Michael Morris: A Place Called Wiregrass
Book Club Chat
April 13, 2009. Queenie C has the chance to chat with Michael Morris, author of
A Place Called Wiregrass.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
You
wrote this book, mainly about women, with such brilliance; you captured Erma Lee so realistically. Was this difficult to do?
Growing
up in a rural part of Florida, I knew women like Erma Lee – smart women who led hard scrabble lives, struggled with poverty and juggled family dysfunction.
The voice of Erma Lee resonated in a chorus of the women I knew from Perry, Florida. Like Erma Lee, these women were overcoming personal tragedies
and obstacles in their lives. Their strength always impressed me because they didn't have time to curl up into a ball or disappear underneath the
covers, they had to keep going so that they could provide for their families.
The topic of domestic violence is something that I personally know. My biological father was abusive so I understand the emotional scars that Erma
Lee deals with and having lived through that experience helped me to develop her character. While outlining the novel, I was drawn to this no-nonsense
voice that became Erma Lee. I was initially concerned about being able to authentically write the novel in the voice of a woman, but it was the
voice that stayed with me so I just decided to go with it.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Faith
and Religion played a part in this story without overwhelming it. Are you religious?
I
don't think of myself as religious. For me, the word seems too heavy handed to describe my faith. When I hear the word 'religious' I always think
of people like Elizabeth or Prune Face as Erma Lee calls her in the novel – those people who are at church every Sunday in their self-assigned pews,
but who wouldn't inconvenience themselves to walk across the street and help someone in need. Recently I read a newspaper article about the Gen-X
generation having a new term to describe their Christian faith – rather than identifying themselves as Christians many of them are now simply saying
that they are 'followers of Christ.' I like that term and while I struggle every day, I too strive to be a follower of Christ.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Domestic
violence is a strong issue to take on in a novel. You covered many sides and emotions to it superbly. I applaud you. What made you decide to
write about it?
I
began writing A Place Called Wiregrass when I was 31 and at a point in my life where I had to get real with my family of origin. My mom and
I were once in an abusive household with my biological father. We were fortunate to get out thanks in part to my mom's strategic planning and the
help of my grandparents. She divorced my biological father; we moved on and never discussed the past. In fact, my mom went on to marry the man I
consider to be my father because he's the man who has loved and supported me.
Through their marriage I also received a baby brother. When the novel came out, my brother didn't even know that my mom and I had been abused. The
topic was simply tucked away on a shelf and never taken down to examine. I wrote the novel as a way to address the lingering impact of domestic
abuse. I also wanted to pay homage to the women who struggle to get out of abusive households but do not have the support of traditional family.
Erma Lee is such a woman. Through the community of Wiregrass, Erma Lee is able to establish a 'family' of people who are not blood relatives but
who love and nurture her.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Miss
Claudia's motto was, "Why keep love in your heart when you can give it away for free?" This is a beautiful sentiment but sometimes not so easy
to do. Do you practice this motto?
A
reader once told me that Erma Lee is the character we most identify with and Miss Claudia is the character most of us want to become. I feel the
same way. Miss Claudia lives out her faith and convictions in a real way but she is also self-deprecating and light hearted. I would like to live
my life that way but I usually fall short. I guess this goes back to the question about my faith. In order to live out Miss Claudia's motto, I also
have to live out my faith in a very real way because I see love as the cornerstone of the Christian faith.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Cher
was wise beyond her years when she told Erma Lee that they were like the woman in her story who was "like an iron fist inside a glove." Who, in
your life, is tough, like this description?
Strong
women have framed my life. My mother, grandmother and great-aunt had a big impact on me and all three were smart and tough as nails. I believe that
by having these women in my life, I was able to develop Erma Lee and Miss Claudia into believable characters. In some sense, having been loved
and cared for by strong women, I felt permitted to tell the story in the voice of a woman.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
Can
you tell us where you are at with current projects, since we chatted with you a few months ago?
I'm
finishing my first play, A Vase of Lies, and I'm excited about working in this new genre. My agent is also sharing a new novel, The King of Florabama,
with publishers so I look forward to that book becoming available. Both projects are filled with family secrets, dysfunction and eventual redemption –
the main ingredients of life.
Book Club Chat: Interview with Michael Morris
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