It’s begun: over the weekend I responded to a series of questions put to me via email by a magazine in which my book is receiving its first public review. In addition to answering a few factual and straightforward queries, I had to address others such as: Why did you decide to write this book? Is it difficult to talk about John in public? Do you think of yourself these days as a widow or single?
I am happy to try to answer these questions, because their being asked means that attention is being paid to my work. I am less sure of the adequacy or reliability of my responses. Inevitably there is a gap between the writer of the memoir, and the writer as a character in her own memoir. And on any given day I can imagine feeling quite differently about answering questions probing the workings of my mind. I wanted a public voice, and now I have one. For better, or for worse? I don’t know yet, but I’m willing to find out.
