The Art of Falling (26 page)

1.
The Art
of Falling
is set in the world of modern dance. Do you have a background in dance?

Yes. I came to it late—when I was sixteen—but realized at once I’d been looking for it my whole life. While working toward a bachelor’s in biology education and a master’s in health and physical education at Miami University (Ohio), modern dance became an important part of my life. Freshman year, I went along with a nervous but eminently more qualified classmate to the dance company auditions—she didn’t make it, and I did! (Would have loved to be a fly on the wall when that decision was made!) I began to choreograph my sophomore year and continued through my early thirties to create some twenty-five major works, several of them commissions. I gave up dance in my midthirties due to some ongoing back problems and never returned.

2.
Were you a writer all that time as well?

I came to writing through dance. I was in a performance in Allentown, Pennsylvania, that our company publicist was trying to get reviewed by the local daily paper. Turns out they didn’t have a dance critic. I applied for the position and ended up reviewing dance and writing arts features for nineteen years. I always thought of my role as translating movement into words so that people would have a way to talk about what they’d seen. But I was also filling my mind with oodles of creative images and inspiration from the amazing people I interviewed, and when I decided to nurture my fledgling attempts at writing fiction, criticizing other artists no longer felt right. That, and I couldn’t take one more
Nutcracker
.

3.
Why the switch to fiction?

I got caught up in the kind of real-life drama that demands close attention. In 1997, after fifteen years of marriage, my first husband committed suicide. Once the shock abated, I thought, what does a writer do to make sense of that kind of event? I had no interest in writing nonfiction pieces about suicide. I wrote some memoir. Ultimately, I decided fiction best fulfilled my lingering need to create, from the chaos of these events, a better story.

4.
How did you get the idea to write Penelope Sparrow’s story?

Her story sprung from my need to try to relate to what my husband had done. Anyone familiar with the stages of grief knows of its anger, and I felt plenty of that after the suicide. How could he do this to our sons, who were only eight and ten at the time? How could he do this to me? I sensed that the only path to forgiveness lay in empathy. Yet I’d always been an optimist, looking for the silver lining in every situation. I had no way to relate to someone getting so low that they’d consider self-destruction.

What would that take? I began with a dancer at war with her body so that an ongoing inner conflict underscored all else. I dismantled her support system. Took away the father she adored and left her with the burden of a mother who lived through her. I put her in a competitive world with harsh expectations about a woman’s body and where true friendships can be hard to come by. Took away her mentor. I gave her natural talent and exclusive training, then whittled away at her faith and resolve with years of rejection. Then I gave her a taste of success, a taste of love, then yanked both away at the same time. Finally, at that point, I thought,
maybe
.

Then an odd thing happened. When I made Penny’s loss of movement physical, she started to fight back. I knew then that I could not only bring her back from the edge, but from the depths of her fall.

5.
That fourteen-story fall! How did you come up with that?

That part is based on an actual newspaper account. The story didn’t name the woman or how she survived, only that she walked away with only a broken arm. And it was the second time she had tried to kill herself! And fourteen stories—she was not messing around. I wondered what it would take for her to get the message that it might not be her time. That led to all sorts of questions that I wove into the story.

6.
How long did it take you to write this book?

Eight years. One reason I think it took me so long is that Penelope and I were sharing our journey of healing. At times we boosted each other forward, but I’m sure there were times we held each other back. In earlier drafts, she was a much angrier woman. I knew I’d be finished when her story became one I admired.

Never in question, though, was giving up. I deeply love each of these characters (yes, even Dmitri!) and was determined to see their story told.

Like Penelope, I now give myself credit for something I used to take for granted—every day, I choose life. This notion is empowering.

7.
In
The Art
of Falling
, which character do you feel most closely connected to?

I’d be curious what readers might guess about this one! Of course each character carries a spark from me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without Penelope’s courage, the nurturing of a mentor like Bebe, or the unconditional love from a best friend like Angela. I understand Margaret MacArthur all too well, whose arts advocacy is underappreciated because of her search for excellence. My heart swells when I think of Evelyn Sparrow, content to watch her daughter from the wings just to know she’s happy. But my absolute favorite is…Marty Kandelbaum. I love life’s hidden philosophers, and my idea of a perfect afternoon would be hanging out with him to gain his perspective on things I struggle with. Okay, and maybe to taste some of his baked goodies.

8.
What do you love most about writing?

Writing fiction challenges me on every single level that I value. I love to research and gain new knowledge. I love to ask questions until I find answers. I love to tell stories. I love to figure out why people do what they do. I’m a voracious problem solver. As much as I love interacting with other people, I also enjoy long stretches of time alone. I am hopelessly enamored with words, and I love the way good writing communicates on multiple levels. I love that fresh burst of creativity that becomes the first draft, but even more, I love the conscious application of craft during revision. I love the complexity a novel allows. I love the inherent paradox of writing tight while writing long.

