Jeffrey Reads — reading just one more chapter since the crib

20 Questions is a Q&A interview series with musicians, authors, and everyone in between, celebrating experiences both shared and individual in the messy game of being human.

“When someone talks about the book they want to write, I’m almost certain they will never get it on paper. Your novel should be an exciting, personal secret until you finally finish it.” Julia Bryan Thomas is a graduate of Northeastern State University and the Yale Writers’ Workshop. She is the author of For Those Who Are Lost and The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, which will be released by Sourcebooks everywhere tomorrow. She is married to mystery novelist Will Thomas. I got to get to know Julia for the latest edition of 20 Questions, where she told me all about her creative process, biggest inspirations, what she’s been reading recently, and more.

What is the earliest memory you have of wanting to be a writer?

I lived with my grandparents during my earliest years, but when I was six or seven, they moved to another state for my grandfather’s job. My grandmother tried to soften the blow by telling me that we could handle the separation because we were now “writers.” The two of us exchanged letters, poems, and stories until I was grown. Many years later as I reread them, I realized that she was expressing how much she wanted to be a writer, and how she felt it was the most noble ambition to which one could aspire. Because of her, I never wondered if I wanted to be a writer. From the age of seven, I already knew I was one.

What time of day are you most inspired?

I am definitely most inspired in the mornings. I like to sit down with my laptop and a tall glass of iced tea and work until I hit my page goal. I work for a two and a half hour to three-hour block, during which I write, edit, do research, and create inspiration boards on Pinterest for whatever book I am working on at the time. I find it helpful to move between these four different activities during a writing session, so it doesn’t become a frustrating three hours of staring at a blank screen. Now that I’m writing full time, I like to read (both for research and inspiration) in the afternoon, so I am frequently making notes about what I should write the next day.

Favorite book of all-time? 

Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak is my all-time favorite. It’s everything a novel should be: a sweeping historical tale detailing a unique period in history, as well as a story about heartbreak, human rights, politics, and love. It educates the reader while inspiring you to go out and make the world a better place. Perhaps I also love it because it romanticizes the importance of writing and telling the stories we believe must be told.

What’s one vice you wish you could give up?

I’d have to say my worst vice would be making snap judgments. I’m afraid I have the tendency to think like Mr. Darcy… “My good opinion once lost, is lost forever.” I’m working on that.

One movie that will always make you cry?

Stepmom with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon. It’s a movie about a man’s girlfriend and his ex-wife who literally despise each other before the ex-wife reveals her cancer diagnosis. The hate eventually thaws, and they come to respect and even love each other. If I ever need a good cry, this is my go-to film.

What’s the most challenging part of writing for you?

For a long time, the most challenging part was being married to another writer, one who happened to find immediate success in the writing field when I did not. At times, we’re competitive about who has written the most that day or is feeling more inspired. I’ve learned over time to compartmentalize my roles as a cheerleader for him and his success and as a writer for myself. No matter how close you are to someone, your personalities and abilities are different, even if you have the same passion. I had to realize that being true to myself and appreciating my own strengths, as well as educating myself on the business of writing, was the key to finding success.

The best book you’ve read in the last year?

My absolute favorite last year was the 1961 novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark. One of my daughters recommended it, and I found it fresh, exciting, infuriating, and engrossing. It’s the story of an unconventional schoolteacher in Edinburgh, Scotland, who is teaching her pupils at an all-girls’ school about the meaning of life. One of my favorite quotes is: “One’s prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must then live it to the full.”

But I was equally intrigued by this one: “Outwardly, she differed from the rest of the teaching staff in that she was still in a state of fluctuating development, whereas they had only too understandably not trusted themselves to change their minds, particularly on ethical questions, after the age of twenty.” What an astonishing thought, and how true, that some people don’t continue to learn and grow once their formal education is done. The world is a huge, mysterious, wonderful place, and it is not only our privilege but our duty to understand it. A little empathy can change hearts and minds for the better.

Your new historical fiction novel, The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club, takes place in 1950s Massachusetts at a time when traditional gender roles were crippling for young women. What do you make of the ways in which that era in history set a precedent for gender stereotyping that we’re still struggling to overcome in the present day?

