Ms. Vernon graciously chatted with me about her writing philosophy, the fact that she has no literary influences and how she can't sleep for the voices haunting her thoughts.
Dee: After you got this sentence in your head- "One Sunday morning, during Bible study, I took a tube of fire engine red lipstick and drew a naked lady on the first page of Genesis"- how long did it take you to write Eden?
Olympia: I don't remember. I, too, like Maddy, was in "a place with no calendars." I knew nothing of food and clothes and phones and creatures, only the world I was in, another place, another rhythm altogether. When I finished, I walked out onto the balcony and there were lights fluttering in the sun.
Dee: Did you receive the same inspiration when writing Logic?
Olympia: No. When I wrote Logic, an ex beau of mine had fallen asleep. He worked at a pharmaceutical company and brought to his apartment some yellow paper for me to write on. He fell asleep and there fell upon the paper, LOGIC. Yes, in the fact that it all comes from angels.
Dee: You say that the origin of Eden is something you can't pin down or say. Why is that?
Olympia: Only God knows where Eden emerged. I was not in this land but another one of dying women and floating stars and there emerged Eden.
Dee: What is your writing philosophy?
Olympia: I have none. I write until the characters are done with me. Sometimes, they go pee or drink a beer and I breathe until they are ready to come home to the page.
Dee: How do you manage to work on both your second and fifth novel at the same time, since you had a habit of not saving things when you wrote Eden?