For me, writing is not an escape. It’s the opposite. It demands that I dive headfirst into puddles of conflict others might choose to sidestep. I must scratch and dig until I unearth emotional truths and then find a way to convey them so that a reader I’ve never met can share the same journey. Some days, I crank out several new pages, and some days, I sit and steam over one paragraph because I’m just not sure that I’ve yet found or communicated the truth I sought.

But my writing is absolutely a celebration of life. I am not the type of person who will flit through her days partying. I need to figure some things out. I need to leave a footprint. I need meaning, and my writing is how I create it. And, because writing offers me so much of what I seek in life, I think it’s fun!

9.
Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

I’m glad this question isn’t about my favorite novels because there are too many of them! I sample widely from bestselling literature to keep my finger on the pulse of what is selling. I love talking about the books I read with others so I’d call all of it “book club fiction”—if all that’s left to discuss when I turn the last page is “whodunit,” the book isn’t for me.

Although I’ve only read select authors deeply, if you told me that any of the following had a new book out, I’d purchase it today without bothering to read the jacket cover: Ann Patchett, Anna Quindlen, Barbara Kingsolver, Kelly Simmons, Amy Tan, Janet Fitch, Regina McBride, Roland Merullo, Wally Lamb, and Margot Livesey.

10.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Anyone who is already writing knows that long stretches will require that you keep your hopes aloft by whatever means possible. For that reason, many will give up. So hanging in there while constantly improving is a prerequisite to success.

But while you’re powering up your career, and honoring that nagging voice to write every day, don’t completely wall yourself off in your writing nook. Steep yourself in life experience. Your imagination will need that springboard.

This novel required countless hours of studio rehearsal, production planning, and backstage help before it was ready for its premiere. I had a stubborn love for these characters and wanted to see their story told, it’s true, but I also persevered for my children Jackson and Marty, my selflessly supportive husband, Dave, and my entire extended family: in memory of Ron, I needed to share with you a more hopeful story, and wouldn’t have wanted to let a single one of you down.

To my crew of advance readers, thank you for your generous input. Certain readers need special recognition because their early enthusiasm sustained me, and because their contributions improved and shaped this novel. Linda Beltz Glaser, you have been my wise adviser and stalwart supporter almost from the start. Thank you for your keen sensitivity and devotion to this story. Cindie Feldman, you now know what your early cheerleading meant to me. Sandra Graham, passing your admirable standards helped embolden me to go the distance. For key developmental guidance, I must thank Ellen Gallow, Jackson Williams, Anne Dumville, Barbara Haines Howett, Fern J. Hill, Jack Althouse, V. Z. Byram, Juilene Osbourne-McKnight, Patricia McAndrew, Anne Dubuisson Anderson, D. L. Wilson, and Emily Rapoport. Janice Gable Bashman’s incisive pen saw me through the end game—thanks, Janice.

For meeting all my writing needs through the years, I must thank my colleagues at the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, as well as my colleagues at Pennwriters, the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and the Writers Coffeehouse run by the Philly Liar’s Club. I am indebted to Lana Kay Rosenberg for the whacky moment in which she approved my addition to the ranks of Miami University Dance Theatre: it changed my life. Ironically, it was in the wordless medium of dance that I discovered my voice. Lana Kay, this book would not exist without your nurturing.

For help with research, I’d like to thank Chas Byram, EMT-P; Amanda Craft, RN, BSN; Megan Mercurio, MS; and Doug Gallow, AIA, NCARB. Maureen Chrest generously shared her experience of mothering children with CF, and the nursing staff at the Penn Lung Center at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center answered many questions. I also made use of the following resources: the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation website, www.cff.org; the Avenue of the Arts website, www.avenueofthearts.org;
How
We
Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter
by Sherwin B. Nuland; and
Breathing
for
a
Living: A Memoir
by Laura Rothenburg. Any misapplication of the information provided is my burden to bear.

My gratitude to all of the Philadelphia mural artists whose inspired contributions beautify the city, but specifically those whose works made their way into this novel: Meg Saligman for “Philadelphia Muses,” and Isaiah Zagar, whose Magic Gardens includes the mosaic, “Art Is the Center of the Real World.” Another artist to whom I am indebted is Eileen Carey, for designing this dramatic, breathtaking cover.

My final
révérence
is in deepest thanks to the team that put this novel on stage and focused the spotlight: my agent, Katie Shea, my editors Shana Drehs and Anna Klenke, and the rest of the hardworking team at Sourcebooks. Because of you, the curtain rises, and I wait in the wings with breathless anticipation.

Photo Credit: Jackson Williams

Kathryn Craft, a former dance teacher and choreographer, wrote dance criticism for nineteen years for
The
Morning
Call
daily newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She has a bachelor’s in biology education and a master’s in health and physical education with a dance concentration from Miami University (Ohio). Long a leader in the dance and literary scenes in southeastern Pennsylvania, she mentors other writers through workshops and writing retreats. She has lived in New York, Maryland, Ohio, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and now lives with her husband in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
The
Art
of
Falling
is her first novel. You can contact her through her website,
www.kathryncraft.com
.