Ariane Torres
Author Interview - Ariane Torres
Author of We Are the Kings
We are the Kings reveals a complicated family history through the interwoven stories of three generations of women.
After the sudden death of her grandmother, Marcella unwittingly unearths old family secrets. In sifting through conflicting and fading memories, she puts into words what no one else will say out loud, revealing not only what may or may not have happened, but what is truly at stake when a woman tells her story.
Author Interview - Ariane Torres
Author I draw inspiration from: The first authors that made me want to be a writer were Gabriel García Márquez and Heinrich Böll. Márquez's writing was so unlike anything I'd encountered before, and I found that really liberating. And I think Böll constructs stories better than anyone. Virginia Woolf and Toni Morrison are also favorites. Both, in their own way, are unparalleled in their ability to capture the multidimensional layers in seemingly small moments and instances. More recently, I've gotten really into Kathleen Collins.
Author Interview - Ariane Torres | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: I love reading before bed, especially when it's not too late so I don't feel stressed about putting down the book to get some sleep. Reading on a sofa next to a fire is also pretty great.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Mevlut from A Strangeness in My Mind by Orhan Pamuk. I finished the book a few months ago and I can't get the character or the novel out of my head. I just loved it. It's a remarkable portrayal of both the life of a yogurt and boza seller in Istanbul, and the city itself.
Author Interview - Ariane Torres | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: I can't really remember. At some point, when I was about eight I think, I started narrating things in my head, trying to find a way to make my life into interesting stories to tell my friends. It occurred to me in a real way years later when I read Iris Murdoch and Virginia Woolf. I wanted to be able to invoke in other people what those writers invoked in me. But it took a few more years for me to actually try to do it!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: I'll read anything, but my preference is definitely a paperback. A real book I can carry around, but not as heavy as a hardback.
The last book I read: The Museum of Innocence by Orhan Pamuk
Author Interview - Ariane Torres | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: Pen and paper for notes and outlines, and a computer for actual writing.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: The narrator of Swing Time by Zadie Smith
Author Interview - Ariane Torres | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I also work in interior design, so probably that. But I'm fascinated by all the technologies people are developing to address climate change. I was just reading about two local women who designed a system to link multiple homes with geothermal energy using existing gas line infrastructure. I'd love to be able to contribute in that sort of way.
Favorite decade in fashion history: Probably the 70s. But I'm definitely having a 90s moment recently.
Place I’d most like to travel: Istanbul. Anywhere in the Middle East. Kenya. Greece. Vietnam.
My signature drink: Pierre Cotton's Beaujolais
Favorite artist: Barbara Kruger
Number one on my bucket list: I'd like to design and build a house someday. Something very simple and open and energy-efficient.
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/ariane__torres/
https://www.facebook.com/arianestorres/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22031104.Ariane_Torres
Author Bio: Torres attended Mount Holyoke College, majoring in Russian Studies and English Literature. Her graduate work at the Corcoran College of Art & Design and Columbia University focused on prison architecture and aging in prison, respectively. Torres has worked in interior design and prison advocacy. She lives with her family in Somerville, MA. This is her first novel.
