Rachel Ballard shares her first published novel, "A Long-Forgotten Truth," the story of a young woman's search for her biological father (and ultimately, herself) at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, at Village Books, in Fairhaven.
Ballard grew up on Mercer Island, where, she says, she collaborated at an early age writing ghost stories and political satire with her two best friends. She has lived in Bellingham since 1998. For more on her life and her writing, go to http://rachelballard.net/content.
Question: Have you always liked to write?
Answer: I've always enjoyed writing but I definitely pursued other interests like theater as well, and never really thought of myself as a "budding writer" until after high school. I went to Western Washington University for undergraduate school, which is how I had the good fortune of landing in Bellingham. I received an MFA in creative writing from Pacific Lutheran University's Rainier Writing Workshop in 2010. "A Long-Forgotten Truth" comes from my PLU graduate thesis.
Q: What else have you had published?
A: I've had a short story published in WWU's wonderful literary magazine, Jeopardy. A nonfiction piece of mine was published in a book called "Pass the Fire: Stories of Service in America." This was published by AmeriCorps to inspire young people interested in national service. I also had a poem published in the recent anthology of past winners of Whatcom County's Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest.
Q: What inspired "A Long-Forgotten Truth?"
A: The book was inspired by many things, including my love of Snoqualmie Falls, my teenage angst, a penchant for nostalgia and, of course, Bob Dylan. The title comes from the song "Something There is About You," as does the epigraph at the beginning of the novel. I have been a Dylan fan since high school, and his work has no doubt been my strongest artistic influence over the years.
Q: How did the title come about?
A: There are many possible interpretations of the title. The novel's protagonist is searching for literal truth about her roots, and she's looking to forget the only family she's ever had. I think there's something redemptive to seeking absolute truth, even though it's always an impossible journey.
The apt lyrics occurred to me as a possible title long after I'd written a heavily nostalgic, heavily Dylan-inspired novel, but I'm sure that at some level I was aware of how perfect the epigraph was, with its themes of a Duluth childhood and personal haunting. My publisher securing the rights to reprint that epigraph was a "jump-up-and-down-excited" moment.
Q: What was your writing process for the book?
A: All over the place. This book was conceived long before grad school, but that's where it really grew into what it is now. I had months of frantic writing and hand cramps, followed often by months of staring out my window or banging my head against the desk. Peers and mentors at PLU helped the book get to where it is today.
The book was edited in-house at the publisher. I heard about Rozlyn Press through a friend in grad school. I got a sense that Alayne Fiore, my editor/publisher extraordinaire, would do a beautiful job with the book. I am so happy with the end product.
Q: Are you doing a book tour?
A: I have been doing readings around the Northwest this summer and it's been a blast. I am looking at next spring for a Midwest-focused book tour.
The book can be purchased at the popular online spots (links available on the publisher's website, rozlynpress.com) but even better would be to buy it locally at Village Books! If it happens to be out of stock, they can certainly order it.
Q: What's next?
A: I am currently working on my second novel. The working title is "'Hamster Blues." The apostrophe is intentional (as in Bellinghamster), which has confused other interviewers and made me rethink the title, but I'll leave it for now. In its current state, it's a tale of love and obsession inspired by Nabokov's "Lolita," only it takes place in modern-day Bellingham.
I basically decided that after I was finished indulging my nostalgia for the Cascade foothills landscapes I adored in my teenage years, I would indulge my nostalgia for the town with which I've spent over 10 years getting to know and love.
Q: Do you have a day job?
A: I have a very rewarding day job working for disabilities services at Whatcom Community College. My job is transcribing (captioning) for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.
Q: And you're in a band, right?
A: I Love You Avalanche is the music of my friend, the brilliant Anna Arvan. I have been playing bass for her band for over two years. The band's current incarnation is Anna, myself, Nora Hughes and Peter Woiwod. Joined by Avalanche alums Lindsey Mutschler and Glyndon Jewell, we are currently working on a production for the iDiOM Theater that will be performed in early December. The play is a musical written and directed by Sol Olmstead and features all I Love You Avalanche music.
Q: What books that you've read conjure memories for you?
A: Tough question! As nostalgic as I am, you'd think I would have a better memory for such things. "The Eleventh Hour" by Graeme Base was my favorite picture book as a kid. For young adult books I really loved "A Yellow Raft in Blue Water" by Michael Dorris. Since we're moving on up through adolescence, I've got to mention Richard Bach's "Illusions" and, of course, Jack Kerouac's "On the Road." I also remember a time in my freshman year of high school when my mom popped her head in my bedroom door to see why I was sobbing and it was because I'd just finished Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men." I still tear up thinking about that sad, beautiful story.
