With the 14th annual Arkansas Literary Festival just around the corner, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award winners, filmmakers, comedians and artists will bless Little Rock with a healthy dose of creative genius. The festival, taking place from April 27-30, will feature a mix of sessions, panels, special events, performances workshops, presentations, book sales, book signings and opportunities to meet authors — basically a book lover’s dream.
One of the presenting authors at this year’s festival is Therese Anne Fowler, author of the New York Times bestseller “Z: A novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.” The novel has recently been adapted into an Amazon television series starring Christina Ricci. Fowler lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with author and professor John Kessel (also a presenting author at the Lit Fest).
We had the pleasure of chatting with Fowler about “Z,” her writing career and what’s next for the novelist before she arrives in Little Rock at the end of the month.
You mentioned on your website your great love of books when you were young — did you ever think as a child that you might write books like the ones you loved to read?
TAF: No, when I was young, books were magical objects that may as well have been created by fairies! When I was a little older, I understood that the authors’ names on the books I read must belong to actual people, but to me they were like movie stars—larger than life, certainly, and charmed in a way I never believed I might be.
What was your path to becoming a writer? Were there any major life detours post-college that postponed or changed your writing career?
TAF: Though I had always written things like bad poems and short essays when I was young, I didn’t attempt fiction until I was in my thirties and had two children—so, a lot of the detours and delays writers often experience occurred for me before I even started.
I first took a run at it after I wrote a short story in a class I took as an undergrad at NCSU after I was divorced and was putting myself through college. The professor (who is now my husband of almost two years) told me I had some talent, and that was everything I needed to hear at that time to set me on my path. I wrote a (bad) novel, then when I got nowhere with my attempts to see it published, went for an MFA in creative writing. I wrote another novel (my thesis), which also didn’t sell. My third try was the charm.
What led you to write “Z” following three “contemporary commercial fiction” novels, as you described them?
TAF: Due to factors beyond my control, my career, as it existed at the time, was failing. I knew I needed to take drastic action if I was to continue making my living from my books. “Z” was a gamble; as I was writing it, I didn’t know if I was saving my career or sinking it.
Have you always been interested in the Fitzgeralds and historical fiction?
TAF: No, and yes. That is, until shortly before I undertook the work of researching and writing “Z,” the Fitzgeralds didn’t exist for me as a couple. I only knew Scott as an iconic novelist. Historical fiction, however, was a staple in my reading life. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t reading some version of it, going back, say, to when I read the “Little House on the Prairie” books in childhood.
What has it been like to see your book turned into a dramatic series for Amazon starring Christina Ricci?
TAF: It’s been a genuine pleasure every step of the way. I have so much respect and admiration for Christina, the other producers and writers, and everyone in the show. I’m so impressed with their talent and commitment to the project. Any author who says they don’t dream of seeing their work adapted for the screen is probably lying. It’s a dream come true.
Now, it doesn’t always go well—some dreams are nightmares! But this has been an excellent experience for me. I was recently discussing the subject with Ted Chiang, whose “Story of Your Life” became the film “Arrival” starring Amy Adams. We both recognize the rarity of having things go so well, especially the first time out (as it is for both Ted and me). To say I’m grateful is to understate the matter.
I read that you’re working on a new book about the Vanderbilts. While maybe not as iconic as the Fitzgeralds, there’s quite a lot of history to sift through with that famous family, too. What brought you to this family following “Z”?
TAF: I have to disagree with “not as iconic as the Fitzgeralds.” That may be true inside the literary world, but outside, the Vanderbilt name represents an entire era—in this case, the Gilded Age. So it’s just as you say: there is a lot of history to explore.
My entrée into the Vanderbilts was through Gloria Vanderbilt’s 1934 custody trial, in which her aunt sued her mother to gain permanent custody of then-ten-year-old Gloria. I wondered how that could have come about. Which set me off down the rabbit hole backwards through the family history all the way to the 1870s, where I discovered a fascinating young woman who history has mistreated much the way it mistreated Zelda. I fell in love, and, voila, there was my story.
Your husband, John Kessel, is also a featured author at this year’s Literary Fest, which probably makes the trip to Little Rock more enjoyable! What’s it like being married to a fellow writer?
TAF: Maybe it’s because we connected romantically after we were both already well established in our careers, but it’s nothing but harmony for us. We’re not at all competitive with each other, and it’s really, really lovely to have your spouse thoroughly understand all the ins and outs of your work. The thing about being a creative writer—which may be true for artists in general—is that writing isn’t just what you do, it’s who you are. You never leave the job behind you at the end of the day or the end of the week. Having a partner who lives that same reality is, for us anyway, as ideal as it gets.
What are you looking forward to at this year’s Literary Fest?
TAF: I always enjoy meeting eager and devoted readers. And then there are so many excellent authors on the roster—none of whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting before now. We are all getting together to celebrate literature. What’s better than that?