Q: What inspired you to write The University?
A: From my early years as a student at the University of Alabama and later as a professor I started to realize just how complex colleges and university communities truly are. Students, faculty, administrators, alumni, avid sports fans, plus other stakeholders beyond the campus--all are a part of these dynamic communities. The interplay of these diverse groups make universities fascinating places. And, while insulated to a point, they are not immune to the challenges and intrigues seen elsewhere or to untoward forces though in our minds we might expect and want them to be. Despite unifying goals, stakeholders have their own needs and agendas. I wanted to weave a tale of these inextricably linked lives set to the cadence of one school year. Only this year the stars align in a way that shakes fictitious Brighton University to its very core.
Q: The University has three main characters. What led you to structure the story this way?
A: I wanted the story to unfold through the eyes of primary players in any university community. The three main characters, David Bradford (Brighton University’s Provost), Marjorie Starr (a rookie Chemistry Professor), and Susan Arnold (a senior) allowed me to weave an interlaced tale about a cast of characters you might encounter on any college campus and the stakeholders beyond.
Q: How did you come up with the timeframe you used for this story?
A: One school year provided inherent structure for this story. I wanted readers to be able to step into this campus setting and be a part of it as this tumultuous year unfolds. Move-in days, classes, Greek life, sports events, homecoming, school breaks, exams, graduation--events across the school year provide the underlying drumbeat anchoring and driving the story.
Q: In this story, do you have a favorite character?
A: Actually, as I was writing I found myself slipping into each character’s shoes--seeing the university environment as he or she might see it. As for the three main characters, I love Marjorie Starr for her fine mind, her strength, her sense of fairness and humility given her privileged upbringing. And I was drawn to David Bradford, the school’s brilliant Provost, for his determination and steady hand as the school’s most capable leader during this tumultuous year. I admire Susan Arnold for her leadership, loyalty to her friends, and her upstanding values in an environment where there can easily be derailments or slips. As far as secondary characters, it would be hard to choose. I enjoyed stepping into the lives of Bea Simpson, Payne Walker, Nathan Brown and, of course, it was easy to get swept up in the life of Walter Trammel. As I was writing, I felt a closeness to each of the characters and their lives.
Q: You grew up and worked in university settings. Is this story anything like what you experienced in reality?
A: The University is fiction. But undoubtedly these and other university setting created helpful images. Familiarity with the academic calendar, wonderful school traditions, and interacting with the many stakeholders within and beyond the campus helped me to weave this present tale. The story lines, characters, their actions and events simply appeared as I strived to portray a time-honored school as it lives and breathes suddenly beset by scurrilous challenges during this unforgettable school year.
Q: Will any of the characters in The University appear in the novel you’re currently writing?
A: Actually, the manuscript I’m working on right now has a different theme but I’m beginning to have glimmers of where the present story may pick up. It would be hard for me to say goodbye to some of the characters. So I hope you’ll stay tuned!
