Debbie Hartung is a San Francisco, California writer and artist who enjoys traveling and live music.

What began as your motivation to write your memoir, The Factory of Maladies: Seven Days on a San Francisco Psych Ward?

(DH): The Factory of Maladies began as a stream-of-consciousness journal that I began writing after I was released from the psychiatric ward. I was experiencing intense PTSD and it was only when I began to experience relief from my symptoms; initially, my memoir was written simply for my own healing. I spent seven years journaling; in the beginning, the more I wrote, the greater the PTSD flashbacks became, due to the triggering nature of my experience. Channeling this trauma into my journal proved to be one of the greatest assets of my writing style and eventually, it also became the ultimate catharsis.

Awareness about one’s mental health and how one can help themselves has been more publicly discussed in the past decade, though it is still a work in progress. In what ways do you think that mental illness treatment still needs to be improved?

(DH): I believe that there have been many improvements in the overall treatment of mental illness, yet there are a  myriad of ways in which our current public funded treatment for mental illness can be improved. For example, I feel that adequate funding for psychiatric wards, increased staff (many of the staff I encountered during my institutionalization were exhausted and clearly overworked), and appropriate training to deal with patients who cannot always advocate for themselves. For example, a few years prior to my institutionalization, I was admitted to the same hospital for an issue with my ovaries. While there, I was given heated blankets, fluffy pillows, clean hospital gowns, round-the-clock care from knowledgeable and compassionate staff, and morphine for my intense physical pain. This was in stark contrast to my tenure of the psych ward, where I slept on a dirty bed with threadbare blankets and a pancake-thin pillow in a freezing room. I wore the same pair of scrubs for days on end and I received the bare minimum of care. I truly believe that patients suffering from a mental illness deserve to be treated with the same amount of compassion, care, dignity, and kindness as any other medical condition.

What is something you learned about yourself as you were writing this memoir?

(DH): I learned that although sharing my story can be scary and uncomfortable, being vulnerable is actually a form of strength.

Were there any obstacles you had while writing this? 

(DH): The most challenging aspect of writing The Factory of Maladies was on an emotional level, as I confronted the memoires that haunted me on a daily basis.

Out of this experience, what is something you hope others take away from your story?

(DH): The message that I hope for my readers is: a sense of hope. Although my story may seem bleak in the beginning, it is also relatable on many levels. Most people have struggled with mental health challenges to varying degrees and it is easy to feel trapped in a downward spiral. However, the fact that I am alive and that I was able to write a memoir while recovering from a brain injury sustained during my suicide attempt, means that I have overcome adversity – and so can the reader.

And lastly, do you have any other writing projects you have planned for the future?

(DH): I am currently working on a novel and a book of short stories that I hope to share with the world soon.

The Factory of Maladies is her literary debut, chronicling her healing crisis on a psychiatric ward.

Jonica Tramposch is originally from the Pacific Northwest and is a nomad by nature, although she has been based in Orlando for several years at this point (which boggles her mind). 

As someone who loves to travel, is this reflected in your writing projects?

(JT): Very much so. Location and nature are always characters for me. Traits from people and cultures around the world also weave in. I don’t think of it as write what you know as much as write what you love. I love the markers within different cultures and have been an immigrant myself, where visas and embassies are part of normal conversation. I’m polishing a book now that takes place on four continents and has characters from 9 countries.

What inspires you to write?

(JT): Life. I think eternity would be overkill, but I could easily keep myself entertained for a few hundred years.

What have you written about before? Do you have a favorite project?

(JT): For a year I ran and wrote an online monthly subscription service. Those stories focused on little moments that happen in daily life. Feelings of connectedness are real treasures, and it can be as simple as an inside joke. A whole story may build up to that priceless interchange. 

As for a favorite project, I told a local, true story onstage for a Story District project in Washington, DC, which was then turned into a short film. To say that people putting energy and love into a story I wrote was an honor is a drastic understatement. Then seeing myself being interpreted as a character on screen, responding to my unique name, was just short of an identity crisis. Catalog that under things you don’t see coming.

What is your favorite genre(s) to read and write in?

(JT): I studied literature in college, until I realized that I was being trained to critique instead of create. I also got sick of reading books by men who had weak female characters with no more depth than the shape of their breasts. When I complained about this, my male classmates told me I was wrong. I wasn’t. I stopped reading fiction and became a scientist instead. Now, far more female writers are published in a range of genres. I identify with many of their characters. They feel authentic and truthful, told from a range of perspectives. I love that.

How have your experiences influenced you as a writer?

(JT): “You’re not normal.” That’s been said to me enough times for me to at least play with the idea that I experience life in ways many others don’t. Through writing and photography, my goal is to share what I experience. Life is a collection of possibilities, and stories are the chronicles of what characters decide to go after.

Jonica has bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington in Comparative History of Ideas and Astronomy/Physics, and master’s degrees from Paul Sabatier III in Toulouse, France and the Lulea Institute of Technology in Kiruna, Sweden. Her day job is in the space industry. She used to be a personal trainer. Hobbies include languages, flamenco, surfing, hiking, photography, singing (she has a karaoke stage name), and yoga. Honestly, just about everything interests her.

