An Inside Look - With Donna Gephart
Author of Lily and Dunkin
*Another Monday, means another "inside look" with an author.
*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" with them about their novel, the characters, and their thoughts about the story.
*I have had such fun connecting with authors and "picking" their brains.
*Here are the links to the first SIXTEEN interviews…
*I was lucky enough to have Donna send me an ARC of
Lily and Dunkin last spring. I had heard such wonderful things about the story and was thrilled to be able to read it before it hit shelves.
*All of Donna's novels are wonderful. Each one of them has brought such joy and insight to my life.
*After starting these "Inside Look" blog posts, I was choosing novels that I was currently reading. When thinking about other books that I would like to look at more closely, this one definitely came to mind.
*Donna was gracious enough to agree to the interview questions. I appreciate her time, her thoughts, and giving us an intimate look at two extraordinary characters.
*Here are the interview questions and answers...
Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart (Released May 3, 2016)
How did you come to
know Lily and Dunkin?
Lily’s character is
a composite of the many, many narratives I read/listened to/watched of
transgender people who bravely shared their experiences in
essays/memoirs/podcasts/documentaries. Dunkin is inspired by our son, who
has bipolar disorder, but his character is also based on mountains of research.
Once I began writing, the characters took on lives of their own, of
course.
What do you think
is Lily and Dunkin's most admirable quality?
Lily is so big-hearted.
One reviewer said that her favorite relationship in the book was between
Lily and her beloved banyan tree, Bob. I liked that because it showed how
Lily cares deeply about others. Dunkin cares so much about his little
family, even as he struggles mightily with his illness and situation. And
I like how he finds ways to show Lily that he cares about her, and those
gestures matter so much to Lily.
Is there anything
you wish Lily and Dunkin would have changed or done differently in their story?
Oh, I wish they
didn’t make all the mistakes they made, especially Dunkin, but that wouldn’t be
realistic. We all learn from those mistakes and they’re necessary for
growth. They make us better, more compassionate humans.
What do you think
Lily and Dunkin can offer to other children that are experiencing similar
situations to what they went through?
Lily and Dunkin
have the power to let a lot of young people know they are not alone, that there
are others with the same feelings and struggles. That’s powerful to find
a friend in literature when you feel alone in the world. And to those
young readers who aren’t in similar situations, Lily and Dunkin can open hearts
and minds to understanding, appreciating and embracing differences.
What was the
hardest scene to write about these two young people?Some of the scenes
in this book tore at my heart so much that I’d avoid writing them — oh, look,
time to reorganize my bookshelf by author . . . no, wait by title . . . no, by
color. Hmm, let’s see what’s in fridge now. Until finally I gathered
the emotional courage to write the difficult scenes that were inevitable, yet
painful.
Who do you think
was Lily and Dunkin's biggest supporter and why?
Lily found support
from her yoga-mat-toting mom and knitting-crazy older sister and of course her
good, tough friend, Dare. And Dunkin’s mom and exercise-obsessed
grandmother provided his safety net. Why were they so supportive?
Love.
Why do you think
some people have such a hard time accepting other people that are different
from them?
Fear.
Ignorance. Once we know a person, it’s really hard to dislike them
and to be cruel to them. And one of the ways we can “know” a person is
through literature.
What do you think
Lily and Dunkin are doing as the present time? Hmm. Maybe
they’re sipping a cuppa at Dunkin Donuts and laughing about one of Dunkin’s
magic tricks. At least I hope so.
