Lily Brooks-Dalton is the author of the national bestseller The Light Pirate, which was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a #1 Indie Next title, and a New York Times Editors' Pick. Her previous novel, Good Morning, Midnight was the inspiration for the film adaptation The Midnight Sky and her memoir, Motorcycles I’ve Loved, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her work has been translated into 20 languages and she is a recipient of the PEN America L'Engle/Rahman Prize for mentorship. Her new novel is Ruins and she recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was your inspiration for Ruins?
I was thinking a lot about how this era we’re living in would be recorded... what our choices would result in but also how our ancestors might see us. How will they understand our culture and what layers of physicality will we leave behind? Most of our society’s information is a strange mixture of permanent and intangible. The idea grew from there.
How did the novel evolve and change as you wrote and revised it? Are there any characters or scenes that were lost in the process that you wish had made it to the published version?
Everyone who needed to be in the book is in there, but it certainly changed a lot as I went. Novels always do, in my experience. In the moment, it feels hard to cut something you worked hard on, but as soon as the section is gone it’s a relief, because then it opens up all the possibilities of what else could happen instead. I always keep a junk file of what I cut, just in case I can find a way to use it somewhere else, but then I rarely look at it ever again.
Do you have any favorite novels, movies, or series centered on Archeology? A least favorite? I realize that you may not want to address this one, and if that is the case, please don't. But I also realize it might be so bad that it could be fun to answer.
The Dig! Such a lovely little movie, a buried gem... which is fitting, I suppose.
What’s currently on your nightstand?
I usually have a few things going at once to maintain the balance of research and fun. I just finished The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson, which I felt deeply inspired by. Something clicked into place for the new book I’m working on now as I read it. And then last night I picked up The Undiscovered Islands by Malachy Tallack, which is more research. For fun, I’m reading Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver..
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
I’m not sure I ever felt like I needed to hide any books from them. I do remember discovering the joy of reading by flashlight and staying up all night with the Anne of Green Gables series.
Is there a book you've faked reading?
Oh, I’m sure, though a specific instance doesn’t come to mind. Probably faked reading Moby Dick at some point.
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
Tons. Covers are important! There’s no shame in buying a book for its cover. Pure Colour by Sheila Heti most recently. It has a gorgeous cover. So simple and affecting. Luckily the pages inside were very good, too.
Is there a book that changed your life?
I think White Noise by Don DeLillo really changed the way I think about language. And plot, too, actually. I remember thinking something along the lines of, nothing much is happening, how is this book so incredible? What is the recipe here? I read it young, maybe 14 or 15. Seeds were definitely sown with that one.
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
Right now, that book for me is Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Someone else brought me into the fold on that one so I’m passing the favor along.
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
Probably something from my childhood. Let’s say The Golden Compass. I love Philip Pullman so much.
What is the last piece of art (music, movies, TV, more traditional art forms) that you've experienced or that has impacted you?
The film Train Dreams. The novella by Denis Johnson is of course marvelous also, but I read it years ago. The film was an incredible thing on its own and also just such a respectful, artful adaptation of the original. It worked on every level for me. I especially loved that they used Will Patton to do the narration of the film; he narrated the audiobook, too. Genius.