As a dedicated writer, Scott Sallinger has a deep interest in personal growth and human behavior. He studied psychology in college and completed a transformative three-year program at MTT, where he coached students in personal development. He has shared his insights in his book, numerous articles, and a series of how-to videos focused on creating a home with purpose and meaning.

What led you to becoming a writer?

(SJS): Writing has always been a way for me to process my own experiences and understand the world around me. My journey started with my hands—building, designing, and creating—but over time, I realized that every space I worked on was also a reflection of the person living in it. In helping my clients shape their home environment, I started to see parallels in my own life. The way we hold onto things, the way our environment either supports or hinders us, it all became deeply personal. Writing is not just about sharing what I learn; it is about documenting my evolution and the insights I gained by seeing my reflection in others.

How do you explore human behavior through your writing?

(SJS): I explore human behavior the same way I explore spaces, by looking at what’s beneath the surface. Our homes are more than walls and furniture; they are mirrors of our inner world. Through my writing, I examine the ways we interact with our environment and how those choices reveal our fears, aspirations, and beliefs. As I work with clients, I see patterns in how they struggle to let go, how they create comfort zones that keep them stuck, and how small changes can lead to big transformations. In understanding them, I understood myself better, and my writing became a way to share these discoveries.

What is a common question you get about creating a meaningful home space, and what is your answer?

(SJS): A common question I get is, “What should I start on first?” I love this question because it opens the door to real change. My answer: start with countertops, corners, and closets—clear space to create space! Are you holding onto things from the past that no longer serve you? Avoiding those piles of papers on your countertop? Keeping clothes and shoes you haven’t worn in years? Corners often become clutter traps, collecting dust and distractions. Letting go isn’t just about tidying up—it’s about making room for what truly matters. Start by clearing and organizing these key areas, and you’ll immediately feel a shift in your space and mindset.

What is something unexpected you learned while helping people design their homes?

(SJS): One of the most unexpected lessons I’ve learned is that home design is not really about the home—it’s about the person. I used to think my job was about creating functional, beautiful spaces, but I quickly realized I was helping people work through their own stories, just as I was working through mine. Some clients held onto furniture because it represented a version of themselves they weren’t ready to let go of. Others struggled to create order in their space because they were in transition and unsure of their next step. I saw myself in all of them. I recognized my own attachment to the past, my own resistance to change. Helping others find clarity in their space helped me find clarity in my own life.

What topics do you usually delve into when writing?

(SJS): I write about the intersection of home design and personal growth—how our spaces mirror our emotions, our mindset, and our beliefs. But at its core, my writing is about transformation. I explore themes of letting go, reshaping our environment to support our future, and using home as a tool for self-discovery. My own journey has been one of constant reinvention, and I use my experiences, as well as those of my clients, to illustrate how we can all create spaces—and lives—that reflect who we truly are.

Where did your interest in personal growth and human behavior come from?

(SJS): It came from my own need to understand myself. I’ve always been fascinated by why people do what they do, but it wasn’t until I started working with clients that I saw my own patterns reflected back at me. I studied psychology, coached others, but the real lessons came from experience, seeing firsthand how our homes and our inner worlds are connected. I went through my own transitions, from rebuilding after financial struggles to navigating major life changes, and in each chapter, my home reflected what I was going through. That realization fueled my desire to help others make the same connection and to find home in themselves.

Today, Scott is a Home Life Consultant and owns a San Francisco-based business specializing in built-in cabinetry for both historical homes and contemporary spaces. He applies the Home Life Design process with each client to ensure every project meets their unique needs and lifestyle.

From cooking to helping women entrepreneurs succeed, Karen Wang Diggs explores the nature of being an Asian woman in today’s world.

As an Asian woman, how did your background play into this book being born?

(KWD): I was inspired to write this book by my aunt, who was part of the last generation of Chinese women who suffered from the terrible custom of foot-binding.

Unfortunately, she passed away when I was young, and I never had the chance to ask her about her life and to fully understand the suffering that she endured.

What did your writing process look like for this book? Is there anything you would’ve done differently?

(KWD): Because I wanted the book out by March 2025, in time for Women’s History, I had to stay focused and prioritize it.

I got the book deal from Mango Publishing in August of 2024 (with the support of Brenda Knight) and had to submit the manuscript by October in order for the editing and formatting to take place in time to get it to the printers. I would have liked to have had more time, but having said that, I am at my best when there is a deadline.

What new perspectives and messages do you hope readers gain from reading The Book of Awesome Asian Women?

(KWD): I hope readers will be well inspired by all the awesome Asian women in the book, from the past and present, and have a fresh understanding that Asian women have always been incredibly resilient, strong, and creative. I also hope that my book will help to erase the stale and offensive stereotyping of Asian women as being either docile and submissive OR dragon ladies out to beguile and dominate. 

What inspires you as a reader and writer? What brings you to write books?

(KWD): As a child, books were my refuge. As a teenager who suffered from clinical depression, books were my refuge. And as an adult who has overcome a lot of emotional trauma and stress, books are my refuge.

