Interview with Katherine Howe

Imagine if you were related to some fascinating person in American history? How cool would that be? If I were able to choose, I’d like to be related to Ben Franklin or maybe even Thomas Jefferson. These scholarly men shaped the future of our nation with their innovative ways of thinking. Then again, I wouldn’t mind being a part of Martha Washington’s family either. So many excellent choices!

This month’s Jen’s Jewels, Katherine Howe, has the distinction of being in this elite category. Remarkably, she is related to both Katherine Howe and Elizabeth Proctor, two women accused of being witches back in the 1690’s in Salem, Massachusetts. In her debut novel, THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE, she blends history with fiction. The end result is a captivating page-turner just waiting for you to discover!

As part of this interview, Hyperion Books has generously donated five copies for you, my lucky readers, to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question. And, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your summer reading.

Jen: Your path to becoming an author actually evolved as a side-step along your journey of academia pursuits. Please share with us your educational and professional background and how it has prepared you for a career in publishing.

Katherine: My husband and I moved to Marblehead from Cambridge in summer of 2005, and that November I was scheduled to take my PhD oral exam in the American and New England Studies Program at Boston University. “American studies” is the interdisciplinary study of American culture, and so I had spent the last several years studying American history and art history. The interesting thing about Marblehead, for those who haven't been there, is that it has one of the most complete collections of extant eighteenth century architecture in the country. It's the kind of place where only a little bit of imagination allows you to erase the power lines overhead, block out the cars parked along the street, and start to imagine what life might have looked like at a different moment in time.

Grad students get notoriously nervous leading into their oral exams, and I was no exception. If I went walking and didn't occupy my mind with something else, I would just turn back to worrying. So I distracted myself with thought experiments. Since Marblehead is only one town over from Salem, we see a lot of the more commercial interpretations of the Salem witchcraft episode. As a historian, however, I knew that the reality of Salem looked very different from the fairy tale version. So I asked myself: if witchcraft were real the way the colonists understood it to be, rather than in our fairy tale sense, what would it look like? How would it work? What would it be capable of, and not capable of? The story for Physick Book really grew out of that idea.

Jen: Your debut novel, THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE, is a spell-binding tale incorporating two time periods, the 1690’s and the 1990’s, into one powerful and truly unforgettable story. I was hooked from page one! How did you arrive at the premise?

Katherine: Thanks, Jen! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. I was attracted to a dual time period story for a few reasons. First, I am always keenly aware of the mundane details about people in the past that we can never know. So many of the little personality quirks that make up the bulk of our everyday experience – what we like and dislike, our senses of humor, our nicknames, our inside jokes – can never be known just from the records we leave behind. So I wanted Connie, the main character, to be conducting research on women in the past, but I wanted the story to tell us more about these women than Connie would be able to learn; for that we needed to see into the past for ourselves. I also thought that the 1690s is a remote enough time from our own experience that spending the entire span of the story there would be potentially exhausting. We need Connie's point of view to help us work through the historical narrative. So each half of the story, the 1990s and the 1690s, depends on the other.

Jen: Quite interestingly, you are a descendant of both Elizabeth Howe and Elizabeth Proctor, two Salem women accused of witchcraft back in the 1690’s. How did this connection influence the tone of the novel? Was it difficult keeping your biases in check?

Katherine: I first learned about Elizabeth Proctor and Elizabeth Howe from my aunt, who was doing some family research when I was about fifteen years old. And of course I responded like a fifteen year old girl would – I thought it was the coolest thing ever!

For a lot of people, uncovering a family connection is a way to personalize a period of history that otherwise feels too remote to be really relatable. For my own part, I have been more interested in learning about what daily life was like in the colonial period. How did it feel to live in that world? What was it like to think like a Puritan? How itchy were the clothes? How dark was the meeting house? I don't think that any personal biases came into play, particularly since I chose not to write about my own witches. I think the Salem episode belongs to all of us; we all have something to learn from it.

Jen: From the get-go, did you have a vision as to how the story would unfold? Did you stick to the plan? Why or why not?

Katherine: A lot of people have a secret affinity for the Salem trials, which is one reason we keep seeing so many accounts of them, both historical and fictional. The Salem episode is so anomalous, so different from what we expect when we think about colonial history or American culture more generally, that we are never fully satisfied about it. I have also been struck by how much lionization of the New England colonists takes place. We ask them to bear so much symbolic weight that we forget that these were individual people, with strengths and flaws like anyone else. So in a sense I was attracted to writing Physick Book because it gave me a chance to explore, albeit fictionally, these lost individual people.

I mulled over the structure of the story for quite some time, and wrote a detailed outline before I started writing the actual body of the book. I knew that Physick Book's approach to magic would be different from what we are accustomed to seeing: it would be small, personal, and closely tied to the body and to spiritual life. I did have a few plot elements in mind that didn't make their way into the book. But I have a secret plan for a Physick Book sequel, so who knows? They may sneak into the Dane family story yet.

Jen: In terms of background information, approximately how much research went into the writing of the book? Is it historically accurate? And if not, what liberties did you incorporate into the plot?

