The American novelist Lily King grew up in Massachusetts and studied creative writing at Syracuse University, and has taught literature and creative writing in high schools and universities. Her novels The Pleasing Hour, The English Teacher and Father of the Rain all won awards; her fourth, Euphoria, based loosely on the life of the anthropologist Margaret Mead, was published this year (Picador, £14.99) and won the New England book award for fiction. The novelist Curtis Sittenfeld described it as “pretty much perfect” and the New York Times made it one of their 10 best books of 2014.
Place: Mackworth Island, Maine
You drive across this tiny causeway to get to the island and you’re surrounded by the whole of the Atlantic. There’s a path that runs around the edge, a few rocky beaches, and little outcroppings that you can step out on to see the ocean. I go there with my friend, Sarah, who’s also a writer. We’ll sit and hash out our lives, and make little pacts about what we’re going to achieve that month. It’s a stunning place.
Books: Tessa Hadley
I’ve pretty much read every word she’s ever written. I started out reading Sunstroke which is her short story collection. I read Clever Girl this year, and that’s one of my favourites. I just adore her sensitivity and the angles at which she sees things. She has this particular combination and balance of humour, perception and intelligence – that really heightens the way I feel about the world. She’s one of those writers who remind me why I write, and remind me how to do it. In fact I often keep a copy of one of her books on my desk, along with Virginia Woolf.
Podcast: Slate’s Culture Gabfest
Three writers from Slate magazine, Julia Turner, David Haglund and Dana Stevens, discuss three cultural topics in 15 minutes. They’re just really funny and very intelligent, and they’re real good friends. They have these click-click conversations that I really enjoy. I feel like they bring me a lot that I wouldn’t normally get. I mean, I live in a pretty remote place and I have two kids. I don’t get out much at all. It’s great to listen to while I’m making dinner or doing the dishes.
Music: The Head and the Heart live in Portland, Maine
This concert was a couple of weeks back. They’re this Seattle-based indie band, a little Mumford & Sons-y, quite folky. Most of my experiences at concerts, in the last five to seven years anyway, have been, well, I get there and I think, Hmm, I think I’d prefer listening to this in the car or at home. But these were so exhilarating to see live. There was this strangely emotional connection between the band and the audience. It was really responsive. They were playing beautifully. I guess I just hadn’t been to a concert like that in a long time.
Film: Boyhood
It’s Richard Linklater’s latest movie, filmed over the course of 12 years so the actors grew up on camera. The style makes the situations seem like they’re truly happening – but even without this ambitious way of filming the story would be just as extraordinarily powerful and poignant. I went with my husband and two daughters, and my neighbour, Sadie, who’s 12. It’s an R-rated movie so it was questionable that she should have seen it. But she’s a real intellectual little girl, and it was amazing to see her enjoy it so much. On the ride home she was stunned. She couldn’t stop talking about it.
Art: Harriet Moore Ballard
Her work speaks to me as a woman, and a mother, who right now is spending a fair bit of time inside. The foregrounds of her works are usually of domestic scenes – tables and chairs, or flowers in vases. But there’s always something bigger in the background – a boat on the ocean or a… pregnant dog. The background, a larger world, sort of beckons to the domestic foreground. I love the way she ties it all in with patterns and exhilarating colours. I bought one for my husband for Christmas. It’s called ‘Turquoise Afternoon with Red Flowers [above], which is probably my favourite, but she has lots of pieces on her website that I just love.