My home is surrounded by books, and I am constantly reading. After so many years of reading, the desire to write naturally arose, and I am humbled that I am now a published author.

Women’s history is often overlooked, though it has been brought up more recently and your book is another addition to changing that. What was your experience researching this topic?

(KWD): I was shocked and surprised to learn about many of the women I researched. While reading scholarly papers, news articles, or blogs, I felt that my own life had been deeply affected and enriched by meeting these women, from centuries ago, such as Empress Wu Zetian or Queen Himiko, to women who are superstars today, such as Awkafina and Sandra Oh.

Aside from being an author, what did your upbringing look like? You’re also a nutritionist and chef. How do you think your experiences have influenced you?

(KWD): My aunt and mother were the two most influential women in my life. Sadly, my aunt stayed behind when we immigrated to the US from Hong Kong. My mother raised six children, mostly on her own, and I genuinely marvel at her strength and resilience. The one thing about my Mom was that she was a bad cook! So, we siblings had to fend for ourselves. And that was the impetus that ignited my interest and passion for cooking and nutrition. Being a chef (which is still a male-dominated profession) opened my eyes to the systemic gender bias in the workplace, and being a nutritionist made me understand that women are usually the ones who are most concerned about feeding their families and taking care of everyone’s health. Everything is intertwined, and I feel a strong desire to be part of the positive social movement that highlights the incredible contribution that girls and women have had on behalf of all humanity.

As an awesome Asian writer, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Keep reading and keep writing! If you want to get published, be focused and write about a topic that you feel passionate about.

Karen is a classically trained chef, microbiome nutritionist, author, and expert fermenter. She specializes in helping women entrepreneurs thrive through The Gut-Brain Protocol. She is also passionate about sharing delicious recipes promoting health and well-being and lives by the motto: “Food is our most intimate and profound connection with Nature.”

Shanti Ariker is a writer by night and a lawyer by day. The start of her memoir appears in How We Change, the 2024 San Francisco Writer’s Foundation Writing Contest Anthology. Her work has been published in The Thieving Magpie, On Being Jewish Now substack and Simpsonistas Vol. 3.

What is your memoir about? What inspired you to write it?

(SA): My memoir, THE LAW OF RETURN, is a study in resiliency in the face of conflict – both the one I witnessed in my time as a soldier in the IDF and the New York Times-covered custody battles between my parents, identified in the newspapers as ‘a religious government computer specialist’ and a ‘Revolutionary Communist,’ that left me, an Orthodox Jewish girl from Northern California, searching for belonging that led to my joining the IDF.

I was inspired to write it when I traveled back to Israel with my family for the first time after being away for 25 years. Seeing some of the same places brought it all to the surface for me, and I realized that I wanted to share my stories about what I had done and seen, what Israel and being Jewish mean to me and how I learned resilience and gained a sense of belonging from my time there.

In your bio, you describe yourself as a tech lawyer by day, writer by night. Does your background in law empower you in your work?

(SA): I do think that being a lawyer, especially one that is so in tune with the needs of a business, like an in-house lawyer is, is empowering. That has allowed me to feel like I can go beyond what I was taught in law school. And creative writing does break the mold of writing like a lawyer – cutting things down to the essence for the business folks and getting to the main point. I had to unlearn a lot of that in my creative writing – to be more emotional and evocative than I would ever be in my business writing.

What is something you have learned about yourself when working on the memoir?

(SA): Writing a memoir takes a lot of soul searching. I had to dredge up memories I had tried to forget and think about them in detail. Some things were especially hard to write and think about. I had a few good cries. Some of the funny things I recalled didn’t lend themselves to the plot and had to be cut. The process of writing about parts of my past that I hadn’t explored deeply made me have to think about how I had acted, what happened and whether I should have done some things differently. The whole process took a long time and was very emotional.

Were there any obstacles you had while writing your memoir? 

(SA): First, It was hard emotionally and I had to take breaks. Second, my mother got sick and died – during her sickness, I stopped writing. I just couldn’t write honestly about our relationship while she was suffering and I was trying to be there for her, so I put it aside. Third, I had never written a book before and trying to figure out the right structure was the hardest part. I had to rewrite it several times before it clicked with my current braided timeline structure.

Are there any other writing projects you have planned beyond this memoir?

(SA): I started a newsletter on LinkedIn that provides advice to in-house lawyers called “In-House Lawyering and Beyond.” I think that could become a book down the road. I am also working on short stories and have challenged myself to write one a month for the entire year. So far, I have written three stories this year. It’s hard with everything else I do, but it has been rewarding as well.

And lastly, do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

(SA): For years, I said that I wanted to be a writer but I didn’t have time. I have learned that you have to make the time – to learn about craft, to read, to sit in the chair and write. It’s easier than you think – just set a timer for 15 minutes and write about anything, then start the rewriting process after a few sessions. Soon, you’ll have a short story. 

Now, I can’t imagine a time where I won’t be writing. It stopped feeling like a chore and now it’s fun.

 Shanti Ariker can be found at shantiariker.com.