I’ve done a lot of research about this, and my opinion is that music was the first signal that things were about to change. Around 1957, the staid, buttoned-up big band sounds and ballads that had been popular for decades were supplanted by the excitement and vigor of rock and roll. Music told the story of social change, from the fight for civil rights to anti-war protests to the sexual revolution. In my book, I’ve illustrated the fact that in spite of the changes beginning to occur around them, not all women in the fifties wanted the same thing.

Some held fast to the beliefs of their mothers, while others wanted to experience greater personal freedom and to have control over their own bodies. Fast forward to 2023, and I think many people are stunned that women’s rights are suddenly under attack some sixty years later. It’s an issue of control: those who think the government has the right to make a woman’s most personal decisions, and those who believe in individual freedoms. Without laws on the books to protect specific rights, this will be a problem for the foreseeable future.

However, there are positive changes in society that have defied gender stereotyping and give us hope. For example, more men are involved with child-rearing and home life, including jobs like cooking and cleaning, while more women are in the workplace, contributing financially. Modern couples share responsibilities based on their strengths rather than outdated expectations. It’s certainly a step in the right direction.

The last series you binge-watched?

The last series I binge-watched was Bodyguard, with Richard Madden and Keeley Hawes. I’m glad we discovered it. It’s really good.

Laptop or desktop? 

Laptop. I like to be able to move around when I’m working.

The best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 

Never give up. It’s important to believe in yourself and to work for what you want, no matter how long it takes. Another one is this: a writer is a person who writes, not a person who talks about writing. When someone talks about the book they want to write, I’m almost certain they will never get it on paper. Your novel should be an exciting, personal secret until you finally finish it.

If you could have one writer, dead or alive, to compose your obituary, who would it be and why?

I’d like to see Harlan Coben take the barebones facts of my life and write it, because he could take some rather disconnected but interesting events and turn it into a blockbuster story.

One song that you will never be sick of? 

“Samba e amor” by Joel Virgel. I listen to a lot of different types of music, but I especially love French and Latin jazz.

How would you describe the importance of storytelling, especially in an age of social isolation?

Storytelling is more important now than ever. Even as the world is beginning to feel a little more normal again, we’ve lived in our silent houses for too long and the joy of escapism kept so many of us sane. Reading during the pandemic made us not feel so alone, and that everything hadn’t been completely stripped from us.

What’s your current read? 

I’m currently reading Lady Justice by Dahlia Lithwick. I recently attended an event where she was interviewed by Barry Friedman, and I am interested in women’s rights and the ways we can all be encouraged in the current political climate that the things we do make a difference.

You’re stuck on a long flight. Which world-famous musician would you want sitting next to you and why? 

Great question, and really hard to narrow down. I think I’d have to say Paul McCartney, because one of the most perfect songs in the world is “Yesterday,” and because I would love to listen to him share the wisdom he’s learned through life, everything from what it was like to be part of the Beatles to the breakup of the band to losing his wife to cancer. He’s lived a long and rich life and has had an interesting vantage point in regard to life experiences. Plus, he might just sing a little if I asked nicely.

Favorite quote of all-time? 

Maya Angelou has so many perfect quotes, but my favorite is probably this one: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

One thing that kept you sane during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic? 

Writing was of utmost importance to me during that time, second only to our socially distanced meetups with our kids. At first, I wandered around the house at completely loose ends, wondering what to do, and then I realized I could carve out a few hours each day to lose myself in a world of my own making. I wrote my first novel For Those Who Are Lost from June to September 2020, and it was definitely my saving grace.

As a writer and artist, what would you say is the best way to rest or decompress?

We take one morning a week for a bit of a staycation, getting bagels and walking in the park or checking out the farmer’s market or some of our local small businesses and shops. It’s nice to have something relaxing to look forward to, when you are disconnected from the computer and can appreciate the world around you.

What can we expect to see next from you?

Thank you for asking! I’m currently working on my next novel, which is set in 1960 in Paris. It will be published in early 2025.

Follow Julia Bryan Thomas on Twitter and Instagram, and buy her latest novel The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club (which I reviewed here) wherever books are sold.

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