The Shape of What Remains in the World
Taking my new novel into the world to meet readers!
I have a longtime blog that can be found under www.literaryimaginings.com. This is my attempt to go to a platform that is more widely recognized. Not only will I be talking about myself and my writing life, I’ll offer some writing suggestions or share books I’ve read and admired. I hope to develop a following. I’m a longtime writer with five books of poetry and short fiction and this debut novel. I taught for many years and still teach online and mentor students in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. I write primarily literary fiction, which is not as pretentious as it sounds. It simply means that my characters control the narrative. I’m less interested in action or plot though plot happens organically through my characters. Because I started my writing life as a poet, lyricism and image creeps into all of my fiction. I believe it adds color and texture to the writing and quite honestly, I can’t write any other way.
In April, I’m taking The Shape of What Remains, my first novel, on the road. This is a story about a woman who is still grieving the death of her young daughter after ten years. What I’m hearing from my readers at my events is that Teresa’s story speaks to many. The specifics of her situation are unique but grief is universal. If you love, you will grieve someday. Some of us grieve a loss of power or agency, of viable employment, or of strength or health. In Teresa’s case, she grieves her previous life because her loss fundamentally changed her. She will never again be the doting young mother of her beloved daughter, Serena.
No one can change the progression of time but it is possible to learn from loss and grief. For some, living more in the moment slows the feeling of helplessness or paralysis. For others, therapy or immersing oneself in work can propel them to a more functional place. There is no single path that will work for everyone, as Teresa discovers on her very personal journey.
Change is critical to growth. One need not grieve a child to have earth-shattering change in his/her/their life. Divorce, illness, a move away from the familiar all cause a person to redefine priorities and somehow rearrange the puzzle pieces of daily life. Political rumblings can seem abstract until they become personal and disrupt our lives or the lives of those we love. At that point, we are no longer bystanders but participants in a future that may be radically different from the one we planned. How can one move through such chaos without giving up or becoming incapacitated? All of us can find one action, call, or letter that expresses what we’re feeling and what outcome we’d like to see.
The Shape of What Remains is about facing the worst thing that can happen to a parent and somehow finding the strength to go on. It’s about imperfect relationships and mistakes that may be fatal or benign. Life is a perilous journey and personal tragedy is neither unique nor separate from everyone’s life experience.
To see if I’ll be in your area on my book tour, visit my web site www.lisactaylor.com
I’m happy to talk to book groups and classes remotely or in person. I promise to offer updates on writing with some regularity.