Anniqua Rana is the author of Wild Boar in the Cane Field, shortlisted for Pakistan’s UBL Literary Award 2020, and co-founder of the blog Tillism طلسم – Magical Words from around the World. Her writings on travel, gender, education, and books have appeared in Rova, TNS, Naya Daur TV, International Education, Ravi Magazine, Bangalore Review, Fourteen Hills, The Noyo River Review, and other publications. She has taught at the San Mateo Community Colleges, University of San Francisco, Lahore University of Management Sciences, and Stanford University. She travels, writes, and lives between California and the Potohar region of Pakistan.

First, I’d love to hear about your influences. What inspires you, as a reader and as a writer?

(AR): Recently, I heard Carvel Wallace talk about his memoir, Another Word for Love—about the loneliness of an only child of a single mother suffering from addiction and homelessness. He talked about leaving space for readers to enter the narrative. As he read passages tracing the loneliness of his childhood to the worldliness of a well-traveled and well-read journalist, podcaster, and writer, he also mentioned his early education and the influence of drama, in particular, Shakespeare, on his work as a writer.

What was interesting for me is that I am also reading about Shakespeare in The Man who Pays the Rent by Judy Dench. This took me back to my childhood when my mother—a literature enthusiast—first introduced me to the likes of Shakespeare and Cervantes.

More recent additions to my library include The Work of Art—analyzing how artists across the spectrum think and create their art. Also, the Nature Writer, Linda Cracknell’s memoir, Doubling Back: Paths trodden in memory—about walks she has taken and the history around them—is helping me think of the path I am taking while writing my own memoir, That These Should be Lies: Tilting at Windmills.

I am always inspired and influenced by writers who create a space for me to enter their narrative.

Other influences are culture and gender specific, Shehnaaz Habib turns travel on its head. She says, “European male is the de facto observant superior with surroundings that made me realize that my
personal story of discomfort is connected to this larger history of how travel and tourism are created from specific ways of seeing the world.” My current work is about travel, and I am very aware of how I see the world and how I present it to my readers.

When I was a teenager, growing up in Pakistan, Bapsi was the first local writer who pulled me into her world of South Asian history and culture. I had not read contemporary writers from Pakistan before, and I was lucky that she was one of the writers who shared a blurb for my novel Wild Boar in the Canefield.

On that note, tell me a little bit about the writing process and inspiration for your debut novel, Wild Boar in the Cane Field.

(AR): I grew up on a farm in Pakistan. That experience was so unique, and I know that from friends in school and college, urban life was dramatically different. When I realized that uniqueness, I felt I had to write about it.

So first I started writing about that experience in essays. It took a few years before I realized I wanted to create my own magical world, where flies are the witness to the lives of Tara and the people around her. Tara, a baby covered in flies, rescued on a train by Amman Bhaggan and Bibi Saffiya, is inspired by the resilient women of that region.

When and how did you first realize that you wanted to pursue writing professionally?

(AR): I was six when I wrote and bound a book of poems but didn’t we all! Then, as a teenager, I started to write a novel but was so intimidated by the process, I left it and wrote academic papers instead. Then somewhere when I felt settled as a professor at the community college where I’ve been for over twenty five years, I decided to return to writing creatively, for myself.

Then, I started to attend conferences, like the Mendocino Writers Conference, and the San Francisco Writers Conference, and I became more motivated. I learned about the communities of writers like the California Writers Club, The Writers Grotto, and, of course, the Women’s National Book Association, and I started taking it more seriously.

That’s what led me to publishing my first novel. And since then I have been writing fiction, creative
nonfiction, and memoir.

You have an extensive background in higher education, particularly international education. How does that background factor into your writing?

(AR): One of the highlights of the California community college system—where I work—is that it is open to all and from my understanding and research it is the only such system internationally that allows anyone to re-introduce themselves into an academic, professional, or vocational field. I have also taught at universities here and in Pakistan and provided training extensively to colleagues in both systems.

As an educator, I invite people into a world of ideas that is new to them. As a writer, I encourage my reader to focus on images and themes that are important to me because of my experience in education for over thirty years. Writing is a way for me to add more of myself to what I share with the world and helps me enter the story-telling community that has always inspired me.

Can you tell me a bit about Tillism طلسم – Magical Words from around the World? What
inspired you and your co-founder, Selma Tufail, to create and curate that space?

(AR): When COVID hit, Selma was in Malaga, Spain and I was in California. We started connecting by taking online classes together. We revisited Urdu literature in one of the classes and we focused on digital storytelling in another. Then we joined the local Shut Up and Write Groups. And they were a lifesaver.

We realized we enjoyed this collaboration and wanted to share what we had written with our friends. Then we invited others to post with us—poets, sculptors, visual and thread artists—all of them from Nigeria, Canada, UK, Pakistan, India, and the US, chose to come together and share their perspective on how literature, art and creativity and the languages that they were exposed to impacted their life and thus tillism.com was born.

I hear that you’re currently working on an exciting new project, That These Should be Lies: Tilting at Windmills. What can you share with our readers?

(AR): Selma and I are sisters. We’ve taught in the same institutions, traveled together, and connected often through art and literature. We share memories that we don’t always agree on, and that is where we find humor in our lives—and rather than argue, we laugh about the discrepancy. We wanted to share that humor with others.

