I wanted to write about how things were when I was growing up. I wanted to write about that tricky old horse, and about Black Bess—who was scarierthan any scary movie you’ve seen—okay Alien was a little scarier. I wanted to write about my cousins, about being kids together. But I found as this was just after the Twin Towers were downed, that it was impossible to write just parts of that time.
Summer’s End was drawn from a family drama that I wasn’t actually present for. Living halfway across the country, I heard about it from a cousin who was part of the tripodal relationship of the story:
In order to know more about how everybody felt, I wrote this story from each kids point of view. Then I settled back on the point of view I’d started out with, because Grace hadn’t yet made up her mind about how she felt. She was the right character to listen to if I wanted to know more about this experience.
Also, I found that some writing I’d done before had a place in this book. That was an interesting experience for me. It felt like I’d wanted to write about that before, but hadn’t found the right book to put it in until this book. In fact, I’m still not sure this was the right book. But I’m finished with that piece of writing.
What I wish I had known how to do was put all three points of view in this one book. Divide it into parts or something. All writers are still learning, that’s the problem of being a writer. We don’t know it all. Ever.
Of all the books I’ve written, this is the one I most want to rewrite. I won’t do that, but what I will do one day, is write a book from three points of view. When I feel I know how to do it. I think I’ll start with a book with two points of view and work my way up.
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