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On
March 10, 2006 - I was invited to participate in a live chat at Chatelaine.com's
online book forum. Alicia, their forum moderator was kind enough to grant
me permission to post the transcript of the chat on thebirthhouse.com. We talked
about topics such as: the inspiration behind The Birth House, my personal writing
process, The Oprah Show, and what books are currently next to my bed!
Q.
From B.
Subject: Hi Ami
I just reserved your book at the local library,
but don't know how long it will take before it's in my hot little hands. I like
many of the same books as C. and her glowing recommendation is all I needed to
get to our local library website as quickly as possible.
A: From Ami
Subject:
Thanks for your note!
Hi B.
thanks so much for joining in the conversation.
I hope you'll be next in line for the book.(I'll do a little library-dance to
help get things rolling. ;-)
Q. From: A.
Subject: Question about Dora
I'm about halfway through The Birth House - can't wait to curl up this rainy
weekend to finish - and I really enjoy Dora Rare as a character. My question is
this: was she based on anyone in particular? Is it physically possible for a family
to never have a girl born into it?
Thanks!
A: From Ami
Subject: Dora,
babies, and girls.
Great questions A,Someone asked me about the inspiration
for Dora yesterday and I hadn't really thought about it too much before then.
I guess she's sort of a coming together of a couple of different people...
One
is the midwife who had once lived in my house, Rebecca Steele. She didn't have
children of her own, but adopted the child of a woman in the community who had
died three days after childbirth. She was an important part of the community and
had set rules about the mothers and babies staying in her home for at least a
week after a birth. unfortunately, I couldn't find out much about her younger
life so Dora's coming of age had to come from other inspiration.
I'd say that
her quirkiness, her being an observer, her love of books, her curiosity for things
having to do with life, death, sex, and her being drawn to Miss B's ways are all
things that reflect my growing up. I was a weird, bookish girl. ;-)As far as no
girls being born in a family...
Statistically, the odds are stacked against
it happening, but it happens on a smaller scale within couples and sometimes within
families. Although I was creating a myth around a real historical event (a Scottish
ship was said to have crashed on the shores of Scots Bay in the 1700's), I've
been surprised by the number of readers who have told me they have come from families
of either all males, or all females.
I wonder if there's a scientific term
for this phenomena?
Q. From L
Subject: Writing Process
Hi Ami!
Can
you tell me about your writing process... for instance, do you write long hand
or on the computer? Do you have a set time for writing, or do you just write when
the spirit moves you? Is the story complete in your mind when you sit down to
write, or does it come piece by piece?
A: From Ami
Subject: The Writing
Process
hi L.
I was just talking with Gail Anderson-Dargatz about this
yesterday...we writers love to pick each others' brains about process.I write
long hand first...fountain pen in sprial bound notebooks. I often end up writing
in the margins, or crossways on the page, and tape notes, sketches, images and
articles to the pages as well. My notebooks become sort of a 'stew' for my brain...I
go back and stir the pot each day, read what I wrote the day before.Then I enter
it into my computer, editing a bit as I go along. I find it's much easier for
me to edit on the computer. (thank goodness for cut and paste!)I split the day
with my husband. We both work from home and we homeschool/unschool our boys, so
I spend the morning around the house, laundry, stack wood, baking, hanging out
with the boys. Then after lunch I head to the studio in the barn. It's a quiet
space with windows and a deck overlooking the Bay. It takes me a little while
(at least 30 minutes) to switch from mommy mode to writing mode. meditation helps.I've
been very inspired by the writing of Dorthea Brande and Natalie Goldberg. Both
talk about finding the part of the mind that is settled and ready to write. (Sort
of in between waking and sleeping.) I experiment a lot with doing physical activity
first (walking mostly) and then resting into writing. It seems to work for me.On
days when I'm not in the flow of the narrative (it isn't always there!) I write
in my journal and do research.
I find I have to feed my imagination as much
as I need to get things down on paper.I've always loved the theatre and movies,
so I find that my writing comes in 'scenes' and then I write them out. I play
with the dialogue and I ALWAYS read my writing out loud. If it doesn't sound right
to my ear, then I got back to it again until it does. Hope this answers your questions!
a.
Reply
From: L.
Subject: Wow, Ami, your way of living/writing, sounds wonderful!
Thank you for responding
Q. From: R.
Subject: Where did your inspiration
come from?
Hi Ami,
I know that the house you moved into was known as 'the
birth house.' But is that where the main inspiration for the book came from? How
long did it take to write? What was the hardest part about writing the book?
A:
From Ami
Subject: inspiration
Hi R.,For me, inspiration is something that
I have to be very patient with...I've found I have to sort of keep myself open
and ready for whatever comes my way. So, in writing The Birth House, the initial
Prologue came very quickly on the heels of a radio piece I had done for the CBC.
