Ann Patchett

         

     

                                     

    

                                     

On a recent trip to Nashville, my wife and I stopped in to Parnassus Books to say hello. I used to call on them when I was a publisher's rep and Linda-Marie, being the executive director of SIBA, wanted to say hello to a member store. Little did we know that Ann Patchett would happen to be there signing copies of her books. She was delightful and graciously agreed to my interview for Advance Reading Copy.

In November, 2011, Ann opened Parnassus Books with her business partner Karen Hayes. She has since become a spokesperson for independent booksellers, championing books and bookstores on NPR, The Colbert Report (including the series finale), Oprah's Super Soul Sunday, The Martha Stewart Show, and The CBS Early Show, among many others. Along with James Patterson, she was the honorary chair of World Book Night. In 2012 she was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Ann, tell me about your new book.

While I was writing THE DUTCH HOUSE I started to think about a story about a woman who's life had been defined by playing Emily in high school.  That was the start of TOM LAKE. I then went on to write THESE PRECIOUS DAYS but I just kept noodling around with the plot. It's a story about the difference between youthful love and married love. It's about children's assumptions about their parents lives, and how we have a very hard time imagining our parents doing anything before we were born. It's about having the life you want, not the life you're supposed to want. It's about the influence of literature. 

It's about cherries.

Where you live and why you love it so much.

I live in Nashville, which is where I grew up. I live on a street I used to ride my bike down as a kid. I always thought it was the most wonderful street in the world because there were sidewalks and the houses weren’t too far apart. My husband bought this house when we were dating. I lived about three blocks away. When we finally decided to get married he said we should both sell our houses and find a place together that would be ours. I said no, I loved his house. I was marrying him and I was marrying his house. That was eighteen years ago. Karl wishes we lived in a much bigger house now, and I wish we lived in a much smaller house. I believe this house is the only place where we could both be happy.

Where were you living when you were 7 years old? Are they fond memories?

When I was seven my mother and sister and I moved constantly. I probably lived three different places when I was seven. My mother struggled. She worked all the time, there wasn’t any money. She was trying really hard. It wasn’t a time for fond memories.

Is there a book that changed the way you look at life?

JAMES, by Percival Everett 

It’s coming out in March of 2024. It’s a retelling of HUCKLEBERRY FINN from the perspective of Jim. It’s a brilliant book, a book that reminded me that what I think I know may not be the truth. I hope it’s a huge success. I feel like it’s a book that’s going to start a lot of important conversation.

Do you have a favorite children’s book and what about it makes it so?

CHARLOTTE’S WEB. 

We lived on a farm for awhile when I was a kid, not a working farm, but a large piece of land in the country with animals. I related to Fern and I related to the animals. I begged my stepfather for a pig and he got me one for my ninth birthday. I feel so lucky that I got to spend so much of my childhood outside, with animals, in barns. That book was both urgent and beautiful. It made me feel like it was possible to change your fate.

How do you feel about “Independent Bookstores” and their role in your success?

Well, I own an independent bookstore, Parnassus Books in Nashville. I spend much of my life promoting bookstores, booksellers, books. Independent bookstores have been very supportive of me and I’ve been very supportive of them. Bookstore people are my friends. We help each other out.

What a book needs most is to have people read it. You can have a huge ad campaign and a giant tour but the thing the makes a difference is a bookseller reading a book and saying to a customer, “I loved this one. Try this one.” Booksellers have done that for me. I’m incredibly grateful.

What are the funniest or most embarrassing stories your family tells about you?

Well there is this, about two years ago my sister and I had both gone to see our mother. Kate DiCamillo was with me. When it was time to go Kate and I sat in the car for a few minutes and talked about something, then I backed out of the driveway and my sister backed out of the garage and we ran into each other. Her car (a Subaru) was fine. My car (a Toyota) was mashed. It was my fault. Heather went back to the bookstore (she works at the bookstore) and when Kate and I got there an hour later she was wearing a cervical collar. Everyone in the store was waiting for me to see her. It was like a surprise party. We laughed for about an hour.

How did you meet your beloved? How did your first date go?

Karl is a doctor and my mother was one of his office nurses for years. I knew him in passing, he was my mother’s boss, but I never gave him a thought. Then he got divorced and he told my mother he wanted to ask me out. It was a strange situation. I told him I was happy to talk to him but I didn’t want to go on a date. We went to dinner and the owner of the restaurant kept sending a waiter over to our table with a message that she had to see him in the back. He kept getting up to go, then she would come to the table and sit next to him. I was laughing my head off. I told him he was doomed.

We’ve been together almost thirty years.

Is there a song, person or group that you listen to when you are feeling a bit down?   

It changes all the time. It was Joni Mitchell 

and Laura Nyro  when I was young. 

 

These days I go to Olivia Rodrigo    her song called “Making the Bed.” 

Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to be where I am.

How are you different now than you were in your 20’s?

Older. I’m so much older. I have power now. I probably had a completely different kind of power then but I had no idea how to use it. In many ways I’m the same—I’m disciplined, focused. I’ve never needed much approval. But so much of the energy of my twenties was spent wondering where I would go and whether or not I’d get the job and trying to figure out my love life (Did I want him? Did he want me?) I don’t have to worry about any of that now. It frees up time to help independent bookstores.

Is there a question no one has ever asked you that you wish they would? Something, perhaps, that people would be surprised to know about you?

I can’t think of any. I write personal essays. I don’t have secrets. If I’m wrestling with something, chances are I’ve written about it.

And in a short essay…………………………

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME

to any period from before recorded history to yesterday,

be safe from harm, be rich, poor or in-between, if appropriate to your choice,

actually experience what it was like to live in that time, anywhere at all,

meet anyone, if you desire, speak with them, listen to them, be with them.

When would you go?

Where would you go?

Who would you want to meet?

And most importantly, why do you think you chose this time?

I’d want to see the people I love again. I’d want to see my friend Lucy. I’d be happy with any period of time from when we became close when we were 21 until she died at 39. I don’t think I could change the outcome of her life but I could go back and give her all the love and support I could possibly give her. The same is true for my brother-in-law. We were really good friends. I’d love to just sit with him, let him know I had all the time in the world for him. I’d love to see my grandmother again, my father, and tell them that things worked out well for me and that I’m so grateful for their love and support. I hold onto so much love for these people. I’m pretty sure they knew how much I loved them but still, I see time travel as a chance to tell them again.

Thank you Ann, you are the first "Most Influential Person of the World" I have interviewed (well there was Michael Palin, but for some crazy reason he didn't make that list). Congratulations on your continued success and thank you for your heartfelt answers to my questions.