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Mary Saracino is a novelist, poet and memoir-writer who lives in Lafayette, CO. Her most recent novel, The Singing of Swans (Pearlsong Press 2006) was a 2007 Lambda Literary Awards Finalist. Her first novel, No Matter What, was a 1994 Minnesota Book Award fiction finalist. Her second novel, Finding Grace, earned the 1999 Colorado Authors’ League Award in the Adult/Mainstream Fiction category.

Mary’s poetry, short stories and creative nonfiction/memoir pieces have been published in a variety of anthologies and literary/cultural journals, both online and in print. Mary teaches writing classes and offers writing coaching services. She also teaches workshops on the Sacred Feminine. In 2001, she participated in a Dark Mother study tour of Sicily where she visited ancient sites, archeological museums, and churches in search of prehistoric and modern signs of the Divine Feminine.The Singing of Swans was inspired by that trip.

Thank you Mary for answering a few questions for us!  Would you please tell us what you're currently working on. 

I’m working on a new novel set in Sardinia in the 1480s, called Heretics: A Love Story.  It tells the tale of a Spanish Roman Catholic priest exiled to the coastal city of Algerho, Sardinia and his run-in with twin sister healers in a small, mountainous town located in the interior Barbagia region of that island.

Have you received any awards for your work?

Yes! I have been fortunate to have received a number of awards for my work, including:

* A 2008 nomination for The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses for my poem,  “No Country for Old Women”

* A third place award for my memoir piece, “Non Parlo Italiano” in the 2008, 1st Annual Italian/American Citizen Journalist-Digital Witness Content

* The 2007 Fall/Winter Glass Woman Prize, for my short story, “Vicky’s Secret”

* 2007, Lambda Literary Awards, Finalist, Spirituality Category, The Singing of Swans (Pearlsong Press 2006)

* 2000 Salvator & Margaret Bonomo Memorial Prize for Literature, co-winner, for “Valentino, Puglia, & Seneca Falls”, a personal narrative published in Italian Americana, Summer 2000.

* 1999 Colorado Authors’ League, “Top Hand Award”, Adult Fiction Mainstream/Literary, Finding Grace.

* 1999 Foreword Magazine Book of the Year Finalist, Children/Young Adult category, Finding Grace.

* 1994 Minnesota Book Award finalist, fiction category, No Matter What.

Do you also do speaking engagements, or seminars?

Yes, I do.  In addition to doing book readings and signings to promote each of my books, I have done presentations and conducted workshop and classes on all facets of the art and craft of writing as well as workshops and presentations on the history of the Divine Feminine.

I’ve been a guest presenter at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, CA as well as New Jersey City University, Jersey City, NJ. I’ve taught creative writing workshops in Denver, CO. I’ve taught Divine Feminine workshops in Denver, CO and Nashville, TN.

I have also been invited to speak at book clubs and at public libraries.

How has your education, profession or background helped you in your writing career? Or conversely, how has your writing success helped you in your profession?

I have a degree in English so my background in literature certainly prepared me to be a critical thinker and careful reader with regard to literature. Reading is one of the best tools in a writer’s tool box as it teaches you so much about the craft of writing and the beauty of language.

Early on in my writing career, I was also fortunate to have been chosen to participate in the Loft Mentor Series at the Loft, in Minneapolis, MN.  The Loft Mentor Series program chooses four fiction writers and four poets to work with, and be mentored by, nationally known fiction writers and poets.  When I participated in the program as a fiction writer from 1991-1992, I had the opportunity to work with fiction writers Jessica Hagedorn, Sandra Cisneros and poets, Galway Kinnell and Barney Bush.  During my time in that program, I received feedback on the manuscript of what would be my first novel, No Matter What (Spinsters Ink, 1993).

What kind of other works (books, scripts, poems etc.) have you had published? 

