![]() ![]() My life is messy with few boundaries and therefore all of these things seep into my writing. My interactions with students and colleagues emerge in my writing and my parenting emerges in my teaching. So how I see and interact in the world is from my socially just feminist stance which developed in my personal/professional life. MT: My day job and my life are intertwined. GP: How does your “day job” (academic, journalist etc.) influence your writing? She has said to me on occasion: “It’s good enough” and that really helps. But I have learned a lot from my collaborators – like Emily Klein who often pushes me to let go of a piece. I feel very vulnerable when I share my writing so it has to be someone I trust. MT: I am getting better at sharing my writing but this has taken a lot of time to come to. GP: Do you share your writing while you are still writing or wait until you have a draft? Writing feels physical to me - so sometimes music will help it along. MT: Sometimes- it depends on what I am writing. GP: Do you listen to music when you write? He started with handwritten notes and wrote on a typewriter.) GP: Do you mix up writing instruments? (Oliver Sacks never wrote on a computer. GP: What about pens and pencils? Are they important? MT: No - at this point I do everything on the computer. GP: Do you keep notebooks? Use special paper? This could be a text, live music, a film, or even a conversation. MT: Usually I am inspired by something I have read, experienced, or heard. I had the cleanest bathroom when I was writing my dissertation. ![]() I usually need to be physically in my body before I start writing – either walking, dancing, bar method, or even cleaning the house. So I have found that I often write in the cracks and that works for me. Although to be honest I am interrupted all of the time. I won’t eat, sleep, or want to be interrupted. I have to feel ready to write – and when I do I can write for hours on end. I cannot write every day at the same time in the same space. MT: So I definitely have a pattern but it is not the routine that most people talk about. GP: When do you write? Do you have a routine? Not a love, not a jewel, not a single line. MT: Ha – my students would say problematize. Also good writing should transport and inspire you. MT: Do not be afraid to feel in your body. GP: If you could express one thought to all your readers what would it be? With social media, I feel much more accessible and part of the global world. MT: I think similar to what I said above. GP: Have you noticed any differences in your own relationships with your readers? I think readers have more access to writers now – and to their lives – and they feel more human and real. MT: I do think they are changing but not for the worse. GP: Do you think the relationships between authors and readers are changing? She is so well read and she subtly incorporates references to other work - not in a pretentious way but in an honest and appropriate way. ![]() She knows just how to combine the esoteric with the everyday. GP: Is there one author who has influenced your writing more than any others? Byatt, Haruki Murakami, Patti Smith, Jhumpa Lahiri. I have so many depending on the mood I am in. Garn Press: Do you have a favorite author? Monica provides an opportunity for readers to imagine a future in which little children have joyful learning experiences that will stand them in good stead as they progress through school, and her vision of progressive preschool experiences stands in stark contrast to the skill intensive, socially and academically debilitating experiences that many young children endure in today’s preschools. This is truly an optimistic book and filled with hope. Monica’s book is actually called Playhouse, and the subtitle is Optimistic Stories of Real Hope for Families with Little Children. Monica also cares for Playhouse, the progressive pre-school that her two sons attended and that she still supports on a regular basis. She is also a strong advocate for her university students, and when she speaks of them she immediately lets you know how proud she is of their accomplishments and much she cares for them. At Garn Press we appreciate Monica’s strong support for children, parents and teachers in challenging urban environments. Monica Taylor is a full professor and a feminist mom. Buy on Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound (local bookstores) | Books-A-Million | Indigo Books Author Monica Taylor Monica Taylor is the author of Playhouse: Optimistic Stories Of Real Hope For Families With Little Children, now available. Author Interview with Monica Taylor, Playhouse: Optimistic Stories of Real Hope for Families with Little Children ![]()
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