I sat down and answered some questions for the kind folks over at All Lit Up Canada for their Writer’s Block column. If you’re curious about why I wrote The Brightest Thing, what my next book is going to be about, what advice I have for other writers, or what kind of adorable novelty drawer knobs are on my writing desk… Well, this is the interview for you. Here’s a short excerpt to get you hooked:
Because everyone is familiar with fairy tales to some extent, they provide a good common ground for us to engage in conversation about the unhealthy expectations held up by romantic love. I want to show that the fairy tale pursuit of “happily ever after” can be problematic in the contemporary world, I want to be really honest about the harm it can cause—how rape culture is normalized and restricted gender expectations hurt us—but I also want to be really honest about how truly wonderful love can be.”
Ruth Daniell, in conversation with All Lit Up Canada (March 2019)
I’m back in home in Kelowna now, after making stops in Prince George, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Victoria performing poems from The Brightest Thing, and now I’m excited to finish planning my book launch here and then settle in for some much-needed writing and painting time before I’m too busy for awhile to make much time for my creative life: at the end of April, my second child is due! I’m very round these days, very resentful of shoelaces, and very grateful for my healthy, growing family.
Ruth Daniell 