Susan Speranza

Susan Speranza is the author of ICE OUT: A Novel, a modern fable of forgiveness and redemption after a woman finds herself caught in a sinister, dream-like forest habituated by women who have been betrayed by their partners. She was born in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and for a time worked in Manhattan, enjoying the hectic pace and cultural amenities of the City. Eventually, however, Speranza grew tired of it and exchanged the urban/suburban jungle for the peace and quiet of rural Vermont living. In addition to her latest novel, ICE OUT, she authored two other books: The City of Light, a dystopian story about the end of western civilization, and The Tale of Lucia Grandi, The Early Years, a novel about a dysfunctional suburban family. She has also published numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Along the way, she managed to collect a couple of master’s degrees. When she is not writing, she keeps herself busy exhibiting and breeding her champion Pekingese.

Twitter: @SusanSperanza

Instagram: @Susan_Speranza_Castleriggpekes

 Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?

 I am normally influenced by other writings and only to a lesser extent, film. However, the technique I used in my novel, Ice Out, was heavily influenced by a film called Jacob’s Ladder. In Ice Out I tell Francesca’s story in a semi-linear manner. The action moves from the present to the past and back again over and over as the story advances. The reader is not able to know the full extent of what is going on until the end. And then, I leave it up to the reader to decided what really happened – is it real? Is it a dream?

Since the concept of time is very important in this novel, I needed a framework that would accommodate this. The actual event – the accident and its aftermath – takes place in one night, but the other events go back years. This technique was inspired by Jacob’s Ladder, where the story goes back and forth through time. Only at the end can the viewer know what might be happening. I believe this is very effective as it builds toward the dramatic moment at the end when everything comes together. Jacob’s Ladder is a thinking person’s film, just as Ice Out is a thinking person’s novel.

Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?

I don’t necessarily listen to music when I write, but I am always moved by classical music and opera and use it often to set the mood as I develop a story. Different pieces evoke different images. When writing Ice Out, several pieces inspired me. When Ben takes Francesca for her first ride, the Pas De deux from the Nutcracker was my inspiration. When Francesca first enters the forest, my inspiration was Angele Dubeau’s Postcards from the Sky: Unfolding Sky.

Favorite non-reading activity?

When I’m not writing, I am caring for, training, breeding and showing my champion Pekingese, which I have been doing for almost thirty years. I am as proud of them as I am of my writings.

Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

One of the things all readers should do, before abandoning a book, is determine what the author’s intent is. Many readers who don’t finish a book do so because the book ultimately wasn’t what they thought it should be. For example, a particular novel might be a layered literary piece with lots of subtext and metaphors but readers’ objections to it is that it isn’t fast-paced or suspenseful enough, and so they abandon it early on.  But it was never intended to be that. When I read a book, I usually read it to the end, trying to understand what the author is doing and how well the author accomplished doing it. I give most books a fair read. The only thing that will deter me from finishing a book is bad writing and that is apparent early on.

What brings you great joy?

My greatest joy is holding a newborn puppy in my hands for a first time. They are the embodiment of hope for the future of my breed, they are the culmination of many years of work developing a particular line with discernable traits. They go back generations to my first beloved show dogs and as with any new life, they always signal overwhelming hope. As Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel prize winning poet, once wrote - every new life comes as a reminder that God has not yet tired of this world.