Friday, January 21, 2011

Author Interview + Contest: Marina Budhos



Here today is Tell Us We're Home author Maria Budhos to talk about her book which sheds light on some issues often not thought about.

If Tell Us We're Home were made into a movie, what would its tagline be?

It’s actually the one that’s on my book cover, which I worked on with my editor: “When everything goes wrong, you’re a stranger in your own town, and you lose your best friends, how do you begin to belong?”

What would be the hardest part for you if you were to find yourself in the position of these girls?

Feeling as if I was invisible. The hardest part in this story was how, for instance, Jaya was right inside other people’s houses, knowing so much about them, and then those same people could look right through her, as if she didn’t exist.

If you could pair Jaya, Maria and Lola with any character from any book, who would your picks for each be?

To be really wild, Jaya would be paired with Weetzie in Weetzie Bat because I’d like her to see what it’s like to be really out there, really arty and alternative. Jaya’s so conservative and contained, it might open her eyes.

Lola would be paired with Dorothea in Middlemarch (which I’m reading right now). She’s such a purist and thinks she knows better—in fact she’s always proving that she’s better—but she’s also missing out on some real human connection.

Maria would be paired the narrator in Maxine Hong Kingston’s Woman Warrior—it would be cool to have her take on the fierce journey of woman warrior Fa Mu Lan.

What is the most private thing you're willing to share here?

I am a very restless person. Even on my best days, and even with all my responsibilities as a mother and wife, an author and professor, I often have fantasies of just chucking it all. Leaving for a far off continent and doing something daring or different. Selling our house and moving completely elsewhere. The best way I handle this is I do try to travel (a lot) and in delving into story making.

What kind of cake/confection would you describe yourself as?

A dark chocolate torte with lots of layers.


Thank you, Marina, for the interview! Now for your chance to win a copy of Tell Us We're Home, fill out THIS FORM.

Contest is US Only and ends February 4.

4 comments:

  1. Nice interview and thank you for the giveaway!

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  2. Thank you for the great interview and giveaway :)

    mrsjohnson1982 at yahoo dot com

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  3. thats such a cool interview, i love the cake question!


    any way i love your blog, so dicided to award you the stylish blog award! you can grab the button and check out the post here-
    http://danadoesread.blogspot.com/2011/01/stylish-blogger-award.html

    -Dana

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  4. Thanks for the interview, I enjoyed reading it.
    Also, thanks for hosting the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete