blueAlto

I finished a novel last weekend that, more than a beautiful read, was something that stayed with me for the past week; and in the process, has ignited a few thoughts I need to explore on some deeper levels. Kiara Brinkman's Up High In The Trees is a hugely affecting novel that asks some fundamental questions about pain, perception, and examines the idea and concept of grieving as an intensely personal, never comparable experience.

For a first novel, Brinkman took more than a few chances with the subject of the book. The main thrust of which, is about a boy, Sebby, with Asperger's syndrome; a spectrum disorder similar to autism, characterized by communication disorders, high intellect, and the unique feature of feeling all emotion hundreds of times more intensely than his unaffected peers. Brinkman gives us astute insight to this child's world, when, at the outset of the novel, his mother unexpectedly dies.

I read an interview with the writer where she discussed the attachment that developed to characters as she spend increasing time crafting and writing them in a novel length project. I know for myself, after my first novel was completed, I went through a short phase of what could only be described as a mild depression. Now, it's important to note that it was a very situational depression, and it was also self resolving, but it does demonstrate that the process of creation is not without it's own unique baggage.

What this author had to say on the topic took me a bit off guard, and is extremely wise. It is also no doubt something that will be front and center the next time I go down the creating a new novel path. Though for the foreseeable future, I'm going to stick to reading.

Kiara Brinkman on character attachment

"...Inhabiting this character for a couple of years did affect me personally. It was very intense. In the middle of a project I carry it around with me, even trying to experience the world as the character might. Writing this character turned up the volume on my own emotions. The world become brighter, more vivid, but could also be overwhelming. When I got stuck, I would take a break for a couple of weeks. My own brain needed a change. I got very attached to Sebby and had to write him into a place where I felt he would be safe, so it was important to end the book on a hopeful note...."

You can read the entire interview with the Goddard College MFA graduate, here.