I’m the author of three novels: No Matter What (Spinsters Ink 1993), Finding Grace (Spinsters Ink 1999) and The Singing of Swans (Pearlsong Press 2006).  My memoir, Voices of the Soft-bellied Warrior (Spinsters Ink Books 2001), tells the tale of my four year body-mind-spirit healing journey to reclaim my voice after the onset of a rare, undiagnosed voice disorder. I have also had many poems, shorter memoir pieces and a few short stories published in a variety of venues, both in-print and online.

Is there any aspect to your profession that gets you in touch with your readers directly?

Book tours always put me in direct contact with my readers. That is one of the things I truly love about promoting a book.  It gives the author the opportunity to interact with her audience/readers.  My participation in book groups/clubs has also put me in touch with readers, inviting a deeper conversation about my work and readers’ reactions to my work.  The presentations and workshops I conduct also provide an avenue for me to be in direct contact with readers. Writing is such a solitary process, so I really enjoy interacting with readers!

What will your next project be?

I’m working on Heretics: A Love Story and I’m always writing poems and shorter pieces.

Who inspires you on a personal or business level?

On a personal level, my loved ones inspire me, especially my partner of 22 years, Jane, and my close inner circle of friends who support and encourage me and laugh and cry with me. My siblings inspire me, too. All six of them have such kind and loving hearts and they are good people, doing good things in the world.  I’m inspired by my mother’s spunk and my father’s devotion to Spirit. On a business level, my publisher, Peggy Elam inspires me. She has such energy and such vision. She has created a wonderful small press that respects authors and is committed to publishing good work.

What type of work is the most rewarding or satisfying for you?

Working on any form of creative writing (novels, poems, short stories, and memoir pieces) is rewarding and very satisfying. 

What can you recommend for writers who are just getting started and are trying to make a name for themselves?

Read literature from all over the world, to broaden your understanding of the human condition. Read the work of writers you admire. Attend book readings. Take writing classes and workshops. Keep writing. Don’t give up, even if you get hundreds of rejection letters. All it takes is one “yes” from a publisher….keep going.

How did you get started as a writer?

I joke that my first attempt of writing came at the age of four when I scratched the lyrics to the “Good Ship Lollipop” on the wooden headboard in my parents’ bedroom when I was supposed to be taking a nap.  Thankfully I went on to create more original work.  In college, I wrote some poems and held an editorial position on my college’s literary arts magazine. After that, I just kept writing.

I took some creative writing classes at The Loft in Minneapolis and also through some community education programs. One day I wrote a memoir piece in a community education writing class and received helpful feedback. That small piece sparked my interest in writing a novel. I took more writing classes, joined a writing group and kept working on my novel, getting feedback, etc. In 1992 I submitted the completed manuscript to a small press publisher and it was accepted for publication. That book, No Matter What, was published in 1993.

Which is your favorite book/work published? Is there a favorite?

I don’t play favorites with my books. Each one holds a unique and special place in my heart. When writing a novel or a book-length work I become quite attached to the characters, so much so that I actually miss them when the project is completed.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

I don’t have a typical work day.  When I’m in the throes of a project, I write as much as I can, devoting most of my time to the work. When I’m in between projects, I’m either doing research for a new project or I’m composting…being idle. For me, part of the creative cycle involves not-doing, being idle, respecting the ebb and flow of the creative process.

Have you ever had a mentor, or someone who sparked your passion for writing?

Yes!  All four of my Loft Mentor Series mentors inspired me and fueled my passion for writing. So did each of my writing instructors, especially Judith Katz and Alex Pate, both of whom taught classes at The Loft in Minneapolis in the 1990s when I took workshops there.

Who is your favorite writer/author?

Toni Morrison.

Finally, a most important question: what was the last song you sang out loud when you were by yourself?

I don’t know what the title of this song is, but the lyrics I recently sang out loud while I was on a morning walk were: “Oh what a beautiful morning. Oh what a beautiful day. I’ve got a beautiful feeling. Every thing’s going my way.”  I think it’s from an old Broadway musical, but I can’t recall which one. I love Broadway musicals.

Thank you Mary! We wish you great success with your new novel Heretics: A Love Story!