We know there are others like us. Others who have lived full lives and have much more to learn and give—most importantly to create. So we decided to invite them on a vacation through the cobbled streets and courtyards of Spain in That These Should be Lies: Tilting at Windmills.

As we travel, we take our readers to our childhood with humorous conversations of monsoons and mangoes in Pakistan, and crumpets and tea in London. All this helps us escape the pressure of our personal and professional lives. Along with these tender memories, we are reminded of the military rule that they endured in Pakistan.

Following our literary mentor Cervantes, we fight against windmills of our past and present and
plan the next phase of our lives.

Finally, as a published author yourself, is there any advice that you’d like to share with aspiring writers?

(AR): Enjoy the creative process of writing. You will find your voice and niche as you support fellow writers and encourage them to share what they have written.

There will always be someone—or many—who are waiting to read what you are writing, so find a
platform to share your thoughts whether formally or informally.

B. Lynn Goodwin is the owner of Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com. She’s written You Want Me to Do WHAT? Journaling for Caregivers, Talent, Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62, and her latest novel, Disrupted. Talent was short-listed for a Literary Lightbox Award, won a bronze medal in the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and was a finalist for a Sarton Women’s Book Award, while Never Too Late: From Wannabe to Wife at 62 won a National Indie Excellence Award and was a finalist elsewhere. She is a reviewer and teacher at Story Circle Network, and she is a manuscript coach at Writer Advice.

I’d like to start by discussing your background in theater. Who or what sparked your passion for the stage? How does that background factor into your writing?

(BLG): My mother sparked my interest. She’d wanted to be an actress and I cast her in a couple of my shows when I was directing community theater. At that time there weren’t as many opportunities to explore what you wanted to be, or if there were, I didn’t know about them. I loved teaching high school and college theatre because I enjoyed coaching actors and watching them transform into the characters they were supposed to be. I also loved showing them ways to tap into their creativity and analytical skills. Little did I know it would lead to writing.

Here’s a key tip: Every character in a play or a piece of literature wants something. Identify what the character wants, what s/he can do to get it, and what is in her/his way. Whether you’re acting from a script, performing in a commercial, or writing fiction, memoir, or even self help, these principles will give you three-dimensional characters.

Tell me a little bit about the writing process and inspiration for your latest novel, Disrupted.

(BLG): Disrupted was inspired by the what ifs that lurk in my mind. What if the long-predicted earthquake on the Hayward Fault actually happened? What’s the aftermath of losing a sibling in the war? For that matter, what’s the aftermath of being displaced? And what can you pull off in terms of constructive contributions when you’re young, optimistic, and eager to make the world work as it should?

First drafts provide clay. They give you the material to sculpt. You can add clay, remove clay, and reshape it. Revision empowers writers. You get to see what you can do with the words on the page.

What do you do if you have no ideas? Write anyway. Make a list of what you need to do or the things you’ve already done this week. Let one idea lead to the next and don’t worry about structure. You’re just getting ideas on the page.

What do you do if your first draft is perfect and you need no revision? Check your ego. Read looking for what’s missing. Have a peer read it to you and notice where she hesitates and when his forehead crunches because he’s puzzled. Ask him what he likes and what trips him up. Listen to responses. Don’t hesitate to do one more draft, even if you’ve already revised it 9 times.

How will you know when it’s ready to submit? Put it away for a month or so. When you take it out, you may see places to improve. Trust the distance of time and space as well as your instincts.

On that note, let’s talk about your influences in general. What inspires you, as a reader and as a writer?

(BLG): Although I’m not a skilled marketer, I like helping other writers by acknowledging what’s right in their work. The desire to do that influences me. I’m inspired by authors who write character driven novels that share insights into the workings and motivations of people in clear, well-written prose. I love a psychological thriller, a well-written mystery, most memoirs, lots of book club selections, and almost every book sent to me for review. I’m a fan of good, character-driven, contemporary YA and coming of age as well.

You’ve mentioned that reviewing plays an important role in the writing community, connecting and empowering writers. Can you elaborate a little bit on that idea? Was Writer Advice born out of that desire to connect and empower writers?

(BLG): Nobody likes to feel stuck. A good, non-judgmental writing community can help a writer to move forward. I love it when I’m working with a writer who writes back to tell me how useful my ideas are. I like triggering new ideas in their mind as much as I like explaining the basics to those who’ve never learned them but have a passion for telling their story.

I originally created Writer Advice, www.writeradvice.com, because I wanted to learn the secrets of published authors and if they took the time to answer my questions, I thought I should share their ideas. The idea was to give them publicity and spread the word. Writer Advice has grown and changed and so have I. I hope it has something valuable to offer you, and I’m always open to your questions and suggestions as well as editing work.

Finally, as a published author yourself, is there any advice that you’d like to share with aspiring writers?

(BLG):
Write daily for at least 20 minutes.
Let one idea lead to another. You can edit later.
Read widely.
Review the books of others. You’re giving back to the community.
Edit carefully, asking yourself what you intended to convey.
Keep writing.
Find a writing community.
Don’t try to do it all in one day.
Look for the joys in life.
There are stories all around us, but no two people see them in the same way. What’s your version?

