Little Bird

After an old photograph and newspaper article revealed that my grandmother, Fannie, was married to a cousin at 17 and later divorced, I felt compelled to tell her story. But with only a few dates and names to go on, I had to create the story from my imagination.

It took three years of writing and rewriting, not to mention researching the life of a Jewish immigrant in New York City from 1910 – 1917 to finish Little Bird.

I only hope that my Fannie captures what might have been true about my grandmother. I often feel that telling her story has been a way of discovering my own.       

They say writers are either compulsive plotters or “pantsers,” happy to let their stories evolve without a plan. I am somewhere in between. I had a detailed outline when I started, but then characters surprised me. Their voices changed the story.

I am often asked if I have written fiction before. Have I always dreamed of writing a novel? Absolutely not! This passion, this commitment of time and emotional energy to writing a novel has all been new to me. I would sit down at my desk and lose track of time. It still fills me with terror and joy.

My grandmother, Fannie - the inspiration for writing Little Bird.

Nonets for My Grandmother

As I began writing what would become Little Bird, sent me an article about the nonet, a nine line poem that starts with a nine syllable line and decreases one syllable each line until the last line of one syllable (9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1). It can also go from one syllable to nine syllables (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9). Two connected nonets can combine the increasing and decreasing lines.

One night when I couldn’t sleep, thinking about my struggle to write about my grandmother, I wrote these two poems:

Home
alone,
savoring
the quiet time
without distraction.
Writing and rewriting
the thousand words due next week,
written from Fannie’s point of view.
Bringing my grandmother’s voice to life.

I am creating your life story.
Whisper your hopes and dreams and fears
and I will listen closely.    
Your great-great-grandchildren
will learn about the
woman who grew
strong enough  
to be
loved.

Part of me knew I was stalling. Writing the nonets was easier than creating my grandmother’s voice. If only she would whisper to me.