejections. By five she knew the difference. Rejections are like splinters under your skin. The difference between a story teller and an artist is learn your craft. I finally came to a point in my writing when I decided that I would not imagine NOT writing. I couldnt imagine not writing. Ive been unpublished longer than I was published. Will WHITE OLEANDER be made into a movie? Yes. The screenplay is being written as we speak. I know who the producer is but thats about it. It doesnt feel that real. You live in a private world as a writer. Congratulations! How exciting for you. Thank you. Yes it is. Do you have a favorite character in WHITE OLEANDER? Each character was a favorite. Astrid was hard. She was my camera. Did you ever expect success? No. Not in my wildest dreams. Oprah actually phoned me at work to tell me my book had been selected. I couldnt believe it. It has been an exciting time in my life. Any advice for writers? Writing is a personal taste. I write a particular kind of prose. People write to what would appeal to other people. Take a chance. Worry about the quality of work, not the market. Whats next for Janet Fitch? I dont plot. I grope my way along. By the end of the draft I might have some shape. I started out my next book thinking I would write something loosely based on my grandmother who married a Hollywood wardrobe man in the 1920's. But the plot has changed. Theres an interesting male I hadnt expected. I dont know what he will do at this point. Any closing comments? I never expected this to happen. Its an achievement of my hearts desire. I feel fortunate. |
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