This is the third part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I and Part II before continuing.
“I wouldn’t say there was a moral to the story. It was meant to be inspirational. So other women could look at everything I had overcome and everything I had achieved and know that they could do it, too.”
“What about your stories about struggling to balance your career and your family life? Did you feel pressured to write about that in your memoir? To turn it into a kind of moral?”
The author sitting across from Dana at the café table tilted her head and looked upwards as she said, “Maybe? But it was also just a fact of what I went through to get where I am, so I didn’t think the memoir would be a very accurate portrayal of my story and who I am if I had left it out.”
Dana didn’t have a response to that, so she just tapped her pen vigorously against the notebook in front of her. Her phone was recording the conversation, but she liked to keep analogue notes so she could jot down thoughts and impressions in addition to what was said aloud. “Let’s talk about your struggle. You became famous at the age of 14, so you’ve lived much longer as an international success than as a struggling musician. Yet your book focuses on your struggle and seems to end almost as soon as you get famous.”
“Well, there’s much more to it than just getting famous. That came with its struggles, too, and I do write about those in the book.”
“I know. I’m just trying to get a sense of what your editors were looking for from your book.”
The musician looked confused for a second before she ventured, “A bestselling book by one of America’s sweethearts?”
Dana tried not to laugh. Not because the musician was wrong, but because she was so on point, and it seemed so obvious. Chances were good that was all the publishing company had wanted. Maybe Dana really was digging too deep into this idea of morals, looking for things that just weren’t there. “I’m sure you’re right. Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today.” Dana reached out to shake the musician’s hand, turned off the recording app on her phone, closed up her notebook, packed everything into her bag, and headed back home to tell her wife what a colossal failure her experiment had been.
**********
“Like I said, it was probably more subtle than, ‘We need you to include this moral in your book.’” Kiara said. “You know how microagressions can be. If they didn’t say anything outright, she probably didn’t feel comfortable saying anything about what they ‘suggested’ she do. She might have even convinced herself that’s not what they were doing at all.”
Dana chewed on the end of her pen as she reviewed her notes and listened to her wife with only half an ear. “Maybe. If that is the case, then the only way to know for sure is to write my own memoir.”
If Kiara’s head had been capable of doing an Exorcist-style 180° turn, it would have. As it was, her head whipped around so hard and fast she almost hurt herself. Once she was done wincing, she said, “What do you have to write about at the ripe old age of 34?”
“I’m a reporter. I’ve talked to all kinds of people. Everyone wants to know the dirty little secrets of their favorite celebrities.”
“Yeah, but if you reveal any of those secrets, you’ll be sued for all we’re worth.”
“I’m not actually going to publish the book. I just want to see what the publishing industry expects from the book.”
Kiara rolled her eyes. “In that case, you’re going to have to be very careful in reviewing the terms of the contract. And don’t spend any of the advance they give you, because if you refuse to let it be published, they’ll demand to get every penny back.”
“Don’t worry. I’ve got it all under control.”
Kiara very much doubted that, but instead of saying so, she just said, “I need a drink,” and got up and went to the kitchen without waiting for a response from her spouse.
To be continued…