The Art of Holding On and Letting Go (36 page)

AH:
What importance does Cara's back-to-nature journey have in our current environment of kids and teens who are glued to their iDevices?

KBL:
I didn't intend to write a book urging teens to unplug, but as the story developed, this theme emerged—how differently Cara's worldview has been shaped by her immersion in nature rather than electronics. The powerful effects of nature on healing and learning are increasingly researched and reported, and I hope more kids and adults find slices of nature whenever they can, whether it's a trip to a national park or a simple stroll through their neighborhood park.

AH:
You chose to root a good portion of the story in the arena of competitive rock climbing.

KBL:
I learned to rock climb on an outdoor cliff in Tennessee. Indoor rock climbing gyms existed but weren't as popular as they are now. I never became a competitive climber, but I've climbed around the United States and in Europe.

AH:
Was researching this aspect of Cara's life difficult?

KBL:
I had been immersed in the sport for many years when I wrote the first draft of this story, but I still needed to research the competition aspects. There are different types of competition climbing, levels, age groups, et cetera, and I simplified all of it for this story because ultimately Cara's journey is about much more than climbing.

AH:
The climbing sequences are incredibly vivid. The scene of Cara climbing under the viaduct is a personal favorite. Have you ever done that sort of urban climbing?

KBL:
When you become a climber, you see the potential everywhere— brick buildings, stone walls. There have been times when I couldn't resist reaching out and climbing on, but I've never sought out urban climbing beyond the climbing gym. It's a popular movement that's gaining momentum right now. It might seem at odds with traditional climbing in the wilderness, but urban climbing has its pluses—it brings accessibility and diversity to the sport.

AH:
Did your background as a social worker inform your treatment of Cara's coming of age?

KBL:
I've always worked with children and teens as a social worker. When adults talk about teens, it's often in disparaging or dismaying terms—how difficult they are and how parents have to suffer through these trying years. Yes, it's a time of great growth and upheaval, which is challenging, but people tend to underestimate the resilience, capacity for empathy, and intellectual depth of teens. My own daughter and her friends amaze me on a regular basis, and I continue to be inspired by the teens I worked with as a social worker years ago.

AH:
How does Kaitlyn's journey of self-discovery mirror Cara's? Did you mean for the two girls to be foils of each other?

KBL:
I guess I did create Cara and Kaitlyn as opposites in many ways without putting a lot of thought into it initially—that came later through revision. I didn't want Cara to easily fall in with athletic peers; she needed to learn from someone different from her. And she needed to take some actions rather than simply reacting to everything thrown at her. The most obvious action would have been running away back to California. But I've seen this in many other stories, and it would have been unrealistic for Cara. I decided that she needed to think outside of herself and help someone else. She could teach someone to climb, someone who would especially benefit from the mental and physical strength that climbing brings. Who would climbing be especially difficult for?

AH:
Kaitlyn.

KBL:
Exactly. A character who is missing fingers and has experienced a major rejection that knocked the confidence out of her.

AH:
Were you trying to make a statement about femininity, feminism, and woman power in sports with the dichotomy of Cara and Becky?

KBL:
I knew I wanted Cara to be a strong female protagonist, but Becky's character didn't get more fully developed until later drafts at the urging of my editor. I needed to ask myself what her purpose in the story was. For Becky, climbing is a trendy sport to be used for fame; she makes the most of her sexuality and physical allure to make a name for herself. It's about how she looks, which is the message that girls are bombarded with from a young age. Cara doesn't care how she looks getting up that wall, so long as she's got the strength and stamina to do it. For her, climbing is about the challenge, the balance of strength and skill, finesse and focus, as well as being connected to nature and the greater world around her. But at the same time, she's becoming more aware of her own evolving sexuality, beauty, and strength throughout the course of the novel.

AH:
For me, Cara and Becky represent two different “ideals” of women in sports. I felt a little bad for Becky, almost like she's resorted to this version of acceptance because her sexuality is what's been touted to her as her biggest asset. Does having a daughter of your own bring this struggle of the “feminine ideal” to the forefront of your mind?

KBL:
I had always hoped my daughter would find a sport to grow her strength and confidence. It didn't turn out to be climbing, but she's played soccer since she was five. The girls play aggressively, and in Michigan they're often playing in challenging conditions: it's cold, wet, muddy. (It's great to see the US women's soccer team using their power to fight for equal pay.) For some girls it could be music or robotics or the arts; however they succeed and find a way to express themselves. My hope for girls is that even though they're exposed to all of those sexy images that surround us in the media, they'll be able to focus on their strength and health and what's right for them without trying to live up to unrealistic ideals.

AH:
What was the revision process for
The Art of Holding on and Letting Go
?

KBL:
This story was rewritten several times over several years. In the first draft, Cara's parents died, and Uncle Max was later found. I brought the manuscript to the Highlights Foundation Whole Novel Workshop, where I worked with award-winning author Carolyn Coman. She suspected that I wanted to explore loss, not major grief, and asked me to consider keeping Cara's parents alive. She was right, and I completely rewrote the story. The Ecuador section didn't exist in the early drafts; the story started in Michigan, and the reader learned what had happened in flashbacks. I also experimented with different ways of telling the story and wrote one version with alternating past/present, Ecuador/Michigan chapters. After I won the Sheehan prize, and Elephant Rock acquired the novel, I spent four months of intensive revising with my editor, Jotham Burrello. He pushed me to look deeper, hear Cara's voice, show emotions, add specific details, and cut lines and repetitive scenes that didn't advance the story. Writing is something that you learn by doing. I am a slow learner. I wish my process went faster, but with each story, with each draft, I continue to grow as a writer.

AH:
How'd you know it was capital D “Done”?

KBL:
I don't think it will ever be done! This story has lived with me for so many years, but at some point I had to trust that I'd shared enough of Cara's journey for readers to understand and make it their own.

How do the writings of naturalists such as John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Annie Dillard shape Cara's worldview?

Cara is deeply affected by the death of her uncle Max. In what ways does she mourn and celebrate his memory?

The contrast between Cara's climbing life and her suburban life are in conflict throughout the novel. How does she make peace with these competing landscapes?

Cara feels most free when she's climbing. What activity in your life brings you this kind of joy and liberation?

Did you notice the lack of technology in Cara's life? What are the effects of Cara not having her nose buried in a cell phone 24-7? What is she able to experience more fully?

How does being an outsider on the climbing team and in school shape Cara's identity?

How does Kaitlyn's experience and growth throughout the novel mirror Cara's? How do these friends help each other?

How does Cara's relationship with her free-spirited parents evolve over the course of the novel? What does Cara understand about her parents at the end of the book that she didn't at the beginning?

Compare and contrast the three different settings of the novel. How do these environments contribute to the action and meaning of the book?

Cara spends the first two-thirds of the novel wanting to return to California. What does she realize about the meaning of home during her time with Nick, Kaitlyn, and her grandparents?

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