Lynda Cohen Loigman
Author Interview - Lynda Cohen Loigman
Author I draw inspiration from: I’ve always been inspired by Edith Wharton’s stories because she is such a keen observer of human nature. She takes ordinary moments and infuses them with extraordinary drama by exploring the innermost thoughts and emotions of her characters. She would have made a great psychotherapist!
Author Interview - Lynda Cohen Loigman
Favorite place to read a book: I do most of my reading at night, but if I have a free Sunday morning, my favorite thing to do is bring a big cup of coffee into bed and read there for as long as I can until my puppy (or my husband) interrupts me.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with: Celia from Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus (one of my all-time favorite books). I have so many questions for her! We could talk about her father and the whole magical circus competition thing. Plus, she could fix the elevator with a tiny bit of magic and then we wouldn’t be stuck!
Author Interview - Lynda Cohen Loigman
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author: There wasn’t a single moment, just a constant yearning that I felt from a very early age. Every time I read a great story, I wanted to write one. The problem was that I had no idea how to start.
The moment I first thought it might be possible for me to write a book came only after I enrolled in my first writing class. Our professor had us read five pages of our work out loud each week. A few weeks after class began, I realized that people were growing attached to the characters I had created. That kind of got me hooked. From that moment on, I tried to think of myself as a writer.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook: This is always tough because I have different answers for different occasions. I love the permanence of a beautiful hardcover book. But paperbacks are so convenient to throw in a bag at the last minute, and ebooks are terrific for travel. I alternate among the three. I’m not much of an audiobook person. I am in my car a lot, and I know that would be the perfect time to listen to a book. However, my problem is that I have a terrible sense of direction, so I really need to concentrate on where I’m going!
The last book I read: Diane Setterfield’s Once Upon a River. It was fantastic. Comforting and cozy, but thrilling and mysterious all at the same time.
Author Interview - Lynda Cohen Loigman
Pen & paper or computer: When it comes to writing, I am a computer person. I jot down notes by hand when I’m doing research, or when inspiration strikes and I’m not near my computer. But I’ve become shockingly dependent on my keyboard – so much so that I really don’t think I could even write a paragraph without it.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with: When I was little, I always wanted to be friends with Francie Nolan from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. She loved to read, and she used to sit out on her fire escape with a library book and a bowl of peppermint candies. I love to eat candy while I read, so I absolutely think we would have understood each other.
Author Interview - Lynda Cohen Loigman
If I wasn’t an author, I’d be a: If I had any musical talent at all, I would try to compose a Broadway musical. But I can’t play the piano, so I don’t think that is happening any time soon!
Favorite decade in fashion history: The 1950’s. I have a thing for sweater sets, and that was a big moment for them!
Place I’d most like to travel: I love Italy, and I’m dying to return. I’ve been to a few cities there, but I’ve never been to Capri or Positano. Part of my next book is set in southern Italy, so I’m hoping to get there to do some research.
My signature drink: Champagne, mostly because of the bubbles. And in the summer, my favorite thing is a gin and tonic with lots of lime.
Favorite artist: Norman Rockwell. His drawings and paintings are so accessible and always feel familiar. He manages to tell a meaningful story with every piece he creates, and he has a terrific sense of humor. When I was young, we used to go to Stockbridge, Massachusetts a few times a year. There used to be a tiny Norman Rockwell museum on Main Street, but now they’ve built a beautiful new museum so that all of his work can be displayed. It’s amazing.
Number one on my bucket list: I’d love to live in a foreign country for a year. Before I got married, I made my husband promise that we would do that when we were old. It gives me something to dream about!
