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Name of
memoir? And were there other names you considered that you would like to share
with us? The name of my book is Two Minus One: A Memoir. As is often the case when a book is
published, the title is changed from the original title that the author used as
the driver for the writing. I wrote my story with the title When the Other
Shoe Drops – or He’s Really NOT in it for Life. That title compelled me to
write my story after the unexpected betrayal by the husband who repeatedly
promised I could, “Quit waiting for the other shoe to drop, I am in this for
life.”
The title was changed as the publisher, Brooke
Warner (Below Right), was convinced that the title was too cliché, and clichés do not sell.
In retrospect, I believe that the new title presents me as more proactive and
in control of my life rather than reactive and allowing someone else to control
my actions and decisions.
What is
the description of this memoir? Two Minus One: A Memoir is a personal story of strength, resiliency and empowerment. It is a detailed account of how unexpected hardship leads to the
discovery of untapped inner strength, enlightenment, renewal, and a triumphant
new beginning. It
provides the reader the gift of hope, courage, and confidence. If I, as the
author, could overcome what had occurred to me, others can do the same.
What is the date you began
writing this memoir and the date when you completed the memoir? I began writing my story in July, 2015 at the encouragement of a
friend. I finished my manuscript the end of November 2016 and sent it off to
the five people who had supported me throughout my journey. They each provided
enthusiastic support for my product and encouraged me to consider publication
in order to offer encouragement to others experiencing a similar situation.
Where
did you do most of your writing for this memoir? And please describe in detail. I began work on
my story at the beach over the July 4th holiday weekend. I spent
three days brainstorming chapter titles, reviewing quotes that had helped me
through my ordeal and writing a dedication, preface and prologue.
Whenever possible, I wrote at the beach.
What
were your writing habits while writing this memoir- did you drink something as
you wrote, listen to music, write in pen and paper, directly on laptop;
specific time of day? I did not have a set time or place that was predetermined for my
writing. I was writing to make sense of a devastating experience and I wrote
whenever I had thoughts or ideas that demanded my attention. Wherever I wrote
at home – unless it was scribbling ideas in the bed – I had a scented candle, a
bottle of water, and a variety of pads, notebooks, pens and post it notes at
hand. I also have a variety of inspirational quotes and cards nearby as well as
handheld stress relief products in a variety of fun and motivational shapes. I
wrote everything by hand and arranged pages throughout the house often
ordering/reordering/editing my work with an array of colored pens. When it came
time to compose my thoughts into document form, I worked only in my upstairs
office with the above items at hand. When I had printed pages, I would again
lay them out across tabletops or floors, and literally cut and paste the copies
together in improved sequential order. I am unable to focus with any background
noise, so there was never music.
How do
you define memoir? And what makes memoir
different from an autobiography? To me, memoir recounts
the personal struggle and awakening resulting from a specific event or series
of events in an author’s life. It is a raw and detailed portrayal of an
emotional or physical challenge, which the author faced, worked through, and
conquered. The purpose of memoir is to support a theme – in my case, personal
empowerment – and to make a point – that we have an untapped strength and
resiliency, which we only realize when we are called upon to use it.
An autobiography covers the entire
span of an author’s life while a memoir deals with a specific and more limited
timeline or event.
Out of
all the specific memories you write about in this memoir, which ONE MEMORY was
the most emotional for you to write about? And can you share that specific
excerpt with us here. The excerpt can be
as short or as long as you prefer, and please provide page numbers as
reference. The most emotional memory in the
book was the unexpected loss of my father.(p81-87)
Although I was having a
great deal of difficulty dealing with the unforeseen abandonment by my husband,
the death of my father during this time compounded my pain and shook my very
foundation. I had loved my husband without reservation and was struggling to
regain sense in my world. Then my father died suddenly, and I found myself
without the wisdom of my final parent. My father had been my mentor, my
support, and my strength throughout my entire life and now I was without my
spouse and was also an orphan. I had inherited his optimistic attitude, his
belief that I had the strength to rise above all obstacles and the power to
positively impact the world around me. His death was unexpected and, (Excerpt Below)
“I had been unable to say goodbye
to my father before he died, and continually went over the details of our last
telephone conversation, the day of his death.” (p83) Sorting through his things
with his widow, I realized that, “…what I was looking at was the closet of a
man who proudly escorted his wife, whom he loved dearly, on his arm whenever
they stepped out to enjoy a social occasion.” (p.83) “As a military veteran, my
father would be buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Therefore, I had to
gather strength both for services in his town of residence and for a trip to
Arlington four months later.” (p.83) “After the service and the family
gathering that followed, we drove back to our hotel…The man we had both loved
had been officially laid to rest.” (p.87)
Can you
describe the step-by-step process of writing about this ONE MEMORY? The difficulty in writing about all memories that go into memoir
is the continual reliving of the most painful moments of one’s life. As an
author, one wants to be as concise, relevant, and unbiased as possible about
sharing these intimate moments. However, as a human who has suffered the loss
and/or experienced the tragedy, it is excruciating reliving those very moments
to share with the reader.
Were
there any deletions from this excerpt that you can share with us? I worked very hard to be forthright and present the raw emotions
that I was experiencing during my ordeal. The only deletions that were made
were intimate family communication that would not enhance the story, could
cause pain or embarrassment to family members, and remain private.
Other
works you have published? I contributed an essay
entitled Royal Support to The Pulpwood Queens Celebrate 20 Years which
describes my first encounter with Kathy L. Murphy (Below Left) and her Pulpwood Queen
Girlfriend’s Weekend.
Anything you would like
to add? I would like to thank every individual who has supported me
throughout this journey. I appreciate your reading, reviewing, and sharing my
story. You have had a profound impact on my life, and I hope to meet even more
of you in person in the coming months. I also want to suggest that if you have
a desire to write and a story to share, sit down and do it. It is never too
late to achieve your dreams or restructure your goals. If I can do it, anyone
can.
Kathryn
Taylor was born at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago, Illinois
and spent much of her life in the Chicagoland area. She spent nearly thirty
years in the classrooms of Illinois, California, and Virginia before she
retired from teaching and relocated to South Carolina. It was there that she
wrote her book, Two Minus One: A Memoir
(November 2018 from She Writes Press) following the unexpected abandonment by
her second husband. Two Minus One: A
Memoir received a starred Kirkus Review and was subsequently named to
Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2018. It is an Amazon Best Seller and was
selected as one of the September 2019 selections of the Pulpwood Queen’s Book
Club. Taylor has participated on author panels at the Pulpwood Queen Girlfriend
Convention, and the Pat Conroy Literary Center. She is an avid reader,
enthusiastic traveler, and incurable beach lover. She resides outside of
Charleston, SC where she enjoys all three of her favorite past times.
THE MAGNIFICATION OF ONE MEMORY IN MEMOIR links
001
03 18 2020
“Two Minus One”
by Kathryn Taylor
002
03 19 2020
“HeartSnark”
by Terry Kroenung
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