Storyglossia Issue 38, February 2010.

An Interview with Bonnie ZoBell

 

Bonnie ZoBell's "Uncle Rempt" appears in Storyglossia 38. Here, Bonnie takes a few moments to discuss the story's origins, coming-of-age, Uncle Rempt as a character, and what she's currently working on.

 

Anne Valente: Where did the premise for this story come from?

 

Bonnie ZoBell: This story, like many of those I write these days, came from a prompt or writing exercise. I like these because they make me approach stories from a different angle than I normally would, which gives me fresher ideas. I won't say prompts make me write about issues I would never have written about otherwise. If writers are really digging, certain themes tend to reappear because they are central issues for that writer. But prompts make me be more creative about how I get to the material.

 

This particular prompt came from an office on Zoetrope Virtual Studio run by a talented writer and editor known as Flash A. Thon, more fondly Ms. Thon, or Ellen Parker if we're going to be factual. Someone in her office had a relative named "Rempt," and she wanted all of us to write something using that name. I figured someone with a complicated name like Rempt must be complicated himself. I do believe all writing comes from somewhere inside, and my father does have one brother, but they are laughably different than the brothers in this story.

 

Fortunately, Steven McDermott saw that I was having fun with the story and pushed me to go further, so I added more segments, which made the story more complete.

 

AV: Uncle Rempt aligns himself with the earth, while Susan's father and family seem to deny the earth and the body. Does Uncle Rempt, in some way, represent new temptations for Susan?

 

BZB: I think Uncle Rempt represents natural human temptations and urges, many of which we explore as a part of growing. Susan has been unable to thoroughly investigate the world until now because of her overly rigid family. Rempt is, like you say, more down-to-earth, while Susan's father has developed some holier-than-thou, self-imposed rules that humans can't possibly live up to. He thinks these rules make people better. I don't agree with him.

 

Uncle Rempt offers a whole lot more freedom than Susan's father. Yes, there is risk involved in the way Rempt lives. And Susan is likely not to be as recognized for her intelligence as she would be if she went to grad school. But I think the freedom and imagination that Rempt's life represents is worth the risk. He has things to teach her, too. Susan can always go back to school later. She's young. I fear for her staying in the hothouse of oppression she's grown up in too much longer.

 

Rempt also represents magic, a belief in the possibilities of things. Hopefully Susan will keep some of that, no matter how old she gets.

 

AV: Aside from her interaction with Uncle Rempt, Susan also heads to college, moving away from her family. Do you view this story as a coming-of-age tale as well?

 

BZB: I do. I think Susan is learning to think for herself. Part of her decision at the end is because a person her age must rebel against her parents to establish her own identity. I hate to think of what might have become of Susan if she hadn't.

 

AV: Despite the fact that we sympathize with both Susan and Uncle Rempt - and despite the fact that the ending feels entirely right for Susan - Uncle Rempt still, in the end, takes Susan away against her parents' wishes (and Susan leaves her family behind). Is it difficult to create nuanced characters, whose faults we recognize while still identifying with them?

 

BZB: I think the best thing that could happen to Susan right now is to get away from her parents' wishes. Uncle Rempt is influencing her, yes, but I don't feel that it's because he's evil. It's probably the last thing her parents would like to see happen to her, and Rempt may know that, but I think he genuinely likes Susan and identifies with her. Oh, I can't say that he may not be deriving a little pleasure at securing some revenge on his brother. Wouldn't you be a little happy about that? I think all people are flawed, and I identify with nearly all of them.

 

AV: Your work has been published widely. What are you currently working on? What stories and work are forthcoming?

 

BZB: I'm starting a novel. I have three different ideas that have been percolating for a while now, and while I'm on sabbatical this semester, I am writing the very beginning of each to see which one clicks and which I'd like to spend some time on. I've always got stories and flashes I've got stashed away to finish sometime. Three microsflashes are about to appear in LITSNACK, a flash just appeared in decomP, and another is forthcoming in Night Train.

 

Bonnie ZoBell has received an NEA Creative Writing Fellowship, a PEN Syndicated Fiction Award, and the Capricorn Novel Award. Recently included on Wigleaf's 2009 Top 50 list for very short fiction, she has work included or forthcoming in The Los Angeles Review, Night Train, American Fiction, The Greensboro Review, decomP, Rumble, and LITSNACK. She received an MFA from Columbia, teaches at San Diego Mesa College, and can be reached at www.bonniezobell.com.