----------Interview by Renee Roberson
WOW: Welcome, Brooke, and congratulations! If you’re anything like me, you work through many ideas for essays and stories while exercising. Is that what inspired you to write "Some Women Run?"
Brooke: Partly, yes! I often receive ah-has while running or swimming—some whisper of a new story or character I’m noodling around. Also, I hold a tremendous amount of gratitude for living next to my best friend, who I’ve jogged with for more than 30 years; and while our conversations certainly generate specific ideas, it’s more often the comfortable, reliable company that stirs broader, deeper insights. And since we both lost our dads recently, the idea for a story focused on aging friendships (especially as I watch our mothers find comfort in the company of female friends after their husbands pass) has been hanging around—and yes, became a “I have to write this” during one of our many runs.
WOW: I loved reading your descriptions of nature and almost felt like I was personally along for the run with your friend. What was the revision process like for this essay?
Brooke: I love that! My memories are very sensory, and since we live at the base of the Bridger Mountains, my days are heavily influenced by their topography—as are, more broadly, my sense of home and stories of home. So, it made perfect sense to integrate the creek we run along, that we witness shift throughout the four seasons; in my combined memories of running with Holcomb, the sounds, smells and images of Middle Cottonwood Creek are always present. As far as revision, there wasn’t much time! I wrote it the day before WOW’s deadline. But that’s how inspiration goes—it brews for a bit, then just flows!
WOW: That's even more impressive that you completed such a concise draft in a short amount of time! Your middle grade novel is scheduled for publication with She Writes Press in September of next year. What has your experience been like working with them?
Brooke: Overall, it’s been positive. What drew me to SheWrites is the community of creative women at its core. And the publisher, Brooke Warner, who is a badass entrepreneur, writer and advocate for women in publishing. So far, I’ve enjoyed the grassroots aspect: I learn a tremendous amount from the women publishing in my cohort; we meet monthly to connect, answer questions, share experiences, and support one another’s publishing path. It’s an inspiring, generative and effective model.
WOW: You sound like you have an amazing tribe of women as a support system. Have they inspired any of your other work, fiction or nonfiction?
Brooke: Because I’ve lived far from family for twenty-five years, my women friends have consistently felt like my family: We celebrate holidays and birthdays; share the fun and hiccups of motherhood; and show up for each other after a loss or in the middle of a challenge. We gather together, eat together, hike and ski and run together—we are so lucky! As such, these connections to the women in my life permeate my stories, but most fundamentally in my ability (and privilege!) to write about friendship with authenticity and ease.
WOW: Let's shift gears for our final question. What are you reading for pleasure these days?
Brooke: I read a lot of middle-grade fiction, as that’s what I’m mostly writing these days. Kate DiCamillo is my hero, as is Lauren Wolk, so I read anything they write—sometimes twice. Their books are lyrical, sensory and heart-warming—which I aim for in my kid-lit. Also, because I love writing flash fiction and non-fiction, I read online stories from Brevity and Smokelong Quarterly for inspiration.
WOW: Great suggestions, and I love how you mix it up. Thank you again for stopping by today and looking forward to the release of Far From the Ocean's Edge!
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