'I primarily concentrate on the rhythm of the sentences.' — Joanne Proulx on her novel writing process
Ryan B. Patrick | CBC | Posted: September 5, 2017 3:09 PM | Last Updated: September 5, 2017
Joanne Proulx's novel We All Love the Beautiful Girls explores the lives of characters Mia and Michael Slate and how the married couple responds when they suffer both financial and personal losses one fateful winter evening. Proulx, who won the Sunburst Award for fantastic fiction for her debut novel Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet in 2008, has crafted a captivating case study in what happens when those accustomed to living a certain way of life have their lives upended.
We asked Proulx to take the CBC Books Magic 8 Q&A and answer eight question from eight of her fellow authors.
1. Sharon Butala asks, "What is the main question that you wish somebody would ask you, although nobody ever has?"
Would you like the massage before or after I make you dinner?
2. Nicole Lundrigan asks, "Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what sort?"
Yes, although I live with three teenagers and over the past couple years they've taken turns blowing our speakers. As a result, We All Love the Beautiful Girls has less of a soundtrack than my previous novel. During final edits I did listen to a lots of Nirvana, Jack White's acoustic recordings, and the sublime Billie Holiday on a stereo at my parents' cottage.
3. Jillian Tamaki asks, "What do you wish was different about your workspace and how do you adapt?"
My office overlooks our backyard, which is decidedly urban. The view of the neighbouring homes used to be softened by a gorgeous old ash, but a few years ago the neighbours had the tree removed. Emerald ash borers? Roots infiltrating the foundation? I don't know. The arborist was unbelievable — taking such a huge tree down in such a small space — but as I watched I felt like I was witnessing a murder. This spring we planted a Japanese Lilac but it has a long way to go. For now I've moved to the living room couch and do a lot of looking up at the sky.
4. Ausma Zehanat Khan asks, "If you discovered a terrible secret about someone that you knew would make for an exceptional story, would you make use of it? Would you tweak it to protect the person's identity if you knew that weakened the story?"
Recently I felt compelled to write about someone's terrible secret. Afterwards I put the work away; their tale wasn't mine to tell. If the person with the secret had been more villain than victim, I'd have had far fewer qualms about pursuing the story.
5. André Alexis asks, "Are you conscious of the rhythm that paragraphs have, their length, when you're writing? Or is that something you work on as a form of sculpture afterwards?"
I primarily concentrate on the rhythm of the sentences while writing. The paragraph breaks seem to work their way in naturally, like a pause in the breath. It's only when I go back and read aloud that I start seeing the work as more of a piece and start messing around with paragraph lengths, breaks and rhythms.
7. Alisa Smith asks, "If you could pick an era to live and write in, when would it be?"
As a woman, it's hard to think of going back to a less liberated time. I can't even imagine getting strapped into some goddamn corset. I know it's sort of cliché but if I had to choose another era I'd pick les Années folles. That era is Paris in the 1920s: the dresses were loose, the morals and mood bohemian, and there's no denying the art, music, fashion and literature scenes were all sizzling.
8. Durga Chew-Bose asks, "What is your ideal writing snack?"
A bowl of leftover spaghetti with spicy tomato sauce. What a joy to find that waiting in the fridge.