Date
Tue November 3, 2009
Toronto Poetry Parade
View more items filed under “Dionne Brand” in our Open Book Archives.
Ten Questions, with Farzana Doctor
Submitted by clelia on August 30, 2011 - 3:08pm
August 31, 2011 - Open Book:Tell us about your latest book, Six Metres of Pavement. Farzana Doctor:Six Metres of Pavement is a story about Ismail Boxwala, a middle-aged South Asian man who made the worst mistake of his life 20 years ago — he forgot his baby daughter in the back seat of his car one summer morning. More than just about tragedy, this is a story of Ismail’s survival — how he manages to go on living after his mistake. Ultimately, his redemption comes through the relationships he builds with Celia — his widowed Portuguese-Canadian neighbor (who lives six metres away), and Fatima — a queer youth whose been kicked out of her home and who needs his help. OB:What was your first publication and where was it published? FD:Stealing Nasreen was published by Inanna Publications. It’s a doomed love triangle, of sorts, involving a new immigrant couple from Mumbai and an Indo-Canadian lesbian. OB:Describe a recent Canadian cultural experience that influenced your writing. FD:I often think back to a lecture given by Wayson Choy at Harbourfront a couple of years ago. He spoke about feeling unsure of his abilities, even after completing three very successful books. It hit me that this feeling is a universal one, and that I have to write even when I feel like I’m not good at it. OB:If you had to choose three books as a “Welcome to Canada” gift, what would those books be? FD:Just three? OK here goes: OB:Describe your ideal writing environment. FD:A drab motel room with a view of a highway. OB:Is there a book that you think you should have read by now but haven’t? FD:There are hundreds! Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme, edited by Ivan E. Coyote and Zena Sharman, has been waiting patiently on my bookshelf. I plan to read it soon and will blog about it. OB:What are you reading right now? FD:I just finished reading, The Divinity Gene, by Matthew J. Trafford. It’s a beautifully written, quirky collection of short stories. Each story has a twist that somehow convinced me that really weird things just might be possible. OB:Do you have a specific readership in mind when you write? FD:I try to avoid thinking about audience when I’m writing early drafts. Later, when revising, I consider the various communities I belong to, and hope they’ll approve! OB:What are you working on right now? FD:I’m working on a third novel. I’m about two-thirds of the way through a first draft. It’s inspired by my love-hate relationship with all-inclusive resorts and monogamy. OB:Do you have any advice for writers who are trying to get published? FD:Yes! Edit, edit, edit. Get feedback. Edit more. I’ll be writing a blog post with more advice in the second or third week of September. Related item from our archives |