Margaret Thomson

Margaret Thomson is a journalist who worked in London for twelve years, during which time she reported on a variety of subjects, from war in the Middle East to the British royal family. Upon returning to the United States, she has continued to write for a number of print and online publications. The World Looks Different Now, a memoir about the death of her older son by suicide, is being published by She Writes Press in July.

Twitter: @MRileyThomson

Instagram: @MargaretRileyThomson

Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome? 

Yes, I definitely have and still do. Whatever I’m doing it never seems like enough, even when I’m covering wars or interviewing world leaders, including dictators such as Saddam Hussein. I always want to do or accomplish more. I believe that my Imposter Syndrome probably relates to that old journalistic saying: You’re only as good as your last story!

Is there a work of art that you love. Why? Have you ever visited it in person?

I love both versions of La Grenouilliere (the Frog Pool). One is by Renoir and the other is by Monet. I love that the scene, a boating and bathing resort on the Seine, is essentially the same, which allows the observer to examine more easily the contrasting styles of the two painters. I have seen the Monet version, which is at the Met. The Renoir one is in the National Museum in Stockholm. I will never forget either painting because my final exam in art history when I was studying in Paris involved comparing and contrasting the two!

Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why? 

I love the excitement and pulsating energy of large cities. Even though I lived in London for twelve years, there’s still a great deal there that I haven’t seen and would love to explore.

What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two? 

Writing, to me, consists of simple, straightforward journalism of the type I’ve practiced for years. It involves writing quickly and succinctly and with an economy of words. Always challenging but can be rather formulaic. Being an author involves a lot more in terms of craft: the writing and rewriting of innumerable outlines and drafts. The interminable search for the perfect word.

Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing? Do you sew? Paint? Draw? Knit? Dance? 

I have a passion for choral music and love the cooperative effort of singing with a group. I once sang with a group as a backup “choir” for Barry Manilow! I enjoy singing because it’s a different outlet for self-expression that is in many ways much more physical (and physically demanding) than the more cerebral effort involved in writing.