Denis Ledoux: At The Memoir Network, we had the pleasure of working with Katherine Sullivan for several years as she edited her memoir, Don’t Worry About a Thing, with one of our editors, Frances King, and focused on book production with Sally Lunt. Because of her insightful articulation of her life experience, I am delighted she agreed to do the following interview (conducted by email.)

Denis: Can you tell our readers—your fellow writers—what your book is about and why you were impelled to write it? What was driving you to spend the time, energy and money to get this book out into the world?

Katherine: Don’t Worry About a Thing is a coming-of-age memoir about life in a small Maine town in the middle of the twentieth century. As a child of a Greek immigrant and a Maine country girl, I tried to find my place in the world. Not all immigrant stories are success stories. I was impelled to write this book to help me find meaning after a childhood spent with a father whose gambling addiction affected every aspect of my life. I searched for answers in an unstable world, and writing was a place where I could question and discover who I was and where I fit in the world. My personal therapy.

Denis: Tell us about your writing process and how long you worked on this memoir.

Katherine: I began actively working on this book in my fifties, so about twenty years, but I knew from when I was a young girl that I wanted to write. There were long breaks when my life in the present got in the way of my writing about the past. I knew though, that I would finish, and to get me motivated during those dry spells, I took writing workshops at various intervals.

Denis: You must have had periods of time in which you were discouraged or at least less enthusiastic. Can you tell us about how you kept yourself going? What worked for you?

Katherine: There were times when I asked myself, why are you doing this? Will these piles of journals that I filled over the years ever be good for anything? But I had to write anyway, and so I might as well keep going and maybe someday I’ll actually get published.

Denis: Tell us what the theme of your book was. How did you come upon this theme?

Katherine: The theme is the search for identity. Amidst life’s struggles, I wanted to find answers to the big questions about life, death, God. Ultimately, I was on a search to find out who I was and where I fit in. Denis: What was the most difficult experience in writing your memoir?

Katherine: The most difficult thing for me was determining if I had something to say to the world. It was easy for me to write in my journals, but would anyone else care about what I have to say?

Denis: What advice would you give to a writer about sticking to the writing?

Katherine: Most of my writing occurs in the early morning, so keeping a schedule is important. Quitting has never been an option, but feedback from other writers is extremely helpful in validating my work. I have been very fortunate in finding a writing partner in one of the writing workshops I took. We meet once a month to share our latest writings. We read our work aloud and make comments, giving constructive criticism.

Denis: Were there times when you doubted yourself and wanted to quit?

Katherine: I’ve had self-doubt my entire life in just about every area of my life, so doubting myself while writing this book was not something new. I just go forward anyway. I guess I’m very stubborn in that way.

Denis: What makes for a successful memoir? Do you feel your memoir was a success?

Katherine: I think a successful memoir is one where the reader can relate to and connect with the writer. I hope my experiences strike a chord in someone else’s life. If that happens, I’ll feel like it was a success. Denis: How did you deal with sensitive material?

Katherine: When I first started writing my memoir, I vowed I would only tell my story. There were many things left out of my story that I only learned about as an adult. It was not my story when I was growing up, so I felt it was disingenuous to write about something I didn’t even know was happening when I was a child. There are other memories that I purposely left out because I would be exposing someone else’s secrets, and it was not my place to do that. If it didn’t directly affect me, I left it out.

Denis: Did you envision yourself as a writer before you began this book? What is your identity as a writer now?

Katherine: I have been a journal writer since I was a teenager so, yes, in a sense, I identify as a writer. However, my doubts kept me from calling myself an author. I guess now, that I have published this memoir, I can honestly say, I am a writer!

Denis: Will you write another memoir after Don’t Worry About a Thing?

Katherine: I would like to write a travel memoir. My husband and I have had some interesting trips abroad that I’d like to put in a book. However, currently I’m working on an historical novel based on a true story I discovered when I researched my genealogy.

Denis: What has the response to Don’t Worry About a Thing been?

Katherine: It’s early days yet, but I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive responses I’ve received from friends who are reading the book. The most important, and the most emotional, aspect of this experience has been the actual physical manifestation of the book. If I sell a lot of copies, that will be wonderful too. We are on Amazon and Ingram Spark. I have a website. I am using social media, Facebook and Instagram to also promote the book.

Denis: I want to congratulate you on the publication of Don’t Worry About A Thing.

Kathleen: Thank you. It’s been fun.

For more interviews by Memoir Network writers, click here.

For YouTube videos on better memoir writing, click here.

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To visit Katherine Sullivan’s website, click here.

To link to Don’t Worry About a Thing on Amazon, click here.