Q – You set this story in a small-town northwest of Boston. Does it have a real name?
A – No. I see it as slightly northwest of the city, close to the Route 128 belt, off Route 9.
Q – Religion is a primary theme but your characters have sharply conflicting attitudes toward it.
A – Yes. Much like society does. That’s why one doesn’t argue religion at the dinner table.
Q – I know religion played a crucial role in your upbringing. Did you have an agenda when you conceived the story?
A – Hypocrisy was a frequent topic in sermons, bible study and daily gossip in the church. I remember hearing about a minister who espoused no meat eating, having been seen at the local grocery store hiding his package of beef hotdogs under the newspaper at the check-out. That juicy tidbit spread through the congregation like the Spanish flu.
Q – Did you have an agenda when you created the plot? A need to make a statement?
A – What I wanted to say, like so much in my writing, came with the story development. My adult life would support an agnostic position. But I understand and accept that religion has significant value to humanity.
Q – Which of your characters most closely expressed your beliefs?
A – Pearl.
