Heather Acquistapace |
eInterview
7/8/2014
WB: The first thing I noticed surveying your work is its propensity for opposites: light and dark, white and black, inside and outside, especially the latter. In “When Darkness Dawns”, you experience the terror of inner gloaming, dark overtaking light, at least for a time until He comforts you in your fear. In “A Mime’s Release”, the mime’s face is emotionless “white and black”, as compared to the vibrant, emotional red of the woman’s lips, the woman who succors him from his drab, voiceless state. In “Their Pain, My Shame”, you explore the juxtaposition of exterior and interior facets of “those who curse”, those who we see as evil and below us. “We say... / ’I tower above those lowly fiends!’ / but those ‘lowly’ are misunderstood / we are blind to their ‘behind the scenes.’” In reality, “They wear a mask of perfection... / but inside there is an infection / of shy, hate, fear, anger, and sad.” Even Judas in The Day the Devil Smiled is a man whose face doesn’t match his heart. He’s terrified of Jesus knowing it, and his repression of his demons results in his suicide. What is this propensity for opposites? Is the world white and black to you? Dark and light? Inside and out? How do you see our experience of a world of opposing pairs? Do you struggle with this same noncongruence of outside and inside? This repression of “demons”, doubts, and shame too seemingly terrible to express? I know I do.
HA: I see the world less as darkness and light and more inside and out. I know full well that everyone battles internal conflict, even if the natural world is peaceful. It interested me and I like to focus on it. I feel most writers, artist, the media, etc. dwell more on exterior conflict. Exterior conflict is important, however most people don't know what it is like to take cover, find the murmur, or run from mortal danger.
The war within is where it all begins anyways; so why not start there. Besides, if I don't know the demons hidden in a poem's foundation or within my characters, I will not capture the work's soul. As for my personal experiences, my life has been peaceful compared to most. Therefore, my internal conflict has been more violent then my external ever will.
WB: Strong, repressed emotion also finds its egress through your work, your poetry especially. In both “A Mime’s Release” and “Love as Gold”, you capture love, romance, and passion. In “Like”, you capture cosmopolitan human emotions like sadness, grief, and laughter in concrete images. We feel your “passion, like the salmon’s relentless trip” in many poems, and in “Master’s Touch” you write “[the pen] obeys my bidding / creating emotions with each stroke... / let the pen go / unleash the hidden treasures”. How do you capture emotion in your work? How do you “let the pen go” and just allow your heart to flow out onto the page? Do you see poetry, and writing in general, as an outlet for emotions unwelcome elsewhere especially in common day-to-day life?
My heart is bare when I write. Who I am flows out and onto the page. Without my writing, I become very, how shall I say? Unpleasant. I need my writing time for it is my outlet and escape from life.
Another way I send emotion into the words is by my connection to the characters. When I write, I put myself in my main character's shoes. What they see, I see. What they do, I do. What they feel, both physical and emotional, I feel. They are me, and I am them. Therefore, during a creepy scene, my skin crawls, or a peasant scene, I feel the sunshine warm my head and a smile light my eyes. Most of the time, it is a good thing. The only time it was a issue was when I wrote the whipping scene in The Day the Devil Smiled. I have never been whipped, but my back tingled, ribs felt bare, and hands sweated. Not pleasant, however if I can feel it, the readers will; which is the ultimate goal for a writer.
WB: Biblical stories, ideas, and your personal faith are palimpsestuous to your work, in many cases overtly. You make no apologies for it either, nor for your love and appreciation of Jesus Christ, your “co-author” and the “supreme Ruler of nations.” I don’t think I’m stretching in guessing that you and the author of the Gospel of John have the same purpose for your works, namely “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). The reader, that is. In fact, in your introduction to The Day the Devil Smiled, you reveal your hope that the book will prompt a “revelation of how powerful Jesus’ love is” and how the reader is “never out of His reach.” How do you see your faith informing your work? Which is more important to you, the shell or the nut? The art, or the “Truth” the art is pointing to? What is your impulse behind imbuing your work with such blatant evangelical purpose?
