Interview with author Diana Spechler and Book Giveaway

I had the opportunity to ask author Diana Spechler a few questions. Ms. Spechler’s debut novel Who By Fire was released by Harper Perennial in September 2008.

Diana Spechler’s fiction has appeared in Glimmer Train Stories, Moment, Lilith, and elsewhere. She received her MFA degree from the University of Montana and was a Steinbeck Fellow at San Jose State University. She lives in New York City, where she is at work on her second novel.

Who By Fire description:

Bits and Ash were children when the kidnapping of their younger sister Alena, an incident for which Ash blames himself, caused an irreparable family rift. Thirteen years later, Ash is living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel, cutting himself off from his mother, Ellie, and his wild child sister, Bits. But soon he may have to face them again: Alena’s remains have finally been uncovered. Now Bits is traveling across the world in a bold and desperate attempt to bring her brother home and salvage what’s left of their family. Told from the alternating points of view of the three family members, Who By Fire is a searing commentary on guilt, grief, and the inescapable bonds of family from a fresh and extremely talented new voice in American fiction.

And now my interview:

Did you always want to be an author?
Yes. I have been writing poems and stories since I could pick up a pencil. I could never think of anything else I really wanted to do.

How did you come up with the idea for this novel (Who By Fire)?
In 2000, I spent six months in Israel. A few years later, when I was a graduate student, I wrote a story about Bits, a young woman living in Boston, and her brother, Ash, a yeshiva boy in Israel. It was an unsettling story with an unsettling ending. Ultimately, I returned to the story because I couldn't shake it. Then I started fleshing it out into a novel.

Where did the characters that make up the Kellerman family come from?
I made them up! Of course, some of my characters embody pieces of people I know. And inevitably, they all embody pieces of me. But in my mind, they are their own people. When I think of them, I think only of them, not of the people in my life who might have been the initial inspirations for them. With that said, I think Bits and I are similar in our desires to "help" the people we love (and in our reluctance to accept the rejection of that help).

How long did it take you to write this novel and to get published?
The writing took four and a half years. Nearly two years spanned between the time I signed with my agent and the time my agent sold my novel.

What did you do in during the time while you wrote the novel and getting it published?
I'm always writing. When I wasn't revising Who By Fire, I was working on short stories and essays, as well as gathering research for novel number two.

What is your writing process?
Characters come first. Plot comes last. I don't use outlines. I write a lot of drafts.

What are you reading now?
I do manuscript consultations for a little extra cash, so I'm reading an unpublished novel right now. It's quite good.

Who is your favorite author?
I have a million favorite authors. It depends on the minute. I love Ann Patchett and Knut Hamsun and Robert Boswell, to name a few.

What is your favorite book?
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates. Probably. Maybe. Again, it depends on the minute.

What are you writing now?
I'm working on a novel set at a weight-loss camp for kids in the mountains of North Carolina.

Can you tell us more about your next book?
Not really...it's still too early to talk about it. Plus, I'm superstitious. Plus, I want you to be surprised!

Sandals or flip flops?
Definitely flip-flops. I would wear flip-flops year-round if it never snowed. I hate regular shoes.


I hope you enjoyed reading the interview. You can learn more about Diana on her websites: www.dianaspechler.com and www.harpercollins.com/DianaSpechler. You can also become a “fan” of hers on Facebook!

Now, if you have gotten this far, I am offering one copy of Diana Spechler’s book WHO BY FIRE to one of my readers (US and Canadian residents only). All you have to do is post a comment or send me an email at grumpydan@juno.com. I will choose the winner at random on February 15th, 2009.