Meryl
Ain wrote her first poem in the third grade and has been writing ever since.
She is a blogger for Huffington Post
and often writes about families, parenting, children, and education. After she
lost both her father and mother within a year-and-a-half, she decided to
research how others keep alive the memories of their loved ones. She enlisted
her husband, Stewart, and her brother, Arthur Fischman, to join her in
researching and writing The Living
Memories Project, http://thelivingmemoriesproject.com/. Meryl earned a BA from Queens College, a MA from Columbia University Teachers College, and an Ed.D. from Hofstra University. She began her career in
education as a social studies teacher before she became an administrator. She
and her husband Stewart live on Long Island and have three sons, three
daughters-in-law and three grandchildren.
Their latest book she
co-authored with Steward Ain and Arthur M. Fischman is the nonfiction, The
Living Memories Project: Legacies That Last.
Visit their website at www.thelivingmemoriesproject.com.
Thank you for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person
first. What do you do when you’re not writing?
Right now I am devoting myself full time to the book, to
writing and speaking about it. I am a retired educator. I love spending time
with my family. My husband and I have three married sons, and three
grandchildren.
When did you start writing?
I have been writing since the third grade. I started with
poems. Although my primary career has been as an educator (teacher and then
school administrator), I have always written about families, education, and
parenting. My pieces have been published in various publications, including
Huffington Post. I also write poetry when I really want to work through
feelings; it is very cathartic for me.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
The highlight was when I became determined, no matter what,
to make The Living Memories Project a reality. I had certainly attempted other
book proposals before, but they went nowhere because I was not persistent
enough. With this project, -- because it was inspired by my mother -- I refused
to be deterred by negativity, rejection, or doubts. Once I was committed to it,
and I enlisted my husband and my brother to join me in this endeavor, I knew
the book would become a reality.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your
next book, where would that be and why?
After this brutal winter in New York,
it would have to be someplace warm and sunny.
If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you do?
Spend time with my family.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done
yet?
I write non-fiction so it’s not up to me.
Back to your present book (The Living Memories Project), how did you publish it?
Our book was published by a small independent press, Little
Miami Publishing Company in Ohio.
The publisher empathized with our loss and understood our project since her
mother was dying while she read our manuscript. She decided immediately to
publish it.
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for research?
No.
Why was writing The Living Memories Project so important to you?
My mother would have turned 93 this year. When she died
after a brief illness in November 2006, although I knew she had lived a long
life, I was bereft. There is never
enough time with a loved one.
My mom was my best friend, a reliable loving, comforting,
and wise presence in my life. I spoke to
my mother several times a day. When there was a lull at work, she was the one I
called. When something wonderful happened, I called her. When something
challenging happened, I called her. When I needed advice, she was the one I
trusted. I could always count on her to be a calm and intelligent sounding
board.
I was in a funk, going through the motions but not really
enjoying it. I was told it would get
better after a year and that I needed closure. I began speaking with my friends
about how to achieve it and came to the conclusion that there is no closure
with those we love deeply. They are in our lives and in our hearts forever,
although they are not physically present. Some keep alive their memories
through small acts, such as looking at photos and making recipes. Others do big things to carry on the legacies
and values of their loved ones, such as establishing foundations.
I needed to find a way to incorporate my mother into my
everyday life, although she was no longer physically present. The book was a
healing and cathartic process. I believe it is a fitting tribute to my mom,
especially because my brother and my husband are coauthors. I am comforted to
know that I have kept her memory alive by engaging in this project. My hope is
that The Living Memories Project will
provide comfort and inspiration to others.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think that
is?
I get my best ideas in the middle of the night when it’s
totally quiet. I guess that is because I am normally mult-tasking and this is
my most quiet and productive time. Sometimes, I will turn the light on, and
make a list of some of these ideas.
No comments:
Post a Comment