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Q&A with Beth Mayer, author of We Will Tell You Otherwise

“When everyone in the house is finally asleep, I step outside. It is fall in the Midwest and sometimes that means the air is made of silk. My feet bare on the concrete driveway, the night feels good against my skin. Almost like a secret human touch.”

~ from “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” in We Will Tell You Otherwise.

The gift of stories, fiction or non, is in finding connections: the writer connecting with the reader by creating relatable characters, and the reader rediscovering self as she views the world through the eyes of these characters.

cover image for We Will Tell You Otherwise by Beth Mayer

Beth Mayer’s We Will Tell You Otherwise (just released from Black Lawrence Press), is a collection of short stories about the human spirit and our need for strong connections.

From a father and son brought closer by the death of a stranger, to a mother who takes over the itinerary of a failing family vacation to save her own spirit and that of her kids, to a young wannabe psychic who provides temporary promise in her prediction, Mayer offers readers a close look at the intimacy and ties created in conversations and in correspondence.

Winner of the Hudson Prize (2017), We Will Tell You Otherwise is called “slyly ironic and often sardonic” by David Haynes (A Star in the Face of the Sky), who also says is “these stories kept me smiling all the way through.”

Beth Mayer stopped by during Short Story Month in May, and I’m thrilled to host her again, this time for an author interview. I’m also hosting a giveaway! ENTER HERE by Tuesday, August 27th, for a chance to win a copy of Mayer’s new collection (courtesy of Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity and Black Lawrence Press).

Now, welcome Beth Mayer!

Christi Craig (CC): In your guest post on my blog during Short Story Month, you talk about the complexity in crafting short stories and say, “I have grown to understand how, when I give myself permission, a short story determines itself.” How did this collection come together? Did you have a plan from the beginning or did the whole of the book fall into place organically?

Beth Mayer: I’ve been writing short stories for a long time. Once I got serious about my first collection, I knew I was getting close when it was a finalist in a few book contests. Looking back, I see now before this book was really done, I was busy getting better, revising, writing new stories, and refining my vision. With a lot of patience and faithful work, this collection determined itself and I love where we ended up.

CC: “Darling, Won’t You Tell Me True?” is a story about Mr. James Harrington, who begins a correspondence with his mother’s caretaker, Miss Christopher, after his mother dies. Through James’ letters only (we never read a word that Miss Christopher writes), we see a relationship unfold, a budding romance, and the pieces of the entire story are present in his responses as he writes such things he might never say aloud face to face. Your story is fiction, sure, but there’s always truth in fiction. What is it about the intimacy of letters that allows us as humans to open up in ways we could not otherwise?

Beth: I am fascinated by old letters, documents, recipes with notes on them. My old postcard collection—ones with writing on them that I found in antique shops—reveals how the stuff of life can be shared through personal correspondence. Think the crops were good; the baby died; I am back from war and still sweet on you, if you’ll have me.

As a reader, and writer, I find fictional epistolary of all kinds quite engaging. Humans, I suppose, think that letters allow us to craft our messages. Perhaps time and distance allow us to feel less vulnerable since we aren’t face-to-face with how our message is received. And isn’t it interesting that in 2019 we are again writing back and forth—albeit digitally and with immediacy—about the most mundane and intimate matters?

CC: On your website, you write about winning the Loft Mentor Series in fiction and the power of working with a mentor. How has that experience affected your work on short stories and continued to inspire you as an author?

Beth: To begin, the chance to be expected and required to regularly show up to the Loft in Minneapolis—which is a beautiful space—felt good. That time was pivotal for me. It had been a while since I had finished my MFA and landed my teaching position, so I made a conscious decision to really use my program year to renew my commitment to my writing and to my life as a writer. Several of the new stories I wrote challenged me in the best possible ways, because I was ready to be challenged. Those same stories informed my collection as a whole and are now part of my first book. From my year in the program, I have lasting friendships and am now even more committed to helping my own students or mentees discover what it is they are aiming to do on the page.

CC: What are you reading these days?

Beth: The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2017, Edited by Charles Yu, Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir by Thi Bui, Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

CC: Being from Minneapolis, I imagine your summers are as short and sweet as those in Wisconsin. What’s your favorite summer activity that not only feeds your need for play for also fuels your creativity?