I wasn't sure what it was at first.The more I thought about it, the more I began
to 'hear' the cadence of Dora's voice in my head and the more I wanted to tell
the tale of a young woman at the edge of WWI, at the edge of a time in history
that was so important for women.It took about a year and half for the first two
drafts. (I was very fortunate to work with a writing mentor, Richard Cumyn during
the first draft!) Another 6 months for a round of revisions, and then another
year with the publisher to get it to the finished book. (design etc.)For me, the
hardest part of writing is the waiting...when it's in someone else's hands (first
my literary agent, then the editors). There's not much I can do at that point!
(So I usually work on something else or putter in my garden for distraction.)Great
questions!
Thanks. ;-)
Q. From C.
Subject: Good day Missy Ami
I
have just finished reading 'The Birth House" and I must say that was some
good read. A couple of questions. Was there ever a Canning Register ? The articles
were certainly typical of the small town newspapers of the day, but I cant find
any reference to an actual Canning Register.
The Willow Book. Is this a result
of research, or did you actually find a midwife's journal?
Are there still
descendants of Ebenezer Bigelow in Canning? My own surname identifies me as connected
to a specific region in New Brunswick and I can just imagine my mother-in-laws
reaction to reading the family name in a work of fiction. For those that are or
will be reading Ami's book you might be interested in these pictures of Canning,
NS, then (early 1900's) and now.
Canning, NS
My husband's Granny was a
midwife in NB. Her name was Eliza Arthemus P....., and she was born on June 10,
1883 in Shulie, NS, which is just a short distance (as the crow flies) across
the Minas Channel from Cape Split. When she was 17 she was a student at All Saints
Hospital in Springhill, NS, one of the oldest School of Nursing in NS, opened
in 1893.
She didn't complete her education and by 1901, the NB census indicates
that she was living with her widowed sister in NB. When she died at Age 85, the
Minister looked out over the large congregation at her funeral and said "she
brought many of you into this world and it is fitting that so many of you are
here today to honour her"
I thank you for writing the story of Dora Rare
and for honouring the memory of these wonderful pioneer women.
A; From Ami
Subject:
Thanks for the link and for your questions C.
Hello C.,
What a wonderful,
rich family history you have! Amazing. thanks so much for the links.Speaking of
links and to answer one of your questions...
The Canning Register is based
on an archive of "The Berwick Register".
You can find some of the
editions online at the following link:
Berwick Register ArchivesIt was a great
resource in finding out about vital statistics and community happenings of the
time.I tried to imitate the style of writing from the time period in the fictional
articles I placed in the narrative. It's interesting to note however, that one
of the Kings county Newspapers still has a weekly column written by a woman in
Scots Bay where she records what's happening the community now. (Who visited families
, relatives "from away" returning to the Bay, the accomplishments of
school children, who is in hospital etc.) And there is an incredible monthly newsletter
in Canning today written by a local writer called The Canning Gazette...she explores
all kinds of community issues and news in it. A true labour of love.Re: The Willow
Book...
it's based mostly on my mother's cookbook collection. She has cookbooks
that have been passed down to her from grandmothers etc. They all have things
written in the margins, articles slipped between pages, letters from aunties stuck
in the back. So, I watched her collect not just recipes, but an entire body of
women's knowledge in those books. I wanted the Willow Book to be like that.
The
actual information comes from many resources. Books about native plants of NS,
to home remedies my mother taught me.There are Bigelow's all over Kings County,
NS. It's a very common name, especially in the Canning area. I used many common
family sur names in the book to keep the flavour of history. I didn't single out
real historical figures (except for the names of men who died in WWI, and the
Marie Payzant) because it's a work of fiction.Thanks so much for sharing the midwife
story. It's wonderful and a real tribute to her contribution to her community!
I hope I answered all your questions.
Cheers,
A.
Q. From S.
Subject
: I've read the excerpt
and it was wonderful. This looks like a book I would
enjoy.
My questions:
Are you doing a book signing in TO?
Who are some
of your favourite authors to read?
Was it difficult to write or did everything
fall into place and how long did it take to write from start to finish?
How
long have you known that you wanted to write?
Enjoyed your website.
A;
From Ami
Subject Hi S.