Katherine: I relied on some of the excellent secondary sources about Salem specifically, and about early modern popular magic more generally. Historians such as Paul Boyer, Stephen Nissenbaum, John Demos, Mary Beth Norton, Carol Karlsen, Keith Thomas, Owen Davies, David Hall, and Richard Godbeer have all done incredibly detailed work on this period, and I would point anyone curious about the real story of colonial witchcraft to their books. I also tried to train myself in everyday speech of the period by reading a few linguistics articles, since so much historical fiction is written like an episode of “Masterpiece Theater,” as though everyone in the past had perfect diction and no one used slang. For furnishings and details of daily life I used a wonderful exhibition catalogue of early New England material culture that was published by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, called “New England Begins.”

One of my goals with Physick Book was to inspire curiosity about the actual history of the Salem period. It's interesting to me how blurred our understanding of the Salem episode is; for instance, many people take “The Crucible” to be a historically accurate portrayal of events at the trials, without considering that Arthur Miller took broad liberties with character's ages and relationships in order to craft a more coherent story. (Of course, I took some liberties too – I moved Deliverance's trial up by a few months so that she could be tried with an earlier group of women, and I made it sound like Sarah Good did not have a husband, though in real life she did.) But I wanted to illustrate the fact that the historical truth of witchcraft is very different from the popular, fairy tale notion. I wanted to investigate how the colonists might have felt about witchcraft in their own terms. The witchcraft in Physick Book is based on how the colonists actually believed magic to be.

The research took about a year and a half of reading and stewing, and then another year and a half was spent in the outlining and writing of the story. The hardest part was forcing myself to stop researching. There is always more to be learned.

Jen: The novel centers around Connie, a graduate student at Harvard, who is working on her doctoral dissertation quite like yourself. In what not-so- obvious ways are you two alike? Different?

Katherine: Connie and I have a few things in common, but I think that in most respects we are very different people. She is a better student than I am, for one thing! I was dithering on my dissertation and writing a novel instead, while she is hard at work on her research at all times. We are different ages – Connie is about ten years older, and so today would be a young professor, newly tenured, with grad students of her own. We had entirely dissimilar upbringings, went to different schools. She is a sloppier dresser than I am (but not by much).

A few details overlap. We have the same color hair, and we both drink peppermint tea. But Connie has a number of secret talents that are unique. Physick Book is really about Connie coming into herself.

Jen: While preparing her grandmother’s house for sale, Connie finds a key with the name Deliverance Dane secretly tucked inside. First of all, did this person ever truly exist? And secondly, what keeps Connie from initially sharing this discovery with her mother?

Katherine: I was first drawn to Deliverance Dane, who was indeed a real person, because her name is so wonderfully evocative. It seemed dramatic to me, and a little foreboding. I also wanted to write about her because the vagueness of the details about her actual life left me lots of room to fill in a story. If I had written about one of the better known Salem witches, like Rebecca Nurse or Giles Corey, the story would have been less persuasive since we already know so much about them.

The real Deliverance Dane was accused near the end of the trials, when the panic spread north from Salem into Andover. She did have a husband named Nathaniel, and she was imprisoned for a short time. However, there is no evidence that she was an actual cunning woman, and she survived the trials relatively unscathed.

As for why Connie doesn't initially share her discovery with Grace, I would guess that up to this point Connie isn't accustomed to talking about the minutiae of her work with her mother. Grace has clearly indicated that she's not very interested in what Connie does, and Connie does not yet know that this discovery is going to have a broader meaning for her.

Jen: Their mother-daughter relationship is strained, yet at times there are obvious signs of mutual respect. How is Connie’s quest for the truth in terms of Deliverance Dane’s existence linked to her own desire to make a connection with her mother?

Katherine: One theme that I wanted to explore in Physick Book was the idea of talking at cross-purposes, or rather, of only being able to talk about things in language specific to our personalities and places in time. Connie and Grace grate against each other in part because they are cut from the same cloth. They have difficulty understanding each other at first because each views the world in her own particular idiom; the language that Grace might use to address a particular idea is different from the language that Connie would use. Part of their challenge lies in learning how to communicate effectively with one another. This theme echoes in all of the mother/daughter pairs in Physick Book.

Jen: Sam, Connie’s love interest, brings out the softer side of her due to his carefree persona. In a way, he’s kind of like the forbidden fruit since they are such total opposites. What is the common thread that binds them together?

Katherine: Connie and Sam strike me as complementary, two different halves that make up a better whole. Sam is sillier than Connie is, more willing to goof around, and as such he is able to push her out of her reserve, to help her live a fuller life. Whereas Connie is a historian, who studies the past from a critical standpoint, Sam is a preservationist – a steeplejack, no less! - who believes in working to preserve what remains of the past for its own sake. But their interests are very much aligned; Sam becomes caught up in Connie's adventure. Of course, we learn that there is danger involved in that adventure.

Jen: Of course, witchcraft plays an essential role in the plot as Connie comes face to face with its effects. Being such an analytical person, one would think that Connie would immediately have her doubts, but not so. I had the feeling she wanted to believe it was possible, and was searching for proof no matter how inconsequential in order to validate her family’s history. Would you agree with my observation? Why or why not?

