Today we welcome Sigrid Fowler to my blog. Sigrid is giving away one copy of her new book to one person who comments. (USA only) Please leave contact information in the comments.
Sigrid, glad to have you stop by. Tell us about the
book:
Don’t Tell the Rabbi,
Bk I, Three Friends and an Old Lady
is a story about three childhood friends who grew up to be a rabbi, a Baptist
minister, and an English professor. The minister tilts with his Jewish buddy
about various points of the gospel, and he deeply desires the reconciliation of
his two friends. Ill will has chilled their relationship for years. The old
lady is a retired diva whose voice breaks glass. She chose Beulah, SC, her
hometown and theirs, for retirement. Now she’s next-door neighbor to the rabbi
and rabbitzen. The ancient opera singer is a much-loved, local celebrity now
suffering from dementia. In the novel, we listen as chats of congregants and
church members, friends and family, the main characters and their colleagues,
tell the story through conversations, actual and internal. Ruth, the pastor’s
wife, interprets what we’re hearing. What secret is being kept from the rabbi?
That’s the big question. The foreshadowing in Bk I becomes full revelation in
Bk II, already written and in the editing process. There will be a Bk III.
Have you always liked
to write?
Yes and I’ve written for publication since the mid-1970s. My
articles in professional journals and newspaper columns have covered literary
subjects, local news, and topics of community interest. For ten years I’ve
written a biblically based column for the Edgefield
Advertiser, the local paper in Edgefield, SC, and oldest newspaper in the
state.
Just as your books
inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write?
Charles Dickens has been a huge inspiration, but as a
teenager, I became interested in the novels of Dostoevsky. Jane Austen is
another favorite. Robert Whitlow’s legal thrillers are a recent discovery. His
books are page-turners with a gospel focus. The Bible, the best seller of all
times, is my daily sustenance. The brevity and clarity of its sixty-six books
amaze me—poetry and proverbs, narratives and parables, prophecy and letters to
friends. Modern Hebrew is similarly action-based and to-the-point. Our God is the best-selling author!
How did you decide
upon the title, Don’t Tell the Rabbi: A
Comedy of Religious Proportions, Bk I, Three
Friends and an Old Lady?
The idea of a secret from the rabbi began everything. The
title, when it came to me, seemed to say it all. In our first conversation, my
publisher (True Potential) told me he loved that title. There has never been a
question about using it. When I realized that the ms. was the size of two, I
simply divided it into two books, so Don’t
Tell the Rabbi is the series
title. Three Friends and an Old Lady
is the title of Book I. My son Sam suggested the subtitle, “A Comedy of
Religious Proportions,” and I liked the idea. Book II is called Balagan, a Hebrew expression meaning a
badly screwed-up situation.
How important are
names to you in your books? Did you choose the names of characters in Don’t Tell the Rabbi, Bk I, Three Friends and an Old Lady based on
liking the way they sound or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing
resources you recommend?
The names of my characters have just happened. I made up
some, decided on others—really, for no particular reason. One was suggested by
a conversation with an Israeli friend. Others just seemed to fit. I should say
a word about names in these novels: There are nicknames, pet names,
variations/translations of names. One is a name change to suit a writer’s
purposes. I realized how confusing this could be, so I’ve included a Glossary
of Names to help the reader know who’s who.
What were the
challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it
to life?
During this writing, I was a graduate student, then an
English teacher with piles of papers to grade. The idea for the novel developed
from a paper I wrote in seminary. Later, as I began writing, hours would go by if I allowed myself to
pick up the ms. I had to restrain myself—papers to grade! Writing was so much
fun. I even enjoyed the editing, and when I began to draw illustrations, it was
more of the same. Now I’m retired, trying to learn what it means to market a
novel—not a party for the average writer, I’m guessing.
Share your bio:
I was born in Winston-Salem, NC, have lived all over the
South and in NH, PA, and the W, DC, area.
Edgefield, SC, is place of origin on my mother’s side and the family
center for many years—my home now, as well. Beulah, SC, the imagined setting of
my novel, has much in common with Edgefield but isn’t a specific snapshot. I
did English at Agnes Scott College and Emory U, and my M.Div is from Erskine
Theological Seminary. In 2012, I studied Modern Hebrew in Jerusalem at a Hebrew
University ulpan (i.e., language
immersion). The Lord Jesus walked into my life when I was a college student
studying Dostoevsky, a writer whose dark scenes convey the gospel in many ways.
I have three children—Liz, my justice-impassioned daughter lives in Seattle;
Sam, guitarist/song writer, lives with me; and Thomas the craft brewer/contract
negotiator, lives in Fort Worth. Ellie, my ballerina/ musician/ artist
granddaughter, also lives in Seattle. I wish I could fold the US map and
shorten the distances! It’s a good thing Sam and I like road trips. We get to
Fort Worth often, but Seattle is more of a challenge. Soli Deo gloria!
Social media and
buying links:
My novel is available on Amazon. At this point, no social
media platforms, but I’m planning to start a blog soon.
4 comments:
Years ago a Jewish friend told me that though his family growing up were observant Jews, they enjoyed eating steamed crabs (popular in our hometown of Baltimore). He said they ate them in the basement where, according to his parents, God couldn't see (nor could the rabbi, lol). It was a family secret and he was always reminded to not tell the rabbi.
Nice interview with Sigrid Fowler.
Enjoyed your interview. You book sounds delightful. rose blackard (at) gmail(.)com
congratulations to Rose
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