Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Jonathan Koven
Book Title: Below Torrential Hill
Released: 12/03/21
Genre: Literary Fiction Novella
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Below Torrential Hill”?
Koven: I've spoken before in other interviews about how my own experiences growing up helped inspire Below Torrential Hill, but my artistic influences deserve mentions as well. I think there's a little bit of Murakami in there. Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Woolf's To the Lighthouse are both literary touchstones for me. I would also say other mediums snuck their way into my consciousness while writing Tristen's family's story--tv shows that I love and rewatch over and over again, like The Sopranos and Twin Peaks; the Miyazaki film, Spirited Away.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Koven: Every name holds meaning. Generally speaking, I always imbue symbolic significance into my characters' names and devote time to researching name-meanings and origins, and that's no different with Tristen, Lucy, Lave, and Ava.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Koven: I am simply grateful that my words are being read, and I hope that my readers find pleasure and maybe even beauty while reading
If "Below Torrential Hill" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Koven: In my imagination, Below Torrential Hill is an anime film with visually stunning color and hand-drawn landscapes. I'm actually not even an avid anime viewer--though I do love Ghibli films and others of a similar style (not as much with long-running shows)--but I feel like its story would truly find its audience and its imagery would be well-served as an anime. So, I suppose the cast wouldn't matter as much in that sense.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Koven: Writer's block doesn't usually bother me too much. I'd read something that inspires me, or switch directions and work on another project. Poetry is always there for me if I need a break from fiction.
What are you working on next?
Koven: Since Below Torrential Hill, I've had a handful of poems published, as well as a novelette-length story titled "The Bridge." You can find an updated list of my publications here. I'm currently trying to find a home for my next book, a poetry full-length collection, and I'm in the process of writing the next novel! Exciting!
Learn More About the Author and Below Torrential Hill here:
Twitter and IG: @jonathankoven
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