Q and A with Author Heather Barbieri

Please join me in welcoming Heather Barbieri; the author of The Lace Makers of Glenmara.


What was the inspiration for your story?

A trip to the Gaelic-speaking west of Ireland and reading a brief news item in the NYT Magazine fashion supplement about a group of Polish lace makers who were threatened with excommunication by their village priest for making lace panties.

[I was curious about how realistic this storyline was, and the answer to the question above actually made me go back and change part of my review. Click here to see the updated version.]


How long did it take you to write your novel?

Start to finish, including the editing process, about nine months.


When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I was an avid reader and imaginative from a young age, staging plays and various adventures, scripted and unscripted, with neighborhood friends, so acting or writing were natural childhood dreams.


How did you first get published? Was it a difficult process for you?

I started out as a journalist, then began publishing short fiction once I became a mother and found it difficult to keep regular hours. Getting a novel published took time, but when the news finally came that Snow in July (Soho), my Irish American-themed first novel, had been accepted for publication, it was the perfect 40th birthday present.


Where do you do most of your best writing?

The ideas flow in inconvenient places—the shower, on walks, and driving (sans kids). When I’m ready to get serious about getting things down on paper—or the computer, I go to my office, which isn’t exactly private (no door, right off the kitchen), but it has wonderful light and if I’m focused enough, I really don’t need to be closeted away.


Who are your favorite authors?

A sampling: Edna O’Brien, William Trevor, Jhumpa Lahiri, Joanne Harris.


To which author would you compare your writing?

I wouldn’t dare! I’ll let readers draw their own conclusions.


Are you writing another novel? If so, what is it about? When will it be published?

I’m not quite ready to talk about it yet. That magical/scary gestational phase.


What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Here’s one, which is somewhat in keeping with the Lace Makers theme:

Some years ago, when we were going boating with acquaintances, the rather obnoxious “captain” insisted that only women in bathing suits could board. (I was in a T-shirt and shorts.) I took off my shirt and sat down in a (modest T-shirt) bra and shorts, saying “will this do?” figuring a bra wasn’t much different from a bikini top--and wanting to teach him a bit of a lesson. Result: He turned bright red and didn’t say another word about it.


What’s your favorite hobby other than writing?

There are a few, including travel, yoga, and playing the piano (especially Debussy and jazz pieces).


What’s your favorite travel memory?

Strolling the Strand of Inch in Ireland and having people speak to me in rapid Gaelic as if I were a native and might actually understand them.


Are you a cat person or a dog person, and why?

I like animals in general, which is why a cat or dog usually finds its way into my novels (Webster, a tabby, in Snow in July; and Fergus, a labrador, in The Lace Makers of Glenmara.) Currently, we have a cat who thinks she’s a dog.


Thank you Heather, for taking the time to answer my questions!


Author Bio:

Heather Barbieri is half-Irish. Her paternal ancestors left counties Donegal and Tipperary after The Great Famine and worked in the coal mines of Eastern Pennsylvania before settling in Butte, Montana. Her impeccably dressed maternal grandmother was a descendant of a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria and instilled an avid interest in fashion in her granddaughters.

Barbieri’s first novel, Snow in July (Soho Press), was selected as a Book Sense Pick, a Glamour magazine “Riveting Read,” and a Library Journal Notable First Novel. Before turning to writing fiction full-time, she was a magazine editor, journalist, and film critic. She lives in Seattle, Washington, with her husband and three children, and is currently working on her third novel.