One True Loves(88)
ONE TRUE LOVES
A Q&A with
TAYLOR JENKINS REID
When you set out to write One True Loves, did you know whether Emma would end up with Jesse or Sam? Did you find yourself rooting for one or the other as you wrote?
That is the question! I spent a lot of time, before I even sat down to write the first word of the book, trying to decide what I believed the truth of the situation would be. I asked myself (and a lot of my friends) what they thought they would do. I decided that there was one answer that simply felt more honest than the other answer. And I went with it. So when I started writing the first draft, I knew the ending.
As for whether I was rooting for either, I swear that I remained entirely neutral—and that I’m still neutral—about who I wanted to win out in the end. I only felt that one was more likely and I told the story I felt was the most real. But I love both Jesse and Sam madly and I worked hard in the hopes that readers would, too.
How have you developed as a writer over the course of crafting your four novels? Are there differences in how you approached writing One True Loves compared with your debut, Forever, Interrupted?
I’m embarrassed to say I don’t have a concrete answer for this! I think my readers might be a better judge of that than I. I’m inclined to turn the question around and ask, of those who have read all of my work thus far, how do they see [my writing] changing?
One of the most obvious evolutions for me to recognize is that once I’ve talked about something in one book, I find myself working double time to avoid talking about it in another. So with One True Loves, I put in a great deal of effort to create challenges that my characters in other books haven’t faced before. The more you write, the more you have to go out of your way not to emulate your past work—and that has led me to some really fun places I might not go [toward] as naturally.
What does “true love” mean to you? What about this concept did you want to explore in One True Loves?
My main goal was to put forth the idea that just because a relationship ends, it doesn’t mean that it has failed. I don’t think that true love means lasting love. If you remove that requirement and you start looking at the people you have loved in the past, you start to ask yourself: Did I love that person with all my heart? Did they change me for the better? Was I good to them? Am I glad it happened? And if that’s the case, I think we should call that relationship a success.
What inspired you to set part of One True Loves in your hometown?
As I say in the acknowledgments, my grandmother passed away right before I was to start writing this story and it absolutely devastated me. My brother and I were raised by our mother with a lot of help from my grandmother, Linda. I dedicated my first book to her. She was so encouraging and believed in me with everything she had. I am a stronger and kinder person because of her influence on me. She lived her entire life in Acton, Massachusetts. I was lucky enough to spend what to me are my most formative years, from twelve to eighteen, living there. And I always took it somewhat for granted.
When my grandmother passed away in the fall of 2014, I went home to attend her memorial. I usually only go home during Christmas, or perhaps the summer. This was the first time I’d been home in the fall in probably a decade. When I got to town and saw how beautiful the changing leaves were, and how kind the people of Acton were in supporting my family during a very hard time, I realized I had not given enough credit to the wonderful town I am from.
Some of my very best friends—people that feel like my family—are people I met in Acton. And I have such fond memories of growing up there. So I decided to set the book in Acton as a way to honor both how much I appreciate the town and how much my grandmother loved it.
You based the bookstore Blair Books on Willow Books in Acton, MA. Do you have any memories of Willow Books you’d like to share?
My most fond—and very New England—story about Willow Books is from when I was about fourteen. My best friend, Erin, and I went to see The Vagina Monologues when it came to Boston. We were both completely riveted by it. We loved it. This was revolutionary stuff back then. So after we saw it, we decided we wanted to get the book, but it wasn’t easy to find. We went into Willow Books and they kindly agreed to order copies for us.
A week later, I got a message on my family’s home answering machine from this older woman who said, “I’m calling from Willow Books. The uh . . . the book that you . . . the monologues . . .” And then she just gave up and said, “The book you ordered is here.” The poor woman couldn’t bring herself to say the word “vagina.” But she got me the book. And I read it cover to cover. That was probably my first unequivocally feminist moment, that book. No other store had it for me. But Willow did.
What is your favorite aspect of the writing process? What aspect is the most challenging for you? What are some things you do to overcome that challenge?
Oh, boy. When I’m writing a first draft, I’ll tell you my favorite part is editing. When I’m editing, I’ll say my favorite part is when it’s done. When it’s done, and I’m promoting it, I’ll tell you that I want to get back to writing. I’m always convincing myself that the grass is greener on the other side of the street. I think, truthfully, the only part that is always as fun as I think it will be is coming up with ideas. The very beginning, when it’s all potential, is very intoxicating.