The Curiosities
Page 27
When each artist arrives they almost instinctively gravitate toward different spaces. Paige the attic, Annie the basement, and Odin the garage. Why do you think they choose those parts of the house to work in? What do their choices say about each character?
Nell racks up credit card debt in secret for fertility treatments she hides from Josh. Would you have done the same? What would you have advised Nell to do in that situation if you were her best friend?
Paige, Annie, and Odin were accepted to the colony because of they hadn’t yet reached their full potential. Did the colony help them achieve that? If not, in what ways do they still need to grow as artists? How did they grow as people apart from their artistic endeavors?
How does Nell’s time working at the colony change her as a person? How does it change her relationship with Josh?
What do you think Nell and Josh’s lives are like ten years after the novel? What about Paige, Annie, and Odin?
Interview: Author Susan Gloss on Fashion, Blogging, Her Novel Vintage & How Every Seam Has a Story
This interview by Doreen Creede first appeared on her lifestyle blog, Style Maniac. Read more at stylemaniac.com
In 2010, after Susan Gloss wrote a poignant guest post for Style Maniac about why she loves vintage fashion, I commented:
Susan, I am thrilled that you wrote this post for Style Maniac. You captured so much of my own feeling about vintage style. We are truly kindred spirits in so many ways. When you are a famous novelist I’ll be tickled to say you appeared on Style Maniac way back when. . . .
In fact, Susan had just begun writing her book, Vintage, and it’s with such delight that I’ve followed her four-year journey as she went from manuscript to published novel. Since its debut in March 2014, Vintage’s charming tale of friendships forged among women brought together by a vintage boutique in Madison, Wisconsin, has received rave reviews from Booklist and Library Journal plus fans around the world.
In this Style Maniac interview, Susan shares her publishing journey, the role blogging played, her best vintage find ever, and how she believes every seam has a story.
Q: When did the idea for Vintage come to you?
A: I came up with the idea for Vintage in 2010. At the time, I was living in a house that had a thrift store in its backyard. Literally. I could toss a tennis ball to play fetch with my dog and the ball would hit the brick wall of the thrift store.
Q: Tell us a bit about the process of getting an agent and publisher.
A: For me, getting an agent took two years, two manuscripts, and more rejections than I care to advertise, but let’s just say that Kathryn Stockett ain’t got nothin’ on me. Once I signed with my agent, she sold Vintage quickly, though, within a couple of months.
Q: Did having a blog help with writing a book? Getting it published?
A: I think it helped in building my platform. My agent and editor, before signing me or the book, could see that I had an online presence and had built a portfolio of work. They both told me that they googled me prior to signing me.
Q: Did blogging hinder writing a book? Will you continue to blog?
A: I have definitely slowed down my personal blog due to other commitments, including writing my next book. But I’ve been blogging a lot, just not on my own site! Last September, I was chosen to be a part of the 2014 class for The Debutante Ball—a group blog for debut authors that’s been in existence since 2008. It’s launched the careers of several bestsellers, including Eleanor Brown, Sarah Jio, and Sarah Pekkanen. It’s been great, and I’ve really enjoyed connecting with the other authors and a new group of readers.
Q: What’s the best thing about being a published novelist?
A: The absolute best thing has been hearing from readers who enjoyed the book and relate to the characters. That, and seeing my book on bookstore shelves. It never gets old.
Q: I loved your dedication—“For my grandmother, Sally Baker, who taught me that every seam has a story”—which incorporates the title of the guest post you wrote for Style Maniac in 2010! What influence did your grandmother have on your fashion sense/desire to write?
A: Yes, I wrote that post here on Style Maniac when Vintage was still in the drafting phase, but what I said then is still true now: I owe my interest in fashion to my maternal grandmother. She was a pattern maker and seamstress for many years, and she taught me about different fabrics and what makes a quality garment. I also had the most gorgeous, unique outfits for my dolls when I was a girl. My grandmother used to design and sew them for me, and I’ve hung on to all of them. She came to my launch book party in March.
Q: In Vintage, each chapter opens with an inventory item of a vintage piece. Are these based on pieces you own?
A: Sadly, I don’t own any of the items. Most of the items in Vintage are things I wish I owned! But some were inspired by real-life objects. For example, there’s scene where Violet, one of the main characters, packs up her belongings to leave her small hometown for good. She puts everything into a yellow Samsonite suitcase. That fictional suitcase was inspired by a real, 1960s luggage set that a wanderlusting friend of mine bought on Etsy.
Q: What’s your favorite vintage find of all time?
A: That would have to be a vintage navy blue and gold Dior evening bag, complete with a gold chain strap and the original tag still on it. Believe it or not, I bought it for two dollars at a garage sale.
Copyright
P.S.™ is a trademark of HarperCollins Publishers.
THE CURIOSITIES. Copyright © 2019 by Susan Gloss. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Lex Maudlin
Cover photographs © plainpicture/Joern Rynio; View Stock/Getty Images (porcelain fragment); © vvoe/Shutterstock (paintbrush tip); © rangizzz/Shutterstock (key); © julichka/iStock/Getty Images (paintbrush)
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition FEBRUARY 2019 ISBN: 978-0-06-227038-2
Version 27122018
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-227036-8
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