HA: There are thousands of good stories. Each full of excellent writing, engaging characters, and a plot so thick the readers can never foresee the end. However, most of the time something is missing. There is a unspoken magic that separates a good story form a great one. And what is this magic I speak of? That which makes a story full of meaning that will last?
The gift of God.
The thought of a story without magic sickens me. My words are nothing without God for it is He who breaths life into emptiness, not I. A story that lasts. A story that changes lived. This does not mean I like to preach and ramble on and on about sin and the salvation found in Christ. I intend to never do that. The truth of God can be revealed in indirect ways. For instance,Gladiator, The Prince's Bride, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many others mirror God's devotion, protectiveness, and love in the characters' actions.
There is always a fine balance between revealing God's truth and the progression of the story. It is a difficult one. It is interesting because I am writing a novel that has nothing to do with God. I told Him I do not know who to weave Him into the story. He just will not fit. He told me it was alright for He would wiggle His way in one way or another. I'm glad. Without Him, there is no magic therefore no life.
WB: The Day the Devil Smiled hops in and out of the narrative to reveal small gems of cultural information from Jerusalem in 33-36 CE, the times when it’s argued by most that Jesus walked in the Holy Land and was crucified. We learn about Jerusalem’s geography (59), the Jewish conception of the Messiah (59), small tidbits about the Romans as well such as the patibulum (84). Did you do research for this book? If so, how much? And where did you do it, through what media? Why did you choose the specific tidbits of cultural information to relay to us? How do you feel research augments stories? Do you enjoy research?
HA: I wrote the first draft of The Day the Devil Smiled when I was fourteen. At the time, I did not understand the value of research. I rewrote the book when I was sixteen and knew I need nuggets of historical facts throughout the story. My primary source of research were two books; At the Cross by Charles Ludwig and Jesus and His Times by Charles Bricker, Lionel Casson, Charles Flowers, Wendy Murphy, Bryce Walker, and Bernard Weisberger. A local surgeon made a presentation on the medical aspect of Jesus death. Though by that time the book was already published, he confirmed the medical references I made in The Day the Devil Smiled.
I did not include all my historical findings for I did not want to clutter the story with facts. It would distract from the story itself. A few interesting tidbits are fine, but not constant lists of raw information.
Yes, research is fun for me once I make myself do it. That's the trick; make myself sit down, do something that does not involve writing, and look for useful facts. Once I'm in the thick of it, I like it, but not before.
WB: The Day the Devil Smiled is your first book, and you’re self-published. What things did you learn through this process? How did you feel about it? Would you do anything differently the next time? What is your next project? Are you currently working on anything?
HA: I published The Day the Devil Smiled when I was seventeen and, honestly, I did not know what I was doing. It was the first time I ordered anything online, talked with assigned consultant, and told "grown ups" what to do. I learned what is required for printing, the process, and when to say 'no' when a useless deal is presented.
I learned I do not like working with publishing houses. The next book I publish will be through CreateSpeace for several reasons, one being I do most of the work. I enjoy it. My book's are my babies and I know I will handle them with care. I doubt a stranger in a cubical waiting to clock out will do that same.
There are several projects I am working on, primarily a medieval trilogy called Hearts of Glass. The first book, Shattered Lives, will be printed by the end of this year. I am also working on two novels, Writing a Wrong and Sky's Edge. An audio book of The Day the Devil Smiled may be out within a year's time, but we shall see how things go. I am curtain of this: books are coming. Many. Many stories you will enjoy!
WB: Anything else you’d like to add?
HA: On July 26th, I will be in Portland Oregon at the Pioneer Courthouse Square for the NW 6th Annual Book Festival. About two hundred other authors will also attend with a wide variety of written works. I will be at booth 11 with copies of The Day the Devil Smiled. If you are in the area, please come and talk with me! I'd love to meet you!
If you are interested in my work, please visit my sites:
Website:
heatheracquistapace.com
Facebook:
Heather R. Acqusitapace - The Word Artist
Blog
The Word Artist
Keep your eyes open! The Day the Devil Smiled is the beginning of several books to come!
