Bradley Sides: First of all, thank you for taking the time to talk with me about your book An Art, a Craft, a Mystery. For those who haven’t heard about it yet, do you mind sharing what it’s about?
Laura Secord: Thank you Bradley and AWC for asking.
An Art, a Craft, a Mystery is an historical novel-in-verse, a family saga told in a series of short poems. It’s a hybrid of poetry and historical fiction telling the stories of two real women, my ancestors, Lydea Gilbert and Katherine (Kate) Harrison, who settled on the frontier along the Connecticut River in the mid 1600s.
After indenturing themselves in exchange for passage to the colonies, they served in the home of Ann Hutchinson, who was banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony for heresy. Later, both Lydea and Kate became healers, midwives, and farmers, who faced the struggles and joys of life in a wild new land. They were women in a puritan culture, women of intuitive genius and healing powers, who lived through times where feminine power and the value of women’s lives were suspect and condemned.
BS: With a work that draws on the lives of historical women, how much time did you spend researching? How did you balance your research and writing time as you worked through your project?
LS: I first began this project after my husband, an historian and genealogist, discovered my great-great-great-great-great was found guilty of witchcraft in Connecticut in the 1600s. Of course, I felt I must write this story, but was not excited about the puritan culture. Thanks to my life partner, I began reading about the unknown, untaught aspects of life in the colonies, especially the undocumented lives of women.
Through my extensive reading, I became interested in visiting the places where these stories happened. I got a fellowship at poet Marilyn Nelson’s Soul Mountain Retreat, and was able to spend a few weeks visiting Windsor and Wethersfield, as well as the archeological re-creations of the Plymouth plantation and the Mayflower. The poems really blossomed after experiencing these worlds and absorbing the sensory details of their lives.
This project took many years to come to fruition: first extensive research, always writing along the way, followed by the process of creating a powerful story using imagination.
I put the book down for a few years as I completed a creative writing MFA. I returned to it in 2017, after the previous election made me extremely worried about the fate of women in this country. As I saw the restrictions of puritanism re-emerge in society and law, I felt compelled to complete this book. I spent a couple of years deepening the story, clarifying the voices of the characters, and working to hone the quality of the poetry itself.
BS: Your book takes the form of being a novel in verse. Did you know going into the project that this was going to be its shape?
LS: From the beginning I knew it would be a novel-in-verse. This is the kind of work I love to do. I didn't know how extensive the story would become, but I knew the trajectory of these women’s lives from the few pieces of documentation that existed.
I’m a writer who does better when I know the plot, and I love telling a story in poetry. I followed the examples of some great modern poets who write history, including Marilyn Nelson, Frank X Walker, and Patricia Smith.
BS: One thing I’m always fascinated by is the title of a book. How did you arrive at An Art, a Craft, a Mystery?
LS: The title is taken from historian, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s book Goodwives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750. Her work describes the lives of women in the colonies and deepens our knowledge of women’s undocumented experiences.
Her work explored the essential things needed to live in a wild and unknown world: fire for heat and bread to eat. “Women's work” it's called, but without it, none could survive— fire and bread—living things, hot coal and yeast scraps nurtured to carry into another day. Ulrich called this work an art, a craft, and a mystery. That’s how the title was born.
BS: What’s been the most exciting part of your writing journey so far?
LS: Publication is definitely the most exciting part of my writer's journey. I’m thrilled with the responses I’m getting from readers for this book. It’s been a part of my life for over a decade, and now it’s finally being shared. I love hearing about the joy of reading it, as well as the deep emotion readers experience through the voices of Lydea and Kate.
BS: In addition to writing a novel in verse, you are also a spoken word artist and the Director of Community Engagement for The Magic City Poetry Festival, so poetry is clearly a huge part of your life. I’m curious who and/or what influences your craft the most?
LS: What influences my craft the most? After a long career as a nurse practitioner and my involvement in the poetry scene since the mid 90s, I have been lucky to listen to many people’s stories. I have been lucky to hear tales of happiness and suffering. I am inspired by putting myself in the shoes of another, until their voice finds a way through me and onto the page.
BS: Thank you again, Laura, for talking with me. Congratulations on the release of your book! I wish you and your writing the absolute best.
