Over the past five years, we’ve loved watching Birdie & Claire’s community grow. It spans women across generations and in every chapter of life, each with unique career paths, diverse backgrounds and incredible stories to tell.
This summer, we had the honor of introducing Birdie & Claire to a woman whose work has inspired us for years, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult. The fellow New Englander was kind enough to chat with us about where she finds inspiration, both on and off the page, and we’re thrilled to share our conversation with you.
1. You've published nearly 30 novels, which is such an incredible accomplishment. How has your voice or perspective as a writer shifted over the years as you've moved through different life seasons?
I always joke around and say you can tell where I am in my life if you read my novels in order. My first book was about the relationship between a mother and a daughter – but I was closer in age to the daughter in real life. Then I got married, and wrote about whether relationships are ever 50/50 (spoiler alert, they’re not). Then I had kids and for over a decade I wrote about the very scary things that could happen to your child – illness, kidnapping, sexual abuse, gun violence – almost as if writing the novel was a superstitious way for me to prevent it occurring in my own family. Then my kids all grew up and became functional, contributing members of society – and I found my focus expanding into bigger questions: What is the nature of good and evil? What does systemic racism look like and how do we fix it? Why are women’s reproductive rights being eroded, and what does abortion care really look like? What does it mean to be transgender, and how can people who don’t understand it be reached through fiction? If you could go back in time and make a different decision in your life, would you? Is there gender discrimination in publishing and theater – not just 400 years ago, but today? By this metric, one of these days I will be writing about aging parents and being the sandwich generation…!
2. We're always curious about where creativity begins. How do story ideas first spark for you, and how do you know an idea is the one that is worth following all the way to a finished novel?
My ideas come from questions that keep me up at night. If it’s something I am asking myself, it’s usually: What if X happened, what would I do? Why? If I keep mulling over this for several days, it’s probably a good idea for a book. At that point, characters pop into my head like little mushrooms and take the story away from me. I stop, and do a boatload of research – months worth – to become an expert on what I need to know. Because I spend so much time doing research, I usually know pretty quickly if the idea is going to make a finished book. I’ve only once tossed out a book after finishing the research part of it – and it was because I knew it was a good book, but not a GREAT book. My promise to readers is that I will always write the best book I can at that moment in my life.
3. Your books often explore complex social and cultural questions through deeply human stories. What role do you think fiction plays in helping people better understand each other?
Fiction has a superpower. People pick up novels thinking that they are going to be entertained (and they will be) but if I’ve done my job right, you will also have learned something, and you will have been asked to question why your beliefs are what they are. We learn most of our opinions about controversial issues at the knees of parents, friends, clergy. We rarely revisit them, or listen to what the other side of the issue has to say. However, people get touchy talking about touchy subjects! For example, if Uncle Joe at Thanksgiving is transphobic, you probably won’t dive into that topic head on over dinner. But you might give him a copy of MAD HONEY to read, and then say, “Hey, what did you think of that novel? Were you surprised at any point?” It’s always easier to talk about difficult issues through the lens of fictional characters, and it can often lead to breakthroughs in understanding and to greater compassion and empathy.
4. You’ve worked across different formats, from novels to theater collaborations. How has your creative process evolved and do you still approach each project in a similar way? Are there any rituals or comforts that help you get into the creative flow?
I’ve written adult fiction, YA fiction, and librettos for musicals. They’re all quite different – kind of like how exercise is exercise, but swimming is different from running which is different from rock climbing. I also like how the different formats help me fall in love with the process of writing all over again – for theater, writing is collaborative. I have a co-librettist and songwriters and between our four brains, we create a story in dialogue and song, and the best idea wins. When I write a novel, I’m alone in my office with no one to bounce ideas off – but I also am always right, LOL. I don’t really have any rituals – writing is a job, and it is hard work. It just happens to be a job I love. There are some days when the words just bleed out of me; there are others when I think I should be online shoe shopping.
5. What books or authors influenced your writing and whose work is inspiring you lately?
I was influenced in college by Hemingway – massive misogynist, but you have to admire how he can tell a story with such an economy of words. My mentor at Princeton, Mary Morris, taught me everything I know and is still a good friend. After college, Alice Hoffman’s magical realism took my breath away and made me want to write something just as beautiful. Since then, I have been enamored by writers like Anne Tyler, Sue Miller, Markus Zusak, Toni Morrison, V.E. Schwab. The two books that I wish I’d written are The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. BRILLIANT novels, both of them, about creating art, and about leaving one’s mark in the world.
6. We're a clothing brand, so of course, we have to ask a fashion question! Since fashion can reveal so much about a person, when you're writing, how much does a book character's clothing or personal appearance help you understand who they are? Do you ever find that what they wear says something that dialogue can't?
Absolutely! Creating a prosecutor character, for example, who is all hard edges and blunt force, means putting her in sharp suits and heels that click in a hallway. A scarf that belonged to Ruth Jefferson’s mother in my novel Small Great Things is a reminder of courage, and of standing up for yourself and your place in history. When I was writing The Book of Two Ways and talking about archaeologists in the field in Egypt, so much of the setting was baked into the clothing they wore into the rock tombs in the blazing heat.
7. Who are some of the women in your life who have had the biggest impact on you, creatively or personally?
My mom, who believed I could actually become a writer. My grandmother, who volunteered at multiple charities into her 90s, taught me the value in compassion and in connecting with others. Mary Morris, my mentor, who really gave me all the tools I use daily as a writer.
8. When you step away from writing, what are your favorite ways to recharge?
Every single morning, I swim a mile. I love it. I usually listen to books on tape as I swim, but very often my mind will wander and I will wind up solving a plot hole or a problem in the scene I plan to write that day.
9. And finally, a question we love to ask everyone. What is an outfit that made you feel amazing? A memorable outfit you’ve worn in the past, or your go-to ONE outfit that brings you the most confidence?
My daughter got married at a Rhode Island mansion. It was full-on Gatsby, and I wound up wearing a gold sequined off-the-shoulder gown, slim fitting (thank you Spanx). It was the kind of gown I never imagined I’d wear, because I usually have a love-hate relationship with my body, but I felt like an Oscar statue come to life – and when I looked in the mirror, I felt so incredibly beautiful. You can see it in all the photos – the confidence I had, and the utter joy that came with that. I really think that’s what fashion is – finding what makes you simultaneously comfortable and confident.
