Author Interview

My husband and I live in the Washington, DC area, where A Departure from the Script is set. I've been active nearly 15 years in Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). My work in PFLAG, and my relationship with my two daughters, spurred this fictional exploration of family issues.

My previous novels as well -- in particular, In a Family Way, which is the story of a custody fight over the child of a lesbian couple when the birth mother dies -- focus on the theme of family. The question that book asks, as does A Departure from the Script, with its conflict over a lesbian wedding, is what makes a "real family?" I see this question as having broader implications than the words "gay issue" would imply. Is it solely the traditional nuclear family, limited to the people related to you by flesh and blood, or can it be extended to include people that you love? So I was thrilled that the editorial board of Reading Group Choices picked these two novels as books that can generate stimulating discussions for reading groups (In a Family way in the 1997 edition and my new novel in the current 2002 edition).