Why did you decide to write this book? – I wanted to counteract the black/white sound bytes that the media pick from their computers and convey to their viewers for the most sensational effect. I wanted to portray the human face of Israel, the extreme moral and existential choices all Israelis face on a daily, often twice daily basis; the pain of the Israeli experience, the earnestness with which Israelis face their problems, make decisions, and live with the consequences of those decisions, cognizant that each decision made will affect their survival and the reactions, if not the well-being, of others. More than anything, I wanted to portray the incredible zest for life that all Israelis manifest in the face of never-ending hostilities.
Do you have any secret writing tips you’d like to share? — I do most of my creative writing in my head, mulling over ideas before falling asleep and then allowing those ideas to ferment through my dreams. My writing flows smoothly the following day, when I do that.
Tell us a quirky or funny story about you! – It’s been a while since I’ve thought of myself as funny. I believe that my son’s dog (whom I baby-sit while my son is at work) was co-writer of Israela. She sat loyally beneath my desk or beside my chair as I wrote it, never budging from there until I did. I don’t know whether the following counts as quirky but I allow myself to run off on tangents, when I write, following the whims of my characters so I accumulate a great deal of material that needs to be cropped from the final version, but which has provided me with the background and the explanations that I, as a writer, need to know. Often, I sit puzzling over an issue, wanting an answer, when – voila – it falls into my lap. I love the editing process as much as the writing, yet I completely believe in my muse – and my son’s dog – for the real work.
Have you ever battled writer’s block? How do you deal with it? – Once I start on a project, I’m usually okay. However, between projects, I suffer terribly from writers’ block, sure that I have used up all my ideas; that no further thoughts will ever come my way and that the inside of my head will suffer from the draft. I don’t really deal with it. I wait it out – because I have no choice.
What’s your favorite quote? – “Barkis is willing” from Dickens’ David Copperfield. My mother used it often. It reminds me of her. To me, it is quirky and filled with different connotations.
Who inspires you the most? – Golda Meir. Nelson Mandela. Shakespeare. For this book, Dvorak – Dvorak’s Nebucco.
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Batya Casper PH.D, is a theater teacher, director and actor. Among her previous publications is: Electra: A Gender Sensitive Study of the Plays Based on the Myth, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &Co, Inc. Publisher, 1995. Casper has lived periodically in Israel since early childhood.
Learn more at: www.israelathebook.com.