Jayne Pupek, author of Tomato Girl, September 3-17

Join us here to talk to Jayne Pupek, author of Tomato Girl. She'll be on LibraryThing to discuss her work and answer questions through September 17th.

My first question is rather silly, but I'd like to know how to pronounce your last name. When I was buying Tomato Girl the cashier asked me how to pronounce it and I didn't know what to tell her.

Hello!

I'm delighted to meet folks here at LibraryThing. I welcome any questions or comments about my debut novel, Tomato Girl, as well as questions you may have about writing or related topics. Please feel free to invite friends who might like to join.

All my best,

Jayne

It's pronounced Pooh-Peck, with the stress on Pooh. My husband's family is Polish. He tells me that Pupek means bellybutton, but I don't believe half of what he says. Lol!

Did you have to do research for Clara's character? I guess what I'm really asking is have you known someone who does "magic" or is it something you had to research?

That's a great question. I've always been interested in the occult and use some metaphysical imagery in my poetry, so it's a topic I've read a good bit about over the years. I also have a dear friend who is a modern shaman, so I can call her up and pick her brain when I have questions in this area. Another friend sent me a voodoo doll when she traveled to New Orleans. I kept the doll on my desk when I wrote about Clara, and it helped me get into the character of Clara.

Are you a disciplined writer - do you set aside a certain time to write every day? Also, how long did it take you to write Tomato Girl?

Can you give us a hint as to what your next book will be about?

#7 I am definitely a disciplined writer. I write every day, even on Christmas, and even if I have to wake very early to do it. I never have believed much in things like "the muse" or "writer's block." I spend more days writing poetry than fiction. Normally, I write in the mornings when my sons are in school. I wrote Tomato Girl as part of an online critique group. I submitted a chapter a week, so it took about a year to write. The group was a wonderful learning experience, especially since I had written almost no fiction.

#8 The next book? It's classified information. Lol! No, seriously, I can share that it is told in four alternating voices, and one of those voices belongs to a severely disabled girl. There is a character like Clara with some special gifts; his name is Yancey and he's my favorite character so far. I don't talk much about works in progress because it's sort of like opening the oven door when a cake is baking.

I was interviewed recently by Valerie Fox at Press1. Here's the link for those of you who might like to read it.

http://www.leafscape.org/press1/v2n2/pupek-interview.html

Jayne,

Thanks for fielding our questions! :)

I really loved this book....and I have to ask you this: how much research did you have to do to construct this world? It was so real and true to that type of experience (a family dealing with mental illness). My experience is personal, and I don't want to ask you for details, but was yours personal experience as well or did you research and observe? Either way, you did a fantastic and heartbreaking job of capturing such a difficult situation.

(If you have been asked this question a million times, I am very sorry!)

Oh, one other question...you begin the book with Ellie as a grown woman...can you give us any more details of what her life is like as an adult now?

Thank you so much, Beth. I didn't do much research for Tomato Girl because most of the information I needed was already available to me. I grew up in rural Virginia during the same time period, so I knew the place and time well, and most of the characters are to some degree composites of people I knew. My interest in mental illness started when I was young, as one of my aunts was a nurse in the state mental hospital, and I was riveted by her stories. I completed graduate studies in psychology and worked in mental health for a number of years. In one position, I worked with the homeless mentally ill, and because these folks often refused or neglected to take medication, they were actively delusional. They were a handful for all of us, and I often wondered how a child would cope and survive with a parent who was mentally ill.

I forgot to answer the second question about Ellie as an adult. I like to think of her as wounded, but strong. Love is a great healer, and I think enough people cared about Ellie to help her wounds heal.

I'm absolutely delighted to be a guest at Faster than Kudzu, the blog of bestselling novelist and fellow Southerner, Joshilyn Jackson. Read my answers to Joshilyn's 3 questions:

http://www.joshilynjackson.com/mt/archives/000918.html

I loved the interview with Joshilyn. She is another great Southern author.

This not a literary comment, but I just can't help addding: "Pipik" means belly-button in our house, too. My husband is Jewish, with family from Russia/Eastern Europe. Just thought you might want to know that your husband isn't teasing! (My married last name seems to mean smoked fish, which I think is just awesome.)

#16--Most of my life isn't literary by any means, so I welcome comments on other things, too.

Smoked fish...how funny! Do you have children? My boys, who are teenagers, cringe every time their father says that "Pupek" means bellybutton.

#15--Thanks, Kathy. Joshilyn is an awesome writer and has such a sense of humor. I had fun with the interview.

I think the new one sounds good, I like a book written from different perspectives :)

It's a challenge for me--which I like--because one of the characters is male. Some days I wake up feeling like Sybil with all these personalities to keep straight. Lol!

A Book Giveaway: Meg Waite Clayton, author of the moving and delightful novel, The Wednesday Sisters, is hosting a book giveaway on her1st Blooks blog. The winner will receive an autographed copy of my novel, Tomato Girl, and an autographed copy of Matrimony by Joshua Henkin, just released in paperback. To find out how to enter--and how to also win a copy of Meg's book-- see her blog: http://megwaiteclayton.com/1stbooks/?p=58

I enjoyed the interview on Press1, and particularly your answer to knowing when a book is done. I was wondering about the moment when you realized that Tomato Girl was finished. Would you be willing to tell us a bit about how you felt and where you were at the time? Thanks for all your posts here!

Thanks for stopping by, Kirsten! I felt a good bit of relief, I think, to come to a point where Ellie was not only in a safe place, but had in some way crossed a threshold. I didn't need to know the rest of Ellie's life, although some readers have expressed curiosity about Ellie as an adult. I just needed to give Ellie the chance to heal and move beyond her traumas, which I think she had at the end of the story.

In terms of where I was---glued to my laptop, where I always am. Lol! After the last sentence was written, I went outside on my porch and drank a beer.

Many thanks to everyone who stopped by with comments and questions about Tomato Girl. Although this chat officially ends today, readers are welcome to email me directly at JaynePupek@aol.com. You'll also find news, updates, etc on my blog http://jaynepupek.blogspot.com/

All my best,

Jayne