Eve Sprunt is the author of A Guide for Dual-Career Couples, Rewriting the Rules and co-author of A Guide to Career Resilience, For Women and Under-Represented Groups. Her latest book, Passionate Persistence: The Life of My Mother, Ruth Chew, explores her mother’s life as a popular children’s author and illustrator.

Let’s start by talking a bit about your writing process. What inspires you as a reader and as a writer?

(ES): Writing has played a huge role in my career. I realized very early that if I documented my technical work in writing, it was more difficult for men to steal the credit. I also learned that taking risks (and as I envisioned) walking a tightrope, I was more likely to succeed than if I were risk-averse.

Although all of my degrees are in geophysics (BS and MS from MIT and Ph.D. from Stanford where I was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in Geophysics), early in my career, I realized that I had a better chance of staying employed if I impersonated an engineer. When I served as the senior technical editor of the Society of Petroleum Engineers in the 1990’s, I had a monthly column in the society’s publication. I leveraged that column to address the issues bedeviling the rank and file technical professionals.  

Later in my career when I was working in management roles, I was horrified that my employer was requiring female members of dual-career couples to declare whose career took precedence instead of offering opportunities and letting the couples decide what they were willing to sacrifice to advance. I collaborated with other women across the petroleum industry and leveraged several professional societies to gather information on issues facing dual-career couples. Immediately after I retired, I began writing A Guide for Dual-Career Couples, Rewriting the Rules, which was published by Praeger in 2016. 

When I read the letters my aunt wrote in the 1950’s while she was in Pakistan on sabbatical from her position as an English instructor at Mills College, I was enthralled. My aunt never shared the full story with her family! An American man she encountered while touring northern Pakistan by herself, came to see her in Oakland and repeatedly begged her to marry him. After twice rejecting his marriage proposals, she decided to sacrifice her career for love. When I read her love letters, I was mesmerized. I felt compelled to share her story and did so in Dearest Audrey, An Unlikely Love Story, which I self-published in 2019. 

In 2020, I co-authored Mentoring and Sponsoring, Keys to Success, which was published by Springer, with an Italian-Venezuelan friend, Maria-Angela Capello, while she was working in Kuwait. We have never lived in the same place at the same time and all of our collaboration has been done remotely. 

Then I persuaded Maria Angela Capello to co-author A Guide to Career Resilience, For Women and Under-Represented Groups,which was published by Springer in 2022. Our male editor at Springer insisted we tone down the book, but we still managed to hit most of the issues we felt were important.

What do you tend to read in your free time, and can you share a recent book or piece that impacted you?

(ES): I prefer to read non-fiction, because then I have to accept that the improbable events are real. I loved Sonia Purnell’s A Woman of Importance, The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II. Despite having a prosthetic leg and battling sexual discrimination within her own organization, the heroine accomplished seemingly impossible tasks. 

Could you tell me a little more about your latest book, Passionate Persistence: The Life of My Mother, Ruth Chew? What encouraged you to write a biography of your mother’s life as a children’s author and illustrator?

(ES): My mother, Ruth Chew, became a very successful children’s book author and illustrator after I left home. Her first book, The Wednesday Witch, sold over a million copies and she went on to author and illustrate 28 more children’s chapter books and was also asked to illustrate Shark Lady. My mother kept a daily journal, but made it clear we were never to read it. During the pandemic, many years after her death, I decided, “What’s the point in keeping her diaries if no one ever reads them. So, I did. It was like opening Pandora’s box. What I learned, I couldn’t forget. Passionate Persistence, The Life of My Mother, Ruth Chew (Author of The Wednesday Witch) is based on what I learned from her diaries. I thought I would be writing about how against tremendous odds, she became a great success, but was horrified to discover that after I left home, my younger siblings were left to fend for themselves. Her story was much more complex than I realized. Mother used to say, “I’m an eleven year-old trapped in an adult’s body.” Reading her diaries, I realized that she may have been so successful because her empathy level matched that of her elementary school readers.

You have an extensive professional background in engineering and the energy industry. When did you first realize that you’d like to pursue a technical degree? What advice do you have for young women interested in pursuing technical careers?

(ES): My mother wanted me to be an artist like her, but I like science and applied for admission to MIT, where for the first time in my life, I felt as if I belonged. Don’t let anyone tell you, “You can’t.” Get the best education you can and shoot for the stars. You can “have everything” – a career and a family. Keep an open mind. The people who you think would be less likely to support you may be your strongest advocates. Middle Eastern men (both Christian and Muslim) have been my strongest supporters, advocates and friends!

In a similar vein, do you have any tips for new writers?

(ES): Don’t listen to anyone who says, “You can’t.” If you care enough, you can figure out a way to do anything.

Are there any exciting projects that you’re currently working on, or would like to start one day soon?

(ES): I’m working on a memoir about my career and am revising the approximately 92,000 words of my draft.

Tell us a little about yourself in regards to your background.

