Kitty Zeldis
Kitty Zeldis is the pseudonym for a novelist and non-fiction writer of books for adults and children. She is the author of Not Our Kind and The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, NY.
Zeldis's new novel, One of Them, is "a story of secrets, friendship, and betrayal about two young women at Vassar in the years after World War II, a powerful and moving tale of prejudice and pride that echoes the cultural and social issues of today."
My Q&A with the author:
How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?Visit Kitty Zeldis's website
The title is an essential part of the story or experience; another writer told me the title is an advertisement and I think it’s true. Sometimes a title comes to me right away, before the thing is finished or even written. Other times it has been a struggle, and I've gone through many options before settling. One of Them is a title that came almost instantly and I think it’s perfect for this book.
What's in a name?
Names tell you a lot about a character right away. James Prescott III is going to conjure someone quite different than Isaac Hirshkowitz without even a word of description. I collect names that seem beautiful, quirky or even terrible for possible later use; it’s thing I’ve done for years. I knew a girl with the last name of Goldhush when I was a freshman in college and I used that name for one of my characters; I hadn’t even known I was storing it away. It doesn’t have to be a name I like, it needs to fit the character.
How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?
Well, my teen aged self had no idea I would be a writer at all, so I think she would be very surprised! In those years I was intent on becoming a ballet dance; writing was not on my mind at all.
Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?
It’s split pretty evenly. The beginning is super important, and maybe even harder because you’ve got the task of luring the reader in. By the ending, you’ve developed some momentum, and so that can carry you along in the writing.
Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?
My characters are both entirely me—I’ve created them after all—and not me at all, because they live in a fictional world that is not mine. Both things are true at the same time.
What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?
I’ve found inspiration in a television series and have drawn ideas from stories I’ve been told or something I read in the newspaper. Inspiration is all around; you just have to be open enough to let it in.
My Book, The Movie: Not Our Kind.
Writers Read: Kitty Zeldis (December 2018).
Coffee with a Canine: Kitty Zeldis & Dottie.
The Page 69 Test: Not Our Kind.
The Page 69 Test: The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights.
My Book, The Movie: One of Them.
--Marshal Zeringue