Re; Toronto -
I was in Toronto around the 20th
of February for media appearances and a big party for Knopf Canada's New Face
of Fiction 10th Anniversary party. (I got to meet Ann-Marie MacDonald!) I didn't
do a public reading at that time, but I'm sure I'll be back some time in the near
future. You might want to keep an eye on my appearances page at the web site Ami's
appearances Or join my mailing list so you'll get the latest updates on my schedule.Also,
I did an interview with Carolyn Weaver, of "Fine Print" while I was
there and it should air on Rogers, CLT and Book TV sometime in the future.Favourite
Authors - hmm, this could take a while. I love to read as much as I love to write.I
like everything from Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, and Nabokov to contemporary authors
like Toni Morrison, Carol Shields, and Lori Lansens.I'm also a big Tolkien fan...I
suppose I'm just an elf at heart.On Writing -See above post about how long it
took...As far as it being easy? I found that I couldn't wait around for big chunks
of it to fall into my head. ;-) I had to go out to my studio (it's on the second
story of a gabled barn with no internet, no phone, etc.) and sit down to write
every day. Some of the writing became part of the novel, some of it was journal
entries of my own, some got thrown into the woodstove, but it's all part of the
process of writing. The main thing is that I made the space to write...it's very
much like a meditative practice for me. I went to University to study music, so
practicing is part of who I am...I approach writing much like I approach a musical
score. (with equal parts of reverance, trepidation, bliss and tenacity!)I have
always been a storyteller (something my siblings LOVE to tease me about). but
I was very shy about my writing. For years I was a high school music teacher,
tossing my notebooks and journals under my bed. My dearest friend (who is now
my husband) convinced me to start putting my writing out into the world. For the
year 2000 he dared me to do just that and so I jokingly said I'd write thank-you
notes to people I didn't know.He said: "then your first one better be to
someone really big!"So, I wrote Oprah Winfrey...Long story short, within
48 hours, a producer from the show called and asked me to be on the show.
I
guess I did it backwards...on the show before I wrote my novel, but the experience
helped me to see that my writing could make things happen. So I went on with it
from there.Crazy huh?:-)
Q. From A.,
Subject: What did you talk about
on Oprah?
Sounds interesting....
A: From Ami
Subject: Oprah
Hi
A.
It's a long story, but basically I was one of those "when bad things
happen to good people" guests.I was on to talk about having the courage to
change my life in the face of adversity. There was a year in my life when I was
living in Chicago where my fiance at the time left me (with just a note...and
he took our bed!) and then two weeks later I was in a horrible car accident that
left me unable to work for a month.These things all added up to my realizing that
the Universe was telling me it was time for a change. One thing led to another
and I reconnected with an old friend (who I then married) and we picked up our
lives and moved to Scots Bay. The move led to the house, which led to the novel.
Here's
to following bliss!
Reply by A.
Subject: Life has a funny way of working
out doesn't it? Here's to more joy and success :)Reply From S.
Subject: fascinating.
enjoyed reading your reply and you are an interesting person!
Cant wait
to read your books! thx so very much!
Q. From L2
Subject: for ami mckay...
hi ami,
congratulations on your book!
just wondering what the last 3
books are that YOU'VE read? would you recommend them?
thanks.
A: From Ami
Subject: Books by the side of my bed...
Hi L2
You should see the
stacks of books by the side of my bed...I think they have a life of their own.
eeeek.The last three novels that really stick out for me are:
The Time Traveler's
Wife - I loved this book. I moved from Chicago six years ago to Scotts Bay NS
and the time period of this novel takes place around the time that I lived in
the Windy City. The landmarks were so familiar to me, especially the library downtown.
I also appreciated the way she explored the ideas of love and destiny. It took
a little while for me to wrap my head around Henry's condition, but once I was
in it, I was hooked.The Girls by Lori Lansens -
I recently heard Lori talk
about motherhood in an interview. She was saying how she had two small children
"attached" to her...via breastfeeding and just needing her and that
it played heavily into the writing of "The Girls". I totally related
to that! It's a fine line I walk as a mother, a lover, a friend, a sister, a writer.
(I think most of us feel this way about our relationship to others and to our
work) The Girls brought intimacy into focus for me in a new way.The Crimson Petal
and the White I'm currently reading this door-stop of a book. I've put it down
a few times, picked up other books (Jonathan Strange, a novel called Metropolis,
etc.) It's very rich in description and I'm reading it as a bit of research for
my next novel. It's set in 1870's London and my next novel is set in 1870's NYC.I
should also add that when I'm in the thick of writing I tend to shy away from
reading novels. I usually switch to short story collections...(since I can't stop
reading all together!) So in the past year I've read short stories by Alice Munro,
Richard Cumyn, William Trevor, Stephen Hayward, etc.I also read tons of non-fiction
books for research. Mostly dusty 19th century books I find at used bookstores.
;-)
Q. From C2
Subject: Ami McKay
Ami, congratulations on your
book - everywhere I turn I see something else about The Birth House. I can't wait
to read it - I've got a hold on a copy at my library. Please let us know when
& where you have upcoming readings!