Katherine: Well, I think different readers are going to view Connie's reactions differently. Connie has plenty of doubts at first. She is not able to cast aside her worldview at the drop of a hat. After all, who is? She is more willing to doubt her own interpretation of the facts than she is to change her mind abruptly about how the world works. Physick Book is about Connie's expanding belief in what is possible as much as it is about the search for what is true.

Jen: Throughout the story, you touch upon the use of herbal plants in respect to witchcraft. Would you be able to recommend to my readers some historically accurate books that explore this topic in more detail?

Katherine: I would suggest that readers look at two great books that discuss the history of cunning folk in England in the early modern period, “Religion and the Decline of Magic” by Keith Thomas, and “Cunning Folk: Popular Magic in English History” by Owen Davies. A “cunning person” was someone who offered small-scale occult services for a fee. These services might include location of lost property, water dowsing, basic charms or herbs in case of sickness, and unbewitching. It is thought that the cunning folk tradition did not necessarily travel to the New World with the colonists, but historians differ in their opinions on that. Anyone who is curious about the real history of folk magic practices should definitely check these books out! Owen Davies also just published a history of grimoires, or magic books, which I would also recommend.

Jen: Without giving too much away (plot spoilers!), Connie’s advisor, Professor Chilton, plays a vital role in bringing Deliverance Dane to life, so to speak. Why does Connie choose to put her faith in a man who has questionable intentions?

Katherine: Well, it can be hard to read people's intentions sometimes, can't it? The academic world is still structured a bit like a medieval apprenticeship (even the robes that you wear at commencement are medieval in design). Connie must place her trust in her advisor because that is what she has been trained to do, and because the system demands that she do so. If she wants her career to be successful, she has very little choice but to place her faith in her mentor. Of course, Manning Chilton is a person too, which is something Connie doesn't really think about. He has his own goals, problems, anxieties, and plans. Part of Connie's task in Physick Book is to learn to trust herself and her own instincts, and in some instances she learns that lesson only with difficulty.

Jen: One character who may be easily overlooked in this story is Connie’s faithful companion, Arlo, the dog. Not only does he provide comfort when needed, but he leads her to the answers through his keen sixth sense. Is he somewhat of a messenger from the past? Why or why not?

Katherine: I think there are a number of different ways that one could think about Arlo. Any of us who have spent time with animals know that they have a take on the world that is different from our own, and that is the case with Arlo, too. This is a question I would like to turn to your readers, actually. What does Arlo have to do with the other dogs in the past part of the story? Does Arlo even exist? I'm not sure I know the answer. What do you think?

Jen: In terms of promotion for the book, do you have a website? Will you be participating in a book tour?

Katherine: The book has a wonderful website, which contains all information about signings, media appearances, and other Physick Book news. I also can be found on Facebook, with lots of news and updates.

And I have a Twitter feed.

Jen: Will there be a Reading Group Guide available for book clubs? Will you be participating in author phone chats? And if so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?

Katherine: A reading group guide will be available on the Physick Book website. I am definitely planning to participate in phone chats or Skype chats with interested reading groups. Appointments may be arranged either through the website, or via the book's email address at [email protected]

Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and chat with my readers. Your novel is the perfect blend of history and intrigue. I loved it!! Best of luck! I wish you much success.

Katherine: Thank you so much for having me, Jen! I really appreciate your inviting me to join you and your readers here. Connecting with readers has been by far the best part of this whole process.

I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Katherine Howe. Please stop by your favorite bookstore or local library branch and pick up a copy of THE PHYSICK BOOK OF DELIVERANCE DANE today.

Better yet, how would you like to win one? Be one of five people to answer the following trivia question for a change to win! Good Luck!

What is a grimoire?

Next month, I will be chatting with Julie Metz, author of this summer’s most talked about memoir called PERFECTION. You won’t want to miss it!

Welcome to summer!

Jen

When a twist of fate landed Jennifer at the "Reading with Ripa" roundtable discussion with Kelly Ripa and Meg Cabot, she knew that her career as a French teacher would essentially be over. Instead, she figured out a clever way to combine her love for reading and writing and "voilà" She became a book reviewer and columnist with www.freshfiction.com. On the sidelines, her parents secretly hoped that her French degree from Vanderbilt would one day come in handy and Jennifer is happy to report that the phrases ‘Je ne sais pas' and ‘C'est incroyable!' have been quite useful when reviewing certain selections! As is typical in her whirlwind life, one thing led to another and soon she found herself facilitating a popular moms' book club and writing a column she cleverly named Jen's Jewels. (Jewelry is one of her many addictions, as is the color pink and Lilly Pulitzer, which when you think about it, would probably make for a good story! Hint! Hint! ) To keep herself away from her favorite retailer, Ann Taylor, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Harford County Public Library in Maryland. As a national trainer for The Arthritis Foundation's Aquatic and Land Exercise Classes, she is an advocate for those like herself who suffer from arthritis, the nation's #1 cause of disability. When asked how she manages to do all of these things and actually get some sleep at night, she simply replied, "It's just Par for the Course." Hmm! Now where have we heard that before?