Sometimes it feels like authors are psychic, right? The books they write are published in the exactly right historical moment which makes their work immediately timeless. This is certainly the case for Kerri Maher and her most recent book, All You Have to Do Is Call, which focuses on the true story of Chicago’s Jane Collective and the brave women who fought for reproductive rights. In our conversation today Kerri and I unpack the timing phenomenon, how she balances the POV and arcs of all of her characters, and the hopes she has for the book. Enjoy!
Topics Discussed
When Kerri started writing her All You Have to Do Is Call, how it became so timely, and the phenomenon that writers can be a bit psychic
Fighting the issue of being pigeon holed as a writer
Kerri’s reminder that success as a writer is often not overnight
How Kerri decided who would get to speak for themselves as a POV character and who would evolve throughout the book
How Kerri kept track of all of her characters arcs and kept it cohesive throughout the novel
How Kerri feels about the possibility of her book being banned and the hopes that she has for it
Episode Resources
About Kerri
Kerri Maher is the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller, The Girl in White Gloves, The Kennedy Debutante, and, under the name Kerri Majors, This Is Not a Writing Manual: Notes for the Young Writer in the Real World. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and lives with her daughter and dog in a leafy suburb west of Boston, Massachusetts.
Connect with Kerri
Connect with Caroline on Instagram: @carodonahue
Writing for Right Now | Kerri Maher