Monica Wesolowska Self Interview on The Nervous Breakdown
Monica WesolowskaSpeaking of titles, did I mention that Holding Silvan seems perfect?
Monica WesolowskaNow you’re teasing me. That’s all right. Teasing to me feels like a gesture of faith between two people, a gesture that says, “I know you well enough to tease you about your flaws and still love you.” Choosing the title was just about the most anxiety-provoking period for me in the publication process. We hashed it out for over a month. I had pages of titles. My editor, Rhonda Hughes, had wanted Holding Silvan from the get-go, and I resisted for various reasons, saying I didn’t like the gerund, or the combination of vowels, until ultimately I realized that I was afraid of saying my son’s name in public. I thought saying it too much would cheapen it for me. Once I told Rhonda this, she was supportive. In fact, her humanity was part of the reason that I’d gone with her for this book. She’d begun our initial conversation not by praising the book but by expressing sympathy over the loss of my son. But once I’d verbalized this fear, Holding Silvan became just right. It’s actually wonderful to say his name out loud. To quote myself from another interview, “The sound of our children’s names in the hollows of our mouths feels like love.”
To read the entire interview, go to The Nervous Breakdown.