(RK): I was born and raised all over India because my father was a doctor in the Indian Army. I studied in eight schools all over India and I think that made me an observer of people and places and also a believer in the universality of human nature. We are more alike than we think or like to believe!

After high school, I went to engineering college at the Indian Institute of Technology which is one of the most competitive engineering schools in India. In the ’80s there were very few women in that field, and in my class of nearly 300 men, there were only two women! 

Following that, I came to the US for graduate school in the late ‘80s and got an MS in engineering at Northwestern University. After that followed work as an engineer for a while, and then I switched over to business and tech, which is where I’ve spent the last 25+ years. I’ve worked at many companies big and small and I’ve also mentored a lot of start-ups and their founders, especially several social impact driven companies. That’s something I continue to do as an executive mentor. 

Theatre, writing, reading, books and poetry have been my constant companions along the way. But then in the last couple of years I decided to get serious about writing, and have turned my attention to it more intentionally, and in some ways, more formally. So in some ways I’m on to writing as my third career! 

How did you get started in your writing journey? Why did you decide to change careers from an engineer to a writer?

(RK): I’ve always written here and there, articles and essays in school, college and at work, which was more business writing of course. I’ve always loved words and expressing myself through them. And I read a lot as a kid and never really stopped. Reading is my primary mode of learning. I read a wide variety—everything from novels to short stories to works of psychology, philosophy etc.

And I’d been working for over three decades in engineering, business and tech and somewhere along the way about twelve years ago, out of nowhere poetry came spilling out of me! I’d never written poems in any serious way before that. It was as if the poems were waiting for an escape, for a chance, for a crack in my “busyness” to force my hand and my mind into paying deeper attention. 

Being of a strong analytical mind, and having spent most of my career in analytically inclined careers, I found myself at a strange crossroads. When this inner push to write wouldn’t be tamed I had to face it. There was the default path ahead, which I could walk pretty easily and was the sensible thing to do, in terms of both financial benefit and external glory, and there was this thing which wouldn’t let go. For a while I thought I could do both. And I did. But I started to see that I’d lost the taste for a corporate career and its laurels were no longer making me happy. I didn’t feel burnt out, it wasn’t exhaustion, instead I felt a thirst for something else entirely. I would be in meetings daydreaming, wanting to pen down what couldn’t wait. Most of my poetry from 2010-2021 came out that way. After a decade of pretending I could “do it all” I woke up one morning and decided to stop. It took a bit more time to wrap up loose ends but I gave myself permission for this left turn. 

So here I am now. It took me a bit of time and getting used to, to claim that I’m a writer without any compunction or this feeling that I was asking for permission. I didn’t realize how much I love the act of writing itself and also the learning, this drinking from a firehose that I get to do daily. I feel like a student again, and it’s a wonderful feeling. I regularly publish my poetry and stories and essays on my blog https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/.  That’s also the name of my first poetry book. I’ve also been published in various anthologies and literary magazines and journals, so I’ve had a teeny bit of exposure.

My main focus though for now is to learn how to be a better writer, and I’m continually pushing myself on that path, taking classes, learning from other writers in critique groups and writing clubs, and also just reading up to hone and refine my craft. It’s a wonderful journey and a privilege to allow for this passion.

How did you find the WNBA?

(RK): I initially discovered the WNBA while searching for organizations for writers on the internet. But then a writer friend who I met through an online literary event during Covid, Anniqua Rana, who’s on the board of the San Francisco chapter of the WNBA introduced me and brought me in. And I discovered a great avenue for meeting other writers, for learning the craft from experts in the industry and also to find out about local and virtual events for new and established writers.

How would you define your writing style when it comes to poetry?

(RK): My writing style, when it comes to poetry, is mostly free verse, sometimes with rhyme, quatrains, haikus, tankas, even a rap song for a theatrical piece and a few other forms, but most of my poetry tends to run free. 

And most of it writes itself, in that it shows up and demands to be written, and I feel like I simply serve as the scribe. That’s really the overwhelm I feel with my poetry. It demands to be heard, it must be seen, and I show up as the primary witness. A lot of my poetry has to do with me living in my head, thinking about life and philosophy and aging and mortality, nature, and the nature of relationships and of just being human; a lot of it is existential in its wanderings, and a lot of it philosophical as well. Of course, much of my poetry is inspired by special moments in life, everything from moments of love and friendship, motherhood, watching my daughter grow up to very specific moments such as seeing children fascinated by nature like I was as a kid, to observing tragedies in everyday life. So the trigger can really be any aspect of life, from the smallest to the largest questions that face us, and most of it comes out in a very literary and free verse form. 

I love words. I’ve always loved words, and so a lot of it plays with words, sometimes in rhyme, in alliteration and in the use of words to evoke a certain musicality and an element of surprise and introspection, both on my part and for the reader. My only book of poetry so far Arrivals and Departures:A Journey in Poems is on Amazon. And my blog of the same name, https://arrivalsanddepartures.substack.com/ is home to my more recent work.

I noticed you have a passion for photography, what is your inspiration for the photos you take?

