Roselyn, I am glad to have you as part of our series in Conversations Magazine. First I have to ask you, what has it been like for you to see yourself as a published author and to have your book THE MEMORY LINGERS ON available for the world to read?
I must smile when I think to answer this. After three quarters of a century, I know whatever I am doing, I feel like me. I have been a girl scout leader, fortune teller, bank teller, decorator and resort manager. I am a product of my generation., so I was at Woodstock and lived in San Francisco during the Summer of Love.
In my attempt to publish THE MEMORY LINGERS ON, what is important is the protagonist - Anna. She is a product of the generation before me and how that generation transformed our culture, as mine has shaped my daughter's. It is a story about an ordinary woman in extraordinary times and how she evolved as a living soul. And how that affected her at the end of her life. This is what I wish to achieve by presenting her story to the public.
So many in my generation have had to deal with parents or partners who are moving into the next world. As Anna dies in this one, she becomes more alive in the next. And she can only tell her story from the next world. It is a story of possibility and hope - whatever faith one may have, for, I believe, we get beyond belief to knowledge.
So, it is my hope that if publishing THE MEMORY LINGERS ON gives even one person comfort then I can, also, be happy.
Have you always known that storytelling was something you wanted to do?
I wonder if storytellers think of themselves as such. The first time I biked cross-country someone asked if I prepared. I hadn't, consciously. I just liked to ride my bicycle. And the truth is I wasn't prepared. I didn't even take a replacement tube or a repair kit. But I made it from Raleigh, NC to Yellow Spring, OH despite that.
So, I like to write because I can go to another world where I can be whoever I want to be.
I noticed since we connected that you love nature and the outdoors. Have you always felt connected to nature?
Yes. I grew up in New York City, but spent summers on the family farm. Everything was alive then. Literarily - I talked to the trees. I still believe everything is as alive as I am.
I once asked my mother if God was everywhere, even in the air we breathe. She only said, "Yes." Being small, it was all I needed to hear. I went outside and took a deep breath of God. That is nature.
THE MEMORY LINGERS ON is a powerful look at life, life lessons and the challenges so many experience over time. Where did the idea for the book come from?
From women in nursing homes. As a volunteer friend I spent a great deal of time with them. They may have been eighty, but in their mind they were twenty. I could not challenge their reality, but I could see that for them it was true, even if it didn't seem to jive with the rest of the world around them. I wanted to share their experience. Maybe I did get a glimpse into their world. It was like time travel and it made the past as real as the present.
The lessons that Anna shares with her daughter Susan really do linger with the reader. Especially the importance of appreciating the moment. What helps you to stay present, Roselyn?
Anna did. It is Anna who speaks. It is her comfort and love that are present.
You and I have talked about social media and the challenges of it, however, you have definitely been using it. How has that helped you to share your thoughts and your book?
As I mentioned, I have lived three quarters of a century. It is not something I grew up with. I struggle with it. I don't quite understand how to use it yet. Needless to say this has caused me some stress.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers out there who are reading this?
Write for the love of it and the freedom it gives.
Get THE MEMORY LINGERS ON on Amazon.
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