Beth: The best summer for me comes with time for thinking and dreaming. Time to take in ideas and images makes me happy and helps spark my own imagination. My husband and I like to have coffee out on our patio and walk our spoiled little dog. I love to spend time at the lake place that my extended family shares in Wisconsin. And as a teacher, reading whatever strikes and interests me is one of my greatest summer pleasures.

BETH MAYER’S fiction has appeared in The Threepenny Review, The Sun Magazine, and The Midway Review. She was afiction finalist for The Missouri Review’s Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize (2016), her work recognized among “Other Distinguished Stories” by Best American Mystery Stories (2010), and her stories anthologized in both American Fiction (New Rivers) and New Stories from the Midwest (Ohio University). Mayer holds an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University. She currently teaches English at Century College in Minnesota, where she lives with her family and impossibly faithful dog.

DON’T FORGET! Enter the giveaway by Tuesday, August 27th,
for a chance to win a copy of We Will Tell You Otherwise.

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Q&A: Julie Zuckerman, author of The Book of Jeremiah

“Now it came to her, how to describe the country in one word: resilient. Despite wars and destruction, the people here continually moved forward, rebuilding and innovating. Resilience might also be the quality needed for a lasting marriage, the ability to sort through problems and come out stronger.” ~ from The Book of Jeremiah

In life and writing, no character lives in isolation. Every action and reaction moves us forward in one way or another, strengthening ties or breaking bonds. It is only in looking back where we may fully understand the course of our journey, the impact we have on others, the impact they have on us.

Zuckerman, cover image for The Book of Jeremiah, silhouette of man's profile nested several times.

From the title, The Book of Jeremiah (Press 53, 2019), you might assume Julie Zuckerman’s debut novel is solely the story of one man. But this novel in stories opens with “A Strong Hand and an Outstretched Arm,” as told from Jeremiah’s mother’s point of view, and sets the tone for all that follows: a journey through past and present, revealing all that makes the man.

Anna Solomon (The Little Bride) says, “These stories shimmer with tenderness and truth.” Ilana Kurshan (If All the Seas Were Ink) calls Zuckerman’s novel “a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of some of life’s most painful and private moments.” The book’s cover speaks to the power of Zuckerman’s novel: this is a multi-generational story in which everyone is connected, by blood and experience, in history and in culture, through cause and effect.

I’m honored to host Julie Zuckerman today to talk more about her novel. ENTER the book giveaway for a chance to win a copy of The Book of Jeremiah (courtesy of Caitlin Hamilton Marketing & Publicity and Press 53).

Christi Craig (CC): You have a great collection of short stories and essays published, and The Book of Jeremiah is your first longer work. What did you love most about moving from short to long, and did you find certain themes carried over into your novel?

Julie Zuckerman

Julie Zuckerman (JZ): My idea was to write each chapter as a particular moment in Jeremiah’s life, every story meant to stand on its own and contribute to the larger arc – the best of both worlds! “Each life an entire universe” is something Jeremiah contemplates in one of the chapters, when he’s thinking about soldiers who have died in America’s various wars, and that’s a bit like what I tried to do here, to capture the entire universe that is his life.

Several themes emerged as I wrote: loss and forgiveness, sorrow and hope, the search for one’s place in the world. Certain questions also recur in the various chapters: Can you ever truly know another person? I wasn’t consciously writing towards these themes and questions, but I suppose it’s natural that if you look at the course of one person’s life, there are central motifs that repeat themselves.

CC: In “A note from the Author,” you write that this book grew from the final story in the novel, “MixMaster.” From there you “worked…to unravel Jeremiah’s life.” What was the biggest challenge, or most surprising moment (or both) in uncovering this character, along with his family?

JZ: “MixMaster” takes place when Jeremiah is 82, so I was writing backwards in time, having a pretty good idea of who he was as a senior, but less clear on who he was as a young man, as a child. One of the pivotal moments in Jeremiah’s life occurs when he is 19; I won’t reveal what it is here, but it was fun writing about the youthful Jeremiah. He’s a bit of a wild child, a prankster as a youth, so it surprised me to see some of the tricks he had up his sleeve.

