Camille Pagán's new novel is Forever is the Worst Long Time. From her Q&A with Deborah Kalb:Q: You've noted that the idea for your new novel started with a single line. How did you eventually come up with your characters, James, Lou, and Rob?Visit Camille Pagán's website.
A: James was with me from the very first page; I had his voice in my head as I began to write, and I channeled what I thought he would say and do, which then shaped the plot.
Rob was a natural extension of James. I thought: who would be James’ closest friend—and why? It seemed that James would be drawn to someone who was steady and represented stability, which James was lacking. And that person was Rob.
Creating Lou was a more complex process. I knew that James would make the (arguably unavoidable) mistake of falling for Rob’s fiancée, and that they would bond over writing. But it took several drafts for me to understand Lou’s own struggle with stability and trauma from her past.
Q: How was the book's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: I had originally titled this novel...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue