Featured Interview With Claire Fullerton
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I had the great fortune of being raised in Memphis, which is a vibrant city on the Mississippi River. It is steeped in an old Southern culture that flavors everything from cuisine to music and was a wonderful place to grow up. I now live in Malibu, California with my husband and two German shepherds, who run the show. I am the author of two novels: one is a paranormal mystery titled, “A Portal in Time” and the other is literary fiction, titled “Dancing to an Irish Reel.” I am a 4 time award winning essayist and I consistently contribute to magazines. I have also appeared in 5 of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I started writing by keeping a journal at a very young age. I believe this lay the foundation of my writing career, for it taught me the art of specifics, clarity and brevity. I think a writer learns by doing, and I therefore recommend keeping a journal for any aspiring writer. Sooner or later, it leads to stories then a writer has something to submit. And as for books, I remember reading “That was Then, This is Now’ by S.E. Hinton and being carried away to a place so visually real and believable that it seemed I knew the characters personally. It’s a simplistically written book, which just goes to show writing is about straight forward honesty. I have always loved those books written in the first person because it gives me the sense of knowing to whom I am listening. I love honest, confessional writing that makes me feel included in the narrative. Reading a book in this tone is an emotional investment, and it shares insight into what it means to be human. I like to write in the first person for this same reason, be it in a magazine piece or a novel.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I am a big fan of Pat Conroy, author of “The Great Santini,” “The Prince of Tides,” and “South of Broad,” to name a few of his books. His impact on me boils down to one thing: he showed me what is possible in writing, that there is beauty in language and if wielded deftly, there is the possibility of communicating the nuances of human nature, wherein, I find, a crucible exists that is the juxtaposition of sorrow and joy, hope and fear and all of the attendant variables that go into this business of living from a human, emotional level. I think this crucible exists in us all as a driving force. Also, I identify with what I see as a consistent theme in Conroy’s work: his sense of place as an influential character, and in Conroy’s work, that place is the South. And as for my favorite genre, it is literary fiction because this is the genre wherein the reader considers a commentary on life. Other authors I admire are Donna Tartt, who wrote “The Goldfinch” and Anne Rivers Siddons, who has authored 24 books, all set in the South.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
“Dancing to an Irish Reel” is literary fiction set on the western coast of Ireland. Hailey Crossan is twenty five when she leaves the record business in Los Angeles and takes a trip to rural Ireland, where she is offered a job at the Galway Music Center that is too good to turn down! So there this American is, in unfamiliar terrain where everything is eye-opening and new. When she meets a dark-haired Irish musician named Liam Hennessey, a confusing relationship begins, which Hailey thinks may be due to their differing cultures. But a handful of colorful Irish friends help Hailey navigate the Irish culture and Hailey comes to realize it may be that Liam is afraid of love. The book has been called ” A sensitive and lyrical tribute to Ireland and the wonders of falling in love,” and I loved this reviewer saying this. I paid much attention to Ireland’s unfathomably beautiful landscape and its charismatic people. But this is a story that could have been set anywhere, because it portrays the unpredictability of new love with its excitement and hopes, but also its confusion and uncertainty. It’s what Hailey does with this uncertainty that makes the story!
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