Posted by Kathleen Pooler /@kathypooler with Karen Leahy/@KCLeahy
“The convent became too tight a container for my life. I believe that many women have the equivalent of the “convent” in their lives—conditions that limit and diminish them, such as bad marriages or stifling jobs, and from which they must free themselves to live fuller lives. If my story gives them any sense of possibility that they too can change the course of their lives, can say Yes to their spirit’s cry for survival, I will be happy.” The Summer of Yes, page 6, Karen Leahy
I am very happy to feature Memoir Author Karen Leahy in this interview to discuss her recently released memoir, The Summer of Yes: An Ex-Nun’s Story. Karen and I met at the International Women Writer’s Guild (IWWG)’s annual summer conference at Drew University in August, 2013.
My reviews of her memoir can be found on Amazon and Goodreads.
Welcome, Karen!
KP: The Summer of Yes is a story of self-discovery and transformation as you take us on your journey into then out of the convent. When did you decide to write a memoir about this experience? What is the main message you hope to convey?
KL: I had avoided talking or even thinking about my convent years for decades after leaving. About 10 years ago, I wrote a few paragraphs about the convent in a writing workshop, and the floodgates opened. After I wrote the book, I put it away for a few years, unable to decide whether to actually publish it because a memoir leaves you so exposed. I finally decided to make it public because I felt I had a good story as well as a message to others: listen “to your spirit’s cry for survival” and take action.
KP: When I read your memoir, I was struck by your ability to convey your struggles in such an honest way. What was it like for you to face these struggles as you wrote your memoir?
KL: that It was painful at times, and I wrote some sections through tears, but it was also freeing. In the book, I tell of the “conspiracy of silence” that held sway in my family’s home and that followed me into the convent. I couldn’t express my feelings during all those years, and I was doing it in writing. Now I feel like a stronger, more “real” person. I never expected this result from writing the memoir, but am delighted with it.
KP: Most memoir writers have to face the fact that their version of the story may not coincide with others’ version of the same story. Did you find this to be an issue and if so, how did you handle it?
KL: I recognized that this was inevitably so. I say in the first chapter that my memory of events that happened decades ago is unreliable. But it’s MY story, told as honestly as I was able to tell it.
KP: We all have stories within to share but not all stories turn into a memoir that appeals to others. I found your memoir to be inspirational and enlightening. How did you turn your life events into a story that engages readers?
KL: I set out only to tell my story but found myself taking plenty of time to reflect on how it might help others. As I wrote, I began to see that the themes of surviving hardship and opening to a whole-hearted affirmation of life were part of the story, and I looked for words and images to convey these themes clearly.
KP: What made you decide to self-publish through Create Space?
KL: Well, being 71 was a big factor! I don’t have a lot of time to wait around for agents and publishers to choose my book, and then possibly several more years before it would come into print. A friend who had published through CreateSpace encouraged me, and voila!
KP: How do you plan to market your book?
KL: For me, writing the book was much easier than marketing. But I’m reading a lot of advice online, listening to what other writers have done and learning as I go. I’ll have a table at the Boston Book Festival on October 19 (come say hello to me in “Indie Row”), and I arranged for the Independent Book Publishers Association to represent my book at the Frankfurt (Germany) Book Fair, October 9-13. I’ve had a number of readings/book-signings, including a table at the IWWG conference in August, and plan to arrange more at book stores in major cities in the Northeast. I’m very grateful for opportunities such as this interview.
KP: Do you have any memoir writing tips to share?
KL: Number 1: START! Start anywhere, and try to keep your inner critic quiet as you let the first draft flow. Carry a small notebook with you and jot down memories and ideas that you might want to develop later. Don’t worry about structure at the beginning; you can play with that later. And be listening all along for what it is you really want to say. Courage!
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Thank you, Karen for sharing your publishing journey with us. I especially appreciate your advice about taking time to reflect upon your story’s meaning to yourself and others and to keep writing past your inner critic.
Author Bio and contact information:
Karen Leahy is happy to be alive and publishing her first book at age 72. She is a senior editor at Dunton Publishing, freelance writer and editor and sometimes poet.
Since leaving the convent after 11 years as a Catholic nun and teacher of English and music, Karen has held positions as activist, speaker, vocalist, music teacher, assistant to prominent religious leaders and event planner. Though she has co-written short biographies for seniors to leave as legacies for their children and grandchildren, The Summer of Yes is her first full-length book.
An Ohio native, she now lives close enough to New York City to enjoy its arts & culture, food and energy with her cultured, food-loving boyfriend and spirited friends.
Follow Karen on her website/blog, www.karenleahy.com, on Facebook at Karen Leahy, and on Twitter @KCLeahy.
And if you are in Boston for the Boston Book Festival on October 19, 2013, be sure to stop by Karen’s table. She’ll be in front of the John Hancock Tower in a new Festival section for self-published authors called “Indie Row”
The Summer of Yes can be ordered from Amazon or from Karen’s website
How about you? Have you been reluctant to write your story, then found strength as you kept writing?
Karen has graciously offered to give away one copy of her memoir to a lucky commenter whose name will be selected in a random drawing.
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave your comments below~
Friday, October 18: Denis Ledoux returns with the third session on Memoir Writing Tips: “Establish Your Setting.”