Interview with Susan K. Perry, conducted by local REALTOR® Keith Kurlander
Describe your business.
I've been an independent writer since around 1980. Since then I've had thousands of articles, how-to's, Q&As, travel pieces, and blog posts published. Along the way I managed to write six or so nonfiction books and a novel. My non-fiction books included the Los Angeles Times-bestseller Writing in Flow, based on my doctoral dissertation. That was actually a huge kick because I got to interview dozens of famous writers and poets about their creative process. Other books include my first one, Playing Smart (for parents), and Loving in Flow (about great relationships). (All are available at my website or amazon or half.com.)
What is your latest book?
Kylie's Heel is the name of my novel. It's about an outspoken humanist/atheist who writes a Q&A column ("A Rational Woman") for one of the alternative papers. Bad stuff happens and she learns how hard it is to manage without any comforting afterlife myths to lean on. The whole ten-year process of writing Kylie's Heel and getting it published was the lengthiest, most engaging, absorbing, frustrating, and flow-inducing experience of my life. In fact, ten years is a long time in the life of a neighborhood, so readers might get a kick out of noting the locations that no longer exist, such as El Chavo, Burrito King, Coffee Table, and so on.
What made you decide to open this business?
I decided to be a writer when my two sons were very young. I had always admired the fantasy of the lone poet in the attic, figured maybe I'd marry one. Instead I married an engineer and wasn't very happy a lot of the time. Eventually I realized I could be a writer, not marry one. (Though I did marry a poet 14 years later.)
What was it like when you first started?
I started small. Really small. Essays about my life with my kids for national publications that included a Southern Baptist (!) magazine. They published several of my early pieces, but then the editors felt the need to add phrases like, "And then my husband and I prayed about this." Not only did my husband and I never pray about anything, but I was and am an atheist.
What has surprised you most about this endeavor?
I suppose I'd have to say that what surprises me is how a person's motivations and goals can change dramatically over time. You know how when you're a kid you can't imagine that your favorite toys won't be anything but a melancholy memory when you're grown? For me, the drive to be a little bit famous, at least in my own field, was much stronger earlier on. I see what gets published and promoted--some amazing books, some not more than a way to pass time--and I try not to be envious. Now what I want is to engage myself in creative work and not care about the long-term results. The division between what is enjoyable and what is drudgery is starker for me than ever.
What’s the most memorable experience you’ve had while doing this
When I learned that Writing in Flow hit the bestseller list (which it did for four weeks), I jumped higher than I ever have. Not to imply that I jumped very high, but for me, it will always be unforgettable. My publisher sent me flowers!
Do you have any exciting plans for the future that you want customers to know about?
If you're into time travel, my next novel will include that in a realistic way, and it is set right here in the Silver Lake neighborhood, as was Kylie's Heel.
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What is something most people don't know about you?
Did you know I majored in Middle Eastern Studies at UCLA after spending half a year in Israel with my parents? And then married a Lebanese Arab? And that, although I was raised Jewish, that has come to mean less and less to me as I've gotten older and embraced a rational viewpoint and atheism? (I know that this is the opposite of some people, but it works for me.)
What do you love about this neighborhood?
All through my early years, my parents moved us around, from Brooklyn (ages birth to 9) to Sacramento (ages 9 to 16) to Israel for half a year (ages 16-17) to Los Angeles, where we lived in numerous neighborhoods. When I married my first husband, we settled in our house in Silver Lake and I've never budged since. In 1969, it cost $25,000 (with the $5000 down payment borrowed from my parents). In 1981 when we divorced, it cost half of $175,000 to buy him out (with help from my parents, as my income from freelance writing was lower than low and our kids were only 8 and 10). Now the house is worth, well, a lot, as you all probably know. Why do I stay, besides loving to sink deep roots as opposed to the way my parents did it? The variety of home styles here, the history of being a neighborhood that welcomes all kinds of people, the apparent general intelligence and creativity of most of the people who live here. Also, there are so many places you can walk to now.
What are your favorite things to do in the neighborhood?
Best of all is when we're not being lazy and we take a walk. My husband Stephen brings his camera along, so we stop here and there, and make up for it by taking a longer walk. Scoping out photographable scenes helps both of us see much more. Most fun is to combine a walk with eating out.
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Twitter: http://Twitter: @bunnyape
Website/Blog: http://www.BunnyApe.com