A: from Ami
Subject: Upcoming
Readings
Hi C.
Ahhh libraries! I love them, have always loved them.
My
first kiss was in the non-fiction stacks at the local public library.Readings
-
I just gave a reading last night at a wonderful bookstore (Fireside books)
in the Kitsalano part of Vancouver. I shared the evening with Gail Anderson-Dargatz,
a writer I've long admired. It was a lovely evening.When I get back to Nova Scotia,
I'll be getting ready for three April readings.
April 8 in Halifax for the
Halifax International Writers' Festival
April 19 in Ottawa for the Spring edition
of the Ottawa Writers' Festival
and Arpil 20 in Halifax at the Spring Garden
Public Library!You can find the details for the readings on my appearances page.Ami's
appearances.
Q. From M.
Subject: Generations loved TBH!
Dear Ami
McKay, I loved "The Birth House. It's an original, well-told, unpredictable
story; poignant, funny and very enlightening. Your format brought the era about
which you wrote to life! My parents were both born and raised in Nova Scotia so
I passed your novel on to my mother. Born in 1940 in a rural farming community,
she was, of course, an 'at home' baby. With 3 of her 4 siblings, the doctor could
not make it out to their farm so, the midwives brought mom & my uncles into
the world (1940). Mom too thought your book was a "joy." I am a bookseller,
my co-workers (we're an all-women team) unanimously enjoyed the novel. So....YOUR
BOOK IS SELLING, WELL!! Yeah!!(BTW, great cover & yes, that 'does' matter:)
Our bookstore is an independent & many of our customers greatly rely on our
personal recommendations. Those who purchased your novel have all come back w/
glowing reviews! (daily, we end up talking/dissecting your book w/ its new readers:)
So, here in Ontario, Ami McKay's "The Birth House" is becoming well-known.
It is well-deserved recognition!!! It is a skillfully textured novel and Dora
is a wonderfully 'human' protagonist. I love how you achieved the art of making
the Nova Scotian landscape & all-encompassing effects of living 'on water'
a 'character' in its own right. Having spent so many summers 'back home' I know
how true the effects of place are on her inhabitants. The whole exploration of
technology versus instinctual wisdom, especially in that specific time period,
is fascinating. As you know, the whole 'witch' thing continues in some places
to this day. People-huh. The unique ways in which you showed how 'great technological
progress' affected women in particular is so compelling. The feeling of sterility
(so highly touted) & isolation is palpable. Oh, the 'strange ways of man'
when it comes w/ interfering w/ 'Mother Nature.' I told my customers that it was
a 'one-gulper'- my way of saying, I started your novel, was immediately hooked
and didn't/couldn't stop reading until the last page. I read voraciously (for
work &, for pleasure) but my 'specialty' is Canadian literature. Ms McKay,
thank you for contributing such a important story about our country & our
lives, to the the bookshelves. But far beyond our borders, this is a book that
resonates long after you finish the final sentence! Bravo! "She's a fine
book ya did there, by the Jeezus!" LOL! Congratulations & continued success
- this is just the beginning!!
A: From Ami:
Subject: Thanks!
Oh By Murphy
you there girl!Thanks for your wonderful note. I'm beaming!
I have to say that
the relationship between booksellers and readers is one that I adore. I love going
to my local bookshop and discovering the next book the shop owner has set aside
in anticipation of my visit. It's like picking up a present from a dear friend
every single time!My hope for this book, this little story of mine about a young
girl in Nova Scotia, was that people would pick it up and share it with each other.
I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know that conversations are growing
up around it.
I write to make sense of the world (the past and the present)
and so it's beautiful to me to know that others are reading it and finding their
way to something new in their lives as well.Thank you thank you thank you!
Please
feel free to email me (I have bookplates I can sign and send to you for your readers!)
and the invitation to email etc. goes to all forum posters as well!
ami@amimckay.com
Reply:
From M
Subject : p.s. (spoiler for end of novel)
Ami, (p.s.) I LOVED that
you did not have Dora and Hart marry. The separate homes but connectedness, as
a couple and w/ Wren is terrific. And I adored Miss Babineau. My family is double-lineage
Acadians (so many of her 'remedies' were familiar to me- great research!) Plus,
your notes at the back about "cures for ailments/health" reminded me
a my Grammie's diaries! Thank you for paying homage to that special wisdom w/
grace, talent & wit!
Reply from Ami :
Subject The marriage thing (spoiler
alert)
I got so much grief from my father about that one!Read above to see
my comments about the inspiration behind the willow book...I think you'll find
them interesting.cheers,
a.
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