7/8/2014
WB: The first thing I noticed surveying your work is its propensity for opposites: light and dark, white and black, inside and outside, especially the latter. In “When Darkness Dawns”, you experience the terror of inner gloaming, dark overtaking light, at least for a time until He comforts you in your fear. In “A Mime’s Release”, the mime’s face is emotionless “white and black”, as compared to the vibrant, emotional red of the woman’s lips, the woman who succors him from his drab, voiceless state. In “Their Pain, My Shame”, you explore the juxtaposition of exterior and interior facets of “those who curse”, those who we see as evil and below us. “We say... / ’I tower above those lowly fiends!’ / but those ‘lowly’ are misunderstood / we are blind to their ‘behind the scenes.’” In reality, “They wear a mask of perfection... / but inside there is an infection / of shy, hate, fear, anger, and sad.” Even Judas in The Day the Devil Smiled is a man whose face doesn’t match his heart. He’s terrified of Jesus knowing it, and his repression of his demons results in his suicide. What is this propensity for opposites? Is the world white and black to you? Dark and light? Inside and out? How do you see our experience of a world of opposing pairs? Do you struggle with this same noncongruence of outside and inside? This repression of “demons”, doubts, and shame too seemingly terrible to express? I know I do.
HA: I see the world less as darkness and light and more inside and out. I know full well that everyone battles internal conflict, even if the natural world is peaceful. It interested me and I like to focus on it. I feel most writers, artist, the media, etc. dwell more on exterior conflict. Exterior conflict is important, however most people don't know what it is like to take cover, find the murmur, or run from mortal danger.
The war within is where it all begins anyways; so why not start there. Besides, if I don't know the demons hidden in a poem's foundation or within my characters, I will not capture the work's soul. As for my personal experiences, my life has been peaceful compared to most. Therefore, my internal conflict has been more violent then my external ever will.
WB: Strong, repressed emotion also finds its egress through your work, your poetry especially. In both “A Mime’s Release” and “Love as Gold”, you capture love, romance, and passion. In “Like”, you capture cosmopolitan human emotions like sadness, grief, and laughter in concrete images. We feel your “passion, like the salmon’s relentless trip” in many poems, and in “Master’s Touch” you write “[the pen] obeys my bidding / creating emotions with each stroke... / let the pen go / unleash the hidden treasures”. How do you capture emotion in your work? How do you “let the pen go” and just allow your heart to flow out onto the page? Do you see poetry, and writing in general, as an outlet for emotions unwelcome elsewhere especially in common day-to-day life?
My heart is bare when I write. Who I am flows out and onto the page. Without my writing, I become very, how shall I say? Unpleasant. I need my writing time for it is my outlet and escape from life.
Another way I send emotion into the words is by my connection to the characters. When I write, I put myself in my main character's shoes. What they see, I see. What they do, I do. What they feel, both physical and emotional, I feel. They are me, and I am them. Therefore, during a creepy scene, my skin crawls, or a peasant scene, I feel the sunshine warm my head and a smile light my eyes. Most of the time, it is a good thing. The only time it was a issue was when I wrote the whipping scene in The Day the Devil Smiled. I have never been whipped, but my back tingled, ribs felt bare, and hands sweated. Not pleasant, however if I can feel it, the readers will; which is the ultimate goal for a writer.
WB: Biblical stories, ideas, and your personal faith are palimpsestuous to your work, in many cases overtly. You make no apologies for it either, nor for your love and appreciation of Jesus Christ, your “co-author” and the “supreme Ruler of nations.” I don’t think I’m stretching in guessing that you and the author of the Gospel of John have the same purpose for your works, namely “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). The reader, that is. In fact, in your introduction to The Day the Devil Smiled, you reveal your hope that the book will prompt a “revelation of how powerful Jesus’ love is” and how the reader is “never out of His reach.” How do you see your faith informing your work? Which is more important to you, the shell or the nut? The art, or the “Truth” the art is pointing to? What is your impulse behind imbuing your work with such blatant evangelical purpose?