(RK): Nature, color and light. I am very visual and very drawn to color. It’s how I’ve designed my home—bathing it in bright light, skylights, windows and bright color. Sometimes I wonder if I have some form of synesthesia, or perhaps a condition where I see colors in hues that are brighter than what most people see; because I’m instantly attracted to nature in its brightest, most vivid forms. Hence nature, flowers, change of seasons and the dance of light occupy most of my photographic interest.

(RK): What can you tell us about your poetry collection Arrivals & Departures: Journeys in Poems? Any personal stories behind the collection?

My poems are about finding and living a meaningful life. On love, on questions life asks of us and how we find answers in daily particulars and in words of prophets we admire, on being in love, on being a mother, and forging, even losing friendships, the wounds of history and pain. 

Many of my poems seek to examine my personal history of having grown up a musafir (traveler) in India, of being an immigrant to America, a daughter with loved ones too far away, of finding myself suspended in that liminal space between two homes and of being a woman of Indian origin with all that its gifts, assumptions and questions.

A lot of the poems are also from a unique personal history of my family’s origins which is tied to the history of India. India became independent from British colonial rule in 1947 and at the same time India was partitioned into two countries Pakistan, which became an Islamic Republic, and India, which continued on as a secular Republic. Unfortunately, this was not a peaceful split. A great upheaval, terrible violence and tragedy followed as both Hindus and Muslims who found themselves on the “wrong” side of the border (based on religion) were forced to flee their generational homes, their lives and the only homes they’d ever known. Both my parents were refugee children whose families had to leave everything in what now became Pakistan to move to the new India. Several of my poems are about this 1947 Partition of India, and the tragedy and traumatic aftermath of that event. In particular, my interest has been on the effect it had on women and injustice and tragedy that they suffered during Partition. Those poems are also part of my collection. I continue to write essays on that subject as well.

(RK): How have your experiences as a playwright shaped your identity? Also how was your full length play The Wife created?

In terms of being a playwright and my identity, I would say that it’s actually the reverse. It’s really my identity that shapes a lot of my playwriting. 

I’ve always been interested in theater. Since my father was a doctor in the Indian Army, I went from school to school, and I always acted in theater. I also directed plays during my high school years. And I continued as a theater actor in college. But I did not become a playwright until more recently even though I entertained stories in my head that I wanted to tell. 

Then in 2021 I was invited by EnActe Arts, a Bay Area theater company with international standing and reach to submit my work. They invited me to be their first WEFT—women enact for themselves—playwright-in-residence for that program. I wrote four theatrical pieces, all of which were produced and I’m very grateful for that opportunity. It was an incredible feeling to see my words come alive from the mouths of talented actors from all over the world. Then in 2023 I created my first full length play “The Wife” (still looking for a better title), which was selected for EnActe Arts 2023 “New Works Festival”.  

 All of my plays have been about Indian women, both in India as well as in the diaspora. My stories tend to be about their struggles against patriarchal social norms and expectations within Indian society. My focus however is not on depicting Indian women as hapless victims, but on how these women rediscover and reclaim their own agency. 

In that regard, “The Wife”  is interesting because there are a few different themes that come together in that one—of identity, culture, and self-discovery. It traces the internal journey of a housewife of a venture capitalist (both of Indian origin) in Silicon Valley. She has everything: a decent and ambitious husband, good kids, and an affluent life. Except that somewhere along the way she’s forgotten what fulfills her as an individual. When an attractive neighbor arrives next door and his friendship makes her feel truly seen, she’s awakened to her own needs. Her attraction to the neighbor is further complicated by their differing ethnic and racial backgrounds. As the story progresses she’s forced to confront her desires along with her own awakening. The play poses several questions to the audience: Does the smallest minority — the individual — within the “model minority” matter? What if the individual wants something quite different than what’s expected of her?

With all of my plays, my interest is in finding the voice and the agency of the Indian woman within the context of her life, mores and relationships. 

For more information about Reena’s plays click here!

Tell us about your hobbies?

(RK): I do suffer from way too many interests and hobbies. I’m a photographer, which was an accidental discovery. I publish my photographs on Instagram, you can find me at @1stardusty on Instagram. 

I’m also an avid gardener. And I love to cook, and you’ll find me spending a lot of time trying out new recipes and cooking for friends and family. It’s something that gives me a lot of meaning and satisfaction. All of these things keep me deeply happy and busy. 

(RK): Is there anything else you would like to add or things we can look forward to in the future?

In terms of what’s in the future, all I can say is that I’m super excited. I’ve written another play, and I continue to write stories. 

I think my focus right now and probably in the near future, is going to be on short stories, which is a form I love and admire deeply. It’s, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful and equally underrated forms of writing. But it’s a form that I’ve always loved, even in Hindi literature, which I read when I was much younger. I’m attracted to this form with its forced compaction and economy that demands an exacting discipline of attention both from the writer and the reader. I’m a great admirer of many short story writers, including Alice Munro, who we unfortunately lost this year. And what a body of work she left behind!  I’m still learning the craft, so I’m far from satisfied with any of the ones I’ve produced so far, but I keep writing and keep putting them out there and honing them as I go. 

I also look forward to helping the WNBA in whatever capacity I can, and in continuing to offer other writers and readers the support we can.