I interviewed Jesmyn Ward recently for Guernica. Can’t even describe the thrill! I think everyone should read her memoir THE MEN WE REAPED, but I also feel that way about SALVAGE THE BONES, her new novel SING, UNBURIED, SING and her essay collection THE FIRE THIS TIME. One of the craft questions I asked her was about a comment she had made about her first novel, WHERE THE LINE BLEEDS (she’d said she’d been a benevolent god with her characters); it was fascinating to go back and read that book with her answer in mind.
Ward and I are both the oldest of four. We both grew up in Mississippi in the seventies, and we both share an appreciation for the classic cars of our youth such as the Caprice Classic and the Buick Riviera. I loved every moment of our conversation. Enjoy!