HA: There are thousands of good stories. Each full of excellent writing, engaging characters, and a plot so thick the readers can never foresee the end. However, most of the time something is missing. There is a unspoken magic that separates a good story form a great one. And what is this magic I speak of? That which makes a story full of meaning that will last?
The gift of God.
The thought of a story without magic sickens me. My words are nothing without God for it is He who breaths life into emptiness, not I. A story that lasts. A story that changes lived. This does not mean I like to preach and ramble on and on about sin and the salvation found in Christ. I intend to never do that. The truth of God can be revealed in indirect ways. For instance,Gladiator, The Prince's Bride, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many others mirror God's devotion, protectiveness, and love in the characters' actions.
There is always a fine balance between revealing God's truth and the progression of the story. It is a difficult one. It is interesting because I am writing a novel that has nothing to do with God. I told Him I do not know who to weave Him into the story. He just will not fit. He told me it was alright for He would wiggle His way in one way or another. I'm glad. Without Him, there is no magic therefore no life.
WB: The Day the Devil Smiled hops in and out of the narrative to reveal small gems of cultural information from Jerusalem in 33-36 CE, the times when it’s argued by most that Jesus walked in the Holy Land and was crucified. We learn about Jerusalem’s geography (59), the Jewish conception of the Messiah (59), small tidbits about the Romans as well such as the patibulum (84). Did you do research for this book? If so, how much? And where did you do it, through what media? Why did you choose the specific tidbits of cultural information to relay to us? How do you feel research augments stories? Do you enjoy research?
HA: I wrote the first draft of The Day the Devil Smiled when I was fourteen. At the time, I did not understand the value of research. I rewrote the book when I was sixteen and knew I need nuggets of historical facts throughout the story. My primary source of research were two books; At the Cross by Charles Ludwig and Jesus and His Times by Charles Bricker, Lionel Casson, Charles Flowers, Wendy Murphy, Bryce Walker, and Bernard Weisberger. A local surgeon made a presentation on the medical aspect of Jesus death. Though by that time the book was already published, he confirmed the medical references I made in The Day the Devil Smiled.
I did not include all my historical findings for I did not want to clutter the story with facts. It would distract from the story itself. A few interesting tidbits are fine, but not constant lists of raw information.
Yes, research is fun for me once I make myself do it. That's the trick; make myself sit down, do something that does not involve writing, and look for useful facts. Once I'm in the thick of it, I like it, but not before.
WB: The Day the Devil Smiled is your first book, and you’re self-published. What things did you learn through this process? How did you feel about it? Would you do anything differently the next time? What is your next project? Are you currently working on anything?
HA: I published The Day the Devil Smiled when I was seventeen and, honestly, I did not know what I was doing. It was the first time I ordered anything online, talked with assigned consultant, and told "grown ups" what to do. I learned what is required for printing, the process, and when to say 'no' when a useless deal is presented.
I learned I do not like working with publishing houses. The next book I publish will be through CreateSpeace for several reasons, one being I do most of the work. I enjoy it. My book's are my babies and I know I will handle them with care. I doubt a stranger in a cubical waiting to clock out will do that same.
There are several projects I am working on, primarily a medieval trilogy called Hearts of Glass. The first book, Shattered Lives, will be printed by the end of this year. I am also working on two novels, Writing a Wrong and Sky's Edge. An audio book of The Day the Devil Smiled may be out within a year's time, but we shall see how things go. I am curtain of this: books are coming. Many. Many stories you will enjoy!
WB: Anything else you’d like to add?
HA: On July 26th, I will be in Portland Oregon at the Pioneer Courthouse Square for the NW 6th Annual Book Festival. About two hundred other authors will also attend with a wide variety of written works. I will be at booth 11 with copies of The Day the Devil Smiled. If you are in the area, please come and talk with me! I'd love to meet you!
If you are interested in my work, please visit my sites:
Website:
heatheracquistapace.com
Facebook:
Heather R. Acqusitapace - The Word Artist
Blog
The Word Artist
Keep your eyes open! The Day the Devil Smiled is the beginning of several books to come!