Toni interviews Alexandra Diaz
Alexandra Diaz, photo credit Owen Benson
Ninth grader Toni was one of the first students to scoop up Alexandra Diaz’s debut novel, Of All the Stupid Things. Ms. Blakemore just happened to have met Ms. Diaz at the YALSA Teen Lit Symposium (and even got a ride to dinner in Alexandra’s supercool pickup truck). Alexandra graciously agreed to have Toni interview her for our AuthorView blog.
Toni: I found that when I started reading this book I couldn’t put it down. I loved it, The characters in the book made me think of how me and my friends are. I can relate to some of the things that they went through in the book. I have a few questions for you though. Where did you get the idea to have the book switch to the points of view of each of the three main people in the book
AD: From the start I wanted to write a book from three perspectives; that’s how the story came to me. I liked the idea of each girl having her own story and also different points of view regard the same thing. I initially thought it would be too difficult and that I wouldn’t be able to make them sound different but I decided to try anyway. Once I got to know the characters writing their different voices was pretty easy.
Toni: When you were writing the book what made you think of making Tara be the one to get the feelings she did for another girl, Was it the because of all the problems she was having with guys?
AD: The general idea for the book pretty much came to me one evening. I knew Brent was going to cheat on Tara and I wanted someone to have a lesbian relationship. It felt right to have that be Tara between her personality and her journey. I couldn’t see Pinkie or Whitney Blaire with a girl (WB maybe, but it’d have to be a dare or her really drunk). However, I don’t think having problems with guys was the real reason Tara fell for Riley, though it did play a factor. I think she