You have written Lucy and The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, both historical fiction. Scottsboro is also a novel based on the famous Scottsboro trial in the 1930s. In writing, what makes historical fiction your genre of choice?
My fiction occurs at the juncture between major public events and individual private lives. I am interested in exploring the monumental moments and characters of history, but in human terms. How do individuals behave in the crucible of great events, and how do they shape those events in turn?
Alice Whittier, the reporter, was called a "defender of the downtrodden, champion of the disposed, advocate of the disenfranchised" (p.40). Is the character of Alice used as a way for you to have voice? Are you Alice?
Alice is a composite of two women journalists who covered Scottsboro, but she is also very much my creation, perhaps even a fantasized much-improved version of myself. I have never risked my life for a cause, but Alice’s beliefs and convictions, passions and prejudices, and especially limitations are mine. Creating Alice was a means of finding my way into the story.
Do you think Scottsboro is received differently in the North and South?
While resistance to Scottsboro was occasionally stronger in the South, the people who were willing to revisit the issue were even more passionate about it. All over the country and even in England, where Scottsboro was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the response to the book has been gratifyingly enthusiastic.
Would you be able to give us a little hint about your next book?
I am currently at work on a novel about Margaret Sanger, known as the mother of birth control, who was one of the most influential, notorious, and complicated women of the early twentieth century.
For more about Ellen Feldman and Scottsboro refer to her website: www.ellenfeldman.com
Article comments
1 - Ann Weisgarber
Thank you for this interview with Ellen Feldman. I read "Scottsboro" when it was first published, and I continue to think about the story. America in the 1930's was a complicated and confused country, and Ellen Feldman's characters reflect the era. The young men accused of rape, the accusers, the journalist, and the lawyers are all complex people caught up in a tragic event. "Scottsboro" takes a footnote from the history books and gives it life.
2 - Wisteria Leigh
Ann...I couldn't agree with you more. Well said. Thanks for the comment.