When I set out to learn about my mother's bridge club, the Jewish octogenarians behind the matching outfits and accessories, I never expected to fall in love with them. This is the story of the ladies, their game, their gen, and the ragged path that led me back to my mother.
Guys, guys!!! Look who has a book coming out. One of our very own peeps, Rea Tarvydas. CONGRATULATIONS. Such a cool title: How to Pick up a Maid in Statue Square. Buy a copy HERE. Here’s a little interview I did with Rea. Please spread the work, share with your FB friends, tweet and all that meat.
- What did it feel like to hold a finished book in your hands?
It was surreal. I mean, I knew it was my book because it had my name on it but it was a different emotional experience than I expected. Vulnerable. A shiny, black book exposing what troubles me: the dark, the lonely, the isolated.
- How did you come up with the title?
Actually, my press came up with the title. It’s the title of one of the stories in the book, in which Fast Eddy instructs on how best to pick up Filipina maids on their rest day. I’m SO BAD at titles. I mean, it took me two years to come up with a working title (The Globe) and it’s adequate because it’s the name of the bar that my characters frequent.I like the title. I think long titles are trending.
- If one famous person could read your book, who and why?
John Cusack. I pictured John Cusack playing the character of Fast Eddy from the collection. I sent a copy of the book to his production company. Why not?
- Which is your least favourite part of the process?
House style.
(what the fuck does this mean? Is it like Gangnam style?
- Why do you write? Two reasons. I write because I’m trying to figure something out and I’ve discovered I don’t know anything. I mean, I attempt to understand but I have no fucking idea what’s going on.
I write because I want to be called by name. I think this is tied to my upbringing as the “Sergeant’s Daughter”. My Dad was in the RCMP and we moved every three years throughout my childhood. When you move that frequently you’re referred to as the “New Girl” and then the “Sergeant’s Daughter”. Followed by “Narc” and “Sarge”. I ended up in the nursing profession and was referred to as “Nurse”. If I didn’t show up for work, another nameless person took my place.
(whoa)
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Betsy Lerner 
Congrats! And this is National Reading Group Month, too – perfect timing for a book release.
Congratulations to Rea Tarvydas! And thanks to Betsy for the interview.
Whoa! Good title and interesting book of stories.
Congratulations, Rea! May great sales, reviews, and readership be yours!
thanks, all. i’m learning lots.
Congratulations Rea! Great answers, and yeah, just what is house style? Makes me think of the Japanese restaurant here in town. They have a dish called house style chicken.
You got my attention with a character named Fast Eddy in the title story. Congratulations, Rea! I’m looking forward to reading this one.
Though I’m not sure I know what Rea meant by “house style,” it sounds like an aspect of copyediting, which is one of my jobs, and it means all sort of little rules that vary among newspapers, magazines, and book publishers. Maybe it says a certain color should always be spelled “gray” instead of “grey.” Maybe it says that an acronym should always have periods (“F.B.I.”) unless it’s pronounced as a word, in which case it may be rendered in small caps (like “NASA,” though I can’t do the small caps here). Maybe it says that independent clauses joined with a conjunction should always be separated by a comma, with one subtle exception. Maybe it says “email” doesn’t need a hyphen anymore, though the standard dictionary in publishing still includes one.
you got it, jeb54. the grammar style selected by the house. i’ll admit that having to use serial commas made me cry.
Mazel Tov! Can’t wait to read!
Congratulations Rea! May it sell well.