Colleen Oakley
Colleen Oakley is the critically acclaimed author of Before I Go, Close Enough to Touch, You Were There Too and the forthcoming The Invisible Husband of Frick Island (May 2021). Colleen’s novels have been translated into 21 languages, optioned for film and longlisted for the Southern Book Prize twice. A former magazine editor for Marie Claire and Women’s Health & Fitness, Colleen’s articles and essays have been featured in The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Women’s Health, Redbook, Parade, Woman’s Day, Fitness, Health, Marie Claire and Martha Stewart Weddings. A proud graduate of the University of Georgia’s school of journalism, Colleen currently lives in Atlanta with her husband, four kids, and the world’s biggest lapdog, Bailey.
Twitter: @OakleyColleen
Instagram: @WriterColleenOakley
Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?
I love this question, because people so often ask about other book and author influences, but never about movies! I write unconventional love stories with somewhat surreal premises, so naturally those are the types of films that have made lasting impressions on me—Ghost, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and more recently Her (where Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with an Alexa-like computer program). I think Julie Delpy and Nora Ephron are masters of witty banter and skillful dialogue. And 500 Days of Summer was brilliant in its non-linear telling of heartbreak. Essentially, I’m drawn to movies that effortlessly evoke emotion and offer an essential truth about what connects us all. Because really, as an author, that’s all I’m trying to do; to reach out to readers and say “haven’t you had this experience too? Isn’t this so part of being human?”
What’s your favorite comic strip or graphic novel?
Garfield. Likely because I relate to his inherent laziness and obsession with food.
Favorite non-reading activity?
Eating! (see above). I can’t even call myself a foodie, because I’m not a snob about it in the slightest. I’ll eat a bowl of Cheez-its with as much gusto and pleasure as a gourmet truffle pasta. For our 11th anniversary, my husband got me a sign that says “Marry the person who gives you the same feeling you get when you see your food coming at a restaurant,” and I’ve never felt so understood.
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
Is this a trick question? If you don’t check that box on the application, I’m fairly certain you’re not allowed to be an author.
What brings you great joy?
My four children. Not when they’re arguing, of course, or asking me for the 75th time in five minutes what’s for dinner, but those tiny moments—like how my youngest daughter can’t pronounce spaghetti (she says “bsketti”) or how my 9-year-old is now old enough to come up with witty one-liners that are genuinely funny. Sometimes the love I have for them is so overwhelming it feels like it can just break me in two. But then, inevitably one of them draws on the wall or has a complete meltdown because they’re not allowed to play the Xbox and I fantasize about the second thing that brings me great joy—alone time.
