Tell us about yourself.:
I write in English, French and Hebrew. Raised in France, I lived in Israel, in a kibbutz and in Jerusalem. After 40 years I immigrated to the United States in 2003.
Living in Atlanta, my desire to own the language and understand America led me to plow through William Faulkner, James Baldwin and Toni Morrison novels.
Despite my books being based on my experience I believe that life-writing amounts to no more exactitude than fabulation or storytelling, as our lives themselves are often based on the stories we tell ourselves.
I uses collage of styles. I call my books 'works' to mark the difference between market-oriented products, categorized by genres, and the literary realm in all its manifestations. I do not consider myself a lyricist, though several of my readers find my wording poetic.
I practice the saying: ‘Writing is sustained reading’ as an intense reader, first for pleasure, but also to perfect my craft and learn about other authors.
Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?:
I grew up in France and exposed to French literature influenced my cultural roots. In Parisian high school, I found modern French literature, especially poetry, and began contributing to a poetry magazine. However, I focused on modern French novelists, at the time of May 1968 events, especially what's called Nouveau Roman
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Would it be unusual these days to write longhand with a fountain pen? I also go every day to write at a cafe as I find it more isolating me from distraction than staying home, making espresso drinks and the temptations of the refrigerator.
I got into the habit to rewrite my first draft with the help of a physical Roget's Thesaurus. I also write my first draft in one notebook and the rewrite in another one , only then I dictate it to a Word document as I type too slowly.
What authors have influenced you?
I grew up in France and exposed to French literature influenced my cultural roots. In Parisian high school, I found modern French literature, especially poetry, and began contributing to a poetry magazine. However, I focused on modern French novelists, at the time of May 1968 events, especially what's called Nouveau Roman
Do you have any advice for new authors?
If you plan to self-publish which is my experience due to my age (77), and being a new author, I would say, get a good editor (s), development and copy, and a self-publishing coach. It would save you unnecessary troubles, save you money in the long run and give you knowledge. Also, use workshops parsimoniously!!! They give you the same things and formulas.
What is the best advice you have ever been given?
As a human being the best advice I was given was look people in the eyes, be kind, and persistent. AS a writer it was write, write and rewrite because rewrite is writing
What are you reading now?
I read several books at once.Franz Kafka Letter to the father; Hele Cixous The steps on the ladder of writing; Clarice Lispector Complete stories; Jacques Derrida Literature in secret
What’s your biggest weakness?
Not acknowledging I felt something wrong with somebody and continuing until it hurts me.
What is your favorite book of all time?
Victor Hugo Les Miserables
When you’re not writing, how do you like to spend your time?
I am an intense reader, listen to music and walk regularely at least an hour a day and enjoy being at a cafe watch people and chat with baristas
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
Les Miserables, the beginning when jean Valjean was given a second chance and then applied it all along the book. It impacted my sense of fairness, justice and angaging in social activism
What has inspired you and your writing style?
Moder French poet and novelist Louis Aragon inspired my style by blending lyricism with prose and narration, and my belief that categorization in genres is not a necessity. Other writers reinforce my writing style giving pririty to language over forms and conventions such as plot, structure, the arc of the story, punctuation, etc. I like to create neologisms if they make sense, like to call a bed where a person is sick and bound to a long illness the illbed.
What are you working on now?
I work on a book I see as un unfinishing book, meaning, as I read, and I am an intense reader, my associations are both to other books from the same authors or to what I wrote before, published or not. I am convinced that we do always write the same thing, altering the form, the setting. Therefore, I work on a book whose form I did not finalize (fragments or fiction-fragments) , but it would be notes-on-notes-on-notes, ad infinitum
What is your favorite method for promoting your work?
I work with a coach, and I decided that since my goal is to get more readers for my next published book I need to develop a core of readers, interested in my kind of writing. I focus my efforts on beginning a newsletter or a Substack following, for that purpose I follow and comment on selected Substack's authors or magazines/newsletters.
What’s next for you as a writer?
working regularely on my book and developing a core of readers through writing more essays
How well do you work under pressure?
I am handling pressure well having been in situations that required to learn resisting to high pressure environment.
How do you decide what tone to use with a particular piece of writing?
I don't decide, i let myself feel and sometimes it would be lyrical some times factual-dry. I will decide at the moment of rewrite. My decision would be guided by the circumstances and the authenticity of the voice trying to convey what I feel or think
If you could share one thing with your fans, what would that be?
don't focus on understanding, reason and intellect: feel
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