Gail Konop Baker is a memoirist, novelist, journalist, poet, patient advocate, long-distance runner, yoga instructor, mother, wife, cancer survivor, aaaaand blogger, among other things.  Her column, Bare-breasted Mama over at Literary Mama, was the first incarnation and inspiration for her latest book, CANCER IS A BITCH - OR I’D RATHER BE HAVING A MIDLIFE CRISIS, which is re-released in paperback from Da Capo this week - just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

We’d like to thank her for taking the time to be part of our “5 Minutes Alone” interview series.

AuthorScoop: What was your very first publication credit?

Gail: Wow, you’re making me go waaay back! My first publication credit was a poem in college in the college literary magazine, XANADU. The name of the poem is Still Life and it went on to win a couple of awards and be anthologized in a book funded by the Ohio Arts Council. I was 20 at the time and surprisingly, I am not embarrassed by the poem!

AuthorScoop: Tell us about your latest release.

Gail: It is a memoir called CANCER IS A BITCH (Or, I’d Rather be Having a Midlife Crisis) released in hard cover last fall and recently re-released in paperback this fall. It is based on a health scare I had in 2006 (I am fine now!) that set off a midlife reckoning and caused me to question all aspects of my life, my marriage, my motherhood, my womanhood. Made me wonder about the choices I had made and the ones I hadn’t made and ask myself when I would start to be the person I meant to be and live the life I meant to live.

AuthorScoop: Aside from your own hard work, who else do you feel has contributed to your success?

Gail: Years of writing. It takes a lot of practice just like learning to play an instrument. I heard Grace Paley once say that you should write what you are most afraid to write and also not write unless you are absolutely compelled. I think those two pieces of advice helped me write urgently and authentically. That’s how I wrote my memoir. I’m trying to tap into that for my new book also!

AuthorScoop: At what time of day or night do you do your best writing?

Gail: Morning is probably best but I also feel that’s the best time to exercise (especially with the marathon coming up). So those two demands often compete. Ideally, I would roll out of bed and before having any contact with the world I would write 1000 words. Of course that’s unrealistic with two dogs and my son and the running demands and the newspaper and facebook and the 30 e-mails that need answering and… but one day…

AuthorScoop: Finally, what advice would you give to new or unpublished writers?

Gail: What Grace Paley said above. Also, “Trust thyself.” That’s Emerson. He was a wise man. And perhaps most importantly, don’t overthink writing. I think overthinking it is a HUGE hindrance. When I teach I tell my students, “You’ve done all the thinking. Now just pick up your pen (yes I DO like pen on paper first, so I guess that’s another piece of advice!) and move it across the page.” They usually look at me like I’m crazy and I so I repeat that and long before they’re all writing! Try it! Pick up your pen! Go on. I’m waiting…

CANCER IS A BITCH - OR I’D RATHER BE HAVING A MIDLIFE CRISIS is available in bookstores now, and through Amazon.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 at 2:19 pm and is filed under *Jamie's Posts, 5 Minutes Alone, AuthorScoop Exclusives. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.