Robert Gwaltney: Southern Gothic Stories, Community, and Connection | S5 EP242: Book Banter
Behind the Interview with Robert Gwaltney on Southern traditions, the writing community, and the stories that bring writers and readers together.
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Hello My Happy People,
Every once in a while, an interview turns into one of those conversations where you almost forget you are recording a podcast. My conversation with Southern Gothic author Robert Gwaltney was definitely one of those.
Robert was simply so much fun to talk to. We talked about his latest novel, Sing Down the Moon, his love of Southern Gothic storytelling, the traditions and folklore that find their way into his work, and the writing community that has become such an important part of his life as an author.
One of my favorite moments came when we started talking about bottle trees. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are one of those wonderfully distinctive Southern traditions, and I love seeing them whenever I visit my sister in Florida. She has often had a bottle tree in her yard because it is one of the Southern traditions she loves, so as soon as Robert started talking about them, I immediately had that personal connection.
That is one of the things I enjoy most about interviewing authors. You can be discussing a book, and suddenly one small detail sends you somewhere completely unexpected and personal.
I also had a lot of fun giving Robert a Southern version of my Five Quick Questions. Of course, sweet tea had to make an appearance.
I love tea. Hot tea, iced tea, you name it. But Southern sweet tea is a completely different matter. Whenever I visit my relatives in Florida, they make their tea incredibly sweet, and I just cannot do it. I have learned to grab mine while it is still unsweetened, before they start adding the sugar. Otherwise, I am out of luck.
As much fun as we had with those parts of the conversation, though, one of the things that stayed with me most after the interview was our discussion about the writing community.
Being an American author living in Germany can be isolating. Most of my interaction with the larger English-language writing community has to happen virtually. I miss being able to physically get together with other authors, talk about books and writing, discuss the craft, and simply spend time with people who understand why stories and the work that goes into creating them matter so much.
Hosting Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt has changed that for me tremendously. The podcast has expanded my connection to the writing community by leaps and bounds. These one-on-one conversations with authors and publishing professionals have become the closest thing I have to sitting down with another writer and simply talking shop.
That is why Robert's thoughts about the importance of the writing community meant so much to me. We talked about staying connected, supporting one another, lifting other writers up, and surrounding yourself with people who understand the work and care about the craft.
It also helped me understand even more why Amy Pence spoke so highly of Robert when she joined me for Episode 234. Amy talked about what Robert's mentorship meant to her as she navigated publishing her first novel, Yellow. After having the opportunity to sit down and talk with Robert myself, I can certainly understand her appreciation.
He comes across as someone who genuinely values other writers and understands that another author's success does not diminish your own. There is room to encourage each other, share what we have learned, celebrate good writing, and help other writers find their way.
And Robert’s contribution to the writing community certainly is not limited to what he does for other authors. It is also found in the incredibly wonderful books he contributes as an author himself. Sing Down the Moon is the book that brought us together for this particular conversation, and getting to talk with Robert about the story and the Southern influences woven through it made the interview that much more enjoyable.
That combination is something special. He is contributing to the literary community through the stories he writes while also helping strengthen the community of people creating those stories.
There was plenty of laughter throughout our conversation, some Southern traditions that brought back memories for me, and, of course, a lot of talk about books and writing.
Those are exactly the kinds of conversations that remind me why I love doing this podcast.
If you have not yet listened to my interview with Robert Gwaltney about his latest book Sing Down the Moon, you can hear our entire conversation on Book Banter with Dianne Burckhardt—Book Talk Podcast. Just click the purple microphone below to listen now.
And if you have never heard of a bottle tree before, you may find yourself wanting one of those afterward, too.
Enjoy,
Dianne
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