CC: On your website, you feature Fun Stuff, including recipes for dishes mentioned in the book, paired with quotes from the book. What a great mix of media to enhance the readers’ experience of your novel. Which is your favorite recipe to make and share?

JZ: Thanks! I had a good time making that page, and I may add more recipes as I go along.

In terms of recipes I like to make and share, it’s a three-way tie between homemade granola, chocolate chip peanut butter cookies (from the Mrs. Fields “I Love Chocolate! Cookbook” – a variation of the recipe is here), and cinnamon babka. Special shout-out to Paula Shoyer, aka The Kosher Baker, for teaching my daughter how to make babka at summer camp and then sending the kids home with recipe books. One of her other babka recipes is available here.

Here’s the homemade granola recipe, which I received from a family friend:

Zuckerman recipes, jar of granola next to a bowl full of granola with banana slices

6 cups rolled oats
2 cups whole almonds or mixed nuts
(not salted or roasted)
¾ cup hazelnuts
½ cup flax seeds
½ cup sunflower seeds
½ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup brown sugar
3 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
¾ cup olive oil
4 TBSP honey
2 cups pitted dates, chopped
1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

Mix the first ten ingredients in a large bowl. Heat olive oil and honey in a saucepan over low heat, then pour it over the granola mixture and stir well. Spread mixture over 1-2 baking sheets, bake at 300 for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in the dried fruit and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container. Delicious with yogurt and fresh fruit, or any way you like to eat granola!

CC: What are you reading these days?

JZ: I’ve been alternating reading short story collections, particularly from small presses like Press 53 – they are all excellent! – and novels, with a few memoirs here and there. A few that I’ve read lately and would highly recommend are “Heirlooms” by Rachel Hall, “Ways to Disappear” by Idra Novey, “The Art of Leaving” by Ayelet Tsabari, “Shelf-Life of Happiness” by Virginia Pye, “They Could Live With Themselves” by Jodi Paloni, “What the Zhang Boys Knew” by Cliff Garstang, “The Parting Gift” by Evan Fallenberg and “A Good Hard Look” by Ann Napolitano.

CC: May is Short Story Month. With that in mind, along with the knowledge that your novel grew from a short story, is there a collection of stories you would recommend for readers or a short story author you love most?

JZ: In addition to the above, I’d recommend anything by Edith Pearlman (author of “Binocular Vision,” “Honeydew” and several other volumes). Is it too much to say that I’d like to be her when I grow up?

Julie Zuckerman’s fiction and nonfiction have appeared in a variety of publications, including The SFWP Quarterly, The MacGuffin, Salt Hill, Sixfold, Crab Orchard Review, Ellipsis, The Coil, and others. THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH, her debut novel-in-stories, was the runner-up in the 2018 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction Award. A native of Connecticut, she resides in Modiin, Israel, with her husband and four children. Learn more at https://www.juliezuckerman.com/.

DON’T FORGET! Enter the giveaway by noon, May 28th,
for a chance to win a copy of The Book of Jeremiah.

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Guest Post: Marjorie Pagel on Poetry & Writing

Pagel's newest collection, Where I'm From (cover image): painting of red barn

In Milwaukee writing circles, Marjorie Pagel needs no introduction. She is a powerhouse with the pen (I’ve seen her in action), diving into writing with little hesitation, bringing amazing insight to the page, and then publishing great poems and stories.

Today she guest posts, sharing about her long relationship with writing while introducing us to one of her poems, “The Corn Crop” (one of my favorites). You’ll find an immediate connection in all she writes, so enter the giveaway to win a copy of her latest publication, Where I’m From: Poems and Stories. Deadline to enter is Sunday, May 19th, at noon. Now, welcome Marjorie!

Let’s Write!

Marjorie Pagel, standing next to a tree with fall colors in background.

My first poem was inspired by the sight of a robin while swinging outside our family’s farmhouse the spring of 1950. I was nine years old. In the next two years I had composed enough original poetry for my first book.

I used my best cursive handwriting on the lined 4×7-inch tablet, decorated the cover with a construction paper design, and dedicated it to my grandmother, Mary Johnson, who lived in Minnesota. I still feel a bit guilty that I never made a similar gift to my other grandmother, Ella Ellingson, in Milwaukee. I actually loved her best.

