Interview with Author Elizabeth Beechwood

July 2019

Hi, Elizabeth. Can you tell us a little what your story, "Yes, Yes, Yes, We Remember," is about?

This is a story about an atrocity of war that people refuse to talk about, or can’t bear to talk about. Hopefully, their burden is lighter because the Mountains share their memory. It's also a story about resilience and hope.

How did you come up with the idea?

See the next answer...

What is your inspiration for writing as a whole?

There are so many reasons to write, so many inspirations. I love to write paragraphs that are lyrical and beautiful when read aloud. I want to inspire readers to think about something they might not have thought about before or to look at someone or something or a situation in a different light. I enjoy writing for the sake of writing but the inspiration to share my writing comes from having something to say that I think is important. In "We Remember," I wanted to highlight that events happen in the world that just aren’t talked about. It was first inspired by older people who don't talk about the horrors of WWII and the aftermath. Another inspiration was the Holodor (Ukraine 1930s) and how a famine could be forced – much like the 'famine' in Ireland in the 1800s. I also wanted to give some inspiration that, no matter how bad things are, the Goddess is with us and is willing to help us.

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was born and raised in southern New Jersey but have lived all over the country including Montana and Alaska--I love mountains and forests. I began writing later in life and earned my MFA in Popular Fiction at the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast Program. One of my mentors there, Theodora Goss, encouraged me to keep writing from the Tatra Mountains' perspective and to make the stories mean something, not just tell an interesting story. I try to follow that advice.

Where can listeners find more of your work?

Please visit me at my website! www.elizabethbeechwood.com!

Any new work we should keep an eye out for?

I'm currently working on an eco-feminist novel that takes place in the Vyoske Tatry in 1900 and features the Mountains as characters.

Just for Juli's curiosity: What are you reading now?

I usually have two books going at once, a fiction and a non-fiction. Right now I’m reading Girl Waits With Gun: A Kopp Sisters Novel by Amy Stewart and Polish Herbs, Flowers & Folk Medicine by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab.

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If you enjoyed this story, please check out Hidden Histories, available on Amazon. It features many more alternate and secret history tales.

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