Kathleen Stone
Author Interview - Kathleen Stone
Author of They Called Us Girls: Stories of Female Ambition from Suffrage to Mad Men
At the end of World War II, more American women worked outside the home than ever before. Yet the culture, from politicians to corporations to television shows, portrayed the ideal woman as a housewife. Many women happily assumed that role, but a small segment bucked the tide—women who wanted to use their talents differently, especially in jobs that had always been reserved for men. In They Called Us Girls, I meet seven of these unconventional women, all born before 1935 – federal judge, physicist, artist, executive director, intelligence officer and two doctors – and talk to them about where their ambition came from and how they nurtured it.
Author Interview - Kathleen Stone
Author I draw inspiration from: Candice Millard brings a really interesting slant to her biographies. That's the genre I've thought most about in recent years.
Author Interview - Kathleen Stone | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book: In bed, on a morning when I have nothing pressing to get up for, with a cup of coffee made and delivered by my husband.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: In a stuck elevator, I'd like to be with a mechanic who can figure out what's wrong and how to get help. I admire that kind of analytical ability and wish I had it.
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: There was no one moment. It was a slow process of accretion as I attended the occasional writing class and came to realize I was ready for career 2.0, after 30 years as a lawyer.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: Usually hardback. But ebooks for travel, audiobooks for long car drives and paperback when that's what's available.
The last book I read: The Free World by Louis Menand. It covers the mid-20th century period with an astonishing breadth.
Author Interview - Kathleen Stone | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer: I'm very comfortable on the computer, so that's where I work primarily. But the action of writing with pen and paper awakens underused parts of my brain, so when I'm feeling stale and in need of a creative jolt, I'll take my pen and paper to a different part of the house and let it flow.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: Casey Peabody, the protagonist in Lily King's Writers & Lovers. She's a young woman uncertain about the direction of her career and her romantic life, and her challenges were once mine. Also, like Casey, I waited tables in Harvard Square. As her friend, I would encourage her to be true to herself and assure her that she will find her way.
Author Interview - Kathleen Stone | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a: I could go back to being a lawyer, but since I've already done that, I'd like to be an art curator, which was my plan when I was in college.
Favorite decade in fashion history: For elegance, the 1940s. But I also feel a nostalgic pull from the hip-hugger bell bottoms and miniskirts of the 1960s.
Place I’d most like to travel: I've traveled a lot internationally, and now I'm more interested in national parks and historic sites in this country that deepen my understanding of where I live.
My signature drink: Negroni on ice. Hot black coffee. Not necessarily in that order.
Favorite artist: I'm interested in early modern American art. I don't think I can narrow it down to just one artist.
Number one on my bucket list: I don't have a "bucket list." If my experiences include art, music, literature, history, good food and meaningful interactions with other people, I've achieved what I'm after.
Find more from the author:
https://twitter.com/kathleencstone
https://www.instagram.com/kathleencstone/?hl=en
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-c-stone-8654847/
Author Bio: Kathleen studied art history at Oberlin College, and holds a JD from Boston University School of Law and an MFA from Bennington College.
After many years practicing law and writing countless legal briefs, she turned to other sorts of writing, frequently contributing reviews of recent books and art exhibitions, essays and author interviews to various publications (the publications are on her website with links). She also co-hosts Booklab, a literary salon in Boston.