Since I’m talking about “one” writer’s beginnings (the other, more famous one, was Eudora Welty) I may as well mention the two books of original writing that won blue ribbons at the Marquette County Fair when I was in seventh and eighth grade. They both bore the title, “Let’s Write,” in recognition of the radio program that inspired them. Everyone in our one-room country school would sit quietly at our desks to listen to this broadcast from Wisconsin School of the Air. When the radio was turned off we would write – a little essay, a story, a poem. For the county fair I neatly copied each week’s assignment from the school year into a 9×12 notebook.

Here’s what I find interesting. Some years back when I was writing a blog for Community Newspapers, I wrote about my “Let’s Write” classroom experience, which became part of a Wisconsin history project for a girl at Nicolet High School. The two of us are still Facebook friends.

Flash forward to 2016. I was 75 years old with hundreds of accumulated essays, poems, and stories – most of them sitting unpublished on my computer. Okay, I said to myself, It’s harvest time. Just as my father had harvested his crops each fall, I would harvest some of my best writing in the autumn of my life. It would be a gift to pass along to family and friends. My first book, The Romance of Anna Smith and Other Stories, was published in 2017 with the help of David Gawlik, Caritas Publishing, before my 76th birthday.

Marjorie Pagel holding copies of her first book. The Romance of Anna Smith and Other Stories

“When are you going to publish your next book?” people asked me, so early this year, at age 77, I published Where I’m From: poems and stories.

Meanwhile, I keep writing. I’m a regular participant in the roundtables at Red Oak Writing in West Allis, Wisconsin. I’ve been gaining inspiration and craftsmanship from Wisconsin’s poet laureate, Margaret Rozga, at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, and I’m learning new skills in flash nonfiction with Christi Craig. It’s an online class, which means that writers from everywhere are connected. It reminds me of those grade school days when the voice of Marie Applegate in Madison, Wisconsin, reached the listening ears of kids like me in classrooms all across the state.

The message remains the same: “Let’s Write!”

The Corn Crop

That first spring, when my father was just a weekend farmer,
he drove out into the sandbur fields to plant corn.
He rode like a conqueror on the seat of his new Farmall tractor.
It was shiny red, like the little coaster wagon I admired
in the Gambles store window.

When all the corn did not come up, my brother and I marched along
with our buckets of seed corn. We placed three yellow kernels
in each scooped-out hollow and covered them over with smooth dirt.
My father figured one out of three ought to grow
but sometimes all three did, and so we’d trudge along again
thinning out the corn.

One year, the year it hailed, we had a good crop, growing way higher
than even my father’s knees by the Fourth of July.
Someone said it was the best crop of corn in Marquette County.
My father never said that, of course, for he was not given to bragging.
Still he had a fierce proud look on his face and his eyes were happy.

When the hail came that summer
he was away in the city working his factory job.
My mother collected a cupful of the ice marbles
and put them in the freezer box of our little Frigidaire.
That Friday night when my father came home on the train
she showed him the hailstones, her offering of proof
that the hail had really happened, that the corn now lay in shreds
and there was nothing she could have done to save it.

ABOUT the AUTHOR

Marjorie Pagel grew up in rural Wisconsin where she attended a one-room country school and graduated with a high school class of just fifty students. She moved to Milwaukee for college, earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UWM. Meanwhile, she was married, had a family, and worked as a reporter/feature writer for a local suburban newspaper. She is the author of two books and five one-act plays, which have been produced by Village Playhouse in West Allis, Wisconsin.

She continues to participate in writing workshops and is affiliated with local and state writing groups. Writing is part of her daily routine. “It keeps me grounded,” she says. “I want to always remember where I’m from while paying close attention to who I am today – this moment – and my connections to all the people who continue to enrich my life. Although many of the people who have shaped my life are gone now, I celebrate their continuing presence through the gift of memory, and I savor the daily adventure that even an ordinary life has to offer.”

DON’T FORGET! Enter the giveaway by Sunday, May 19th, for a chance to win a copy of her newest book, Where I’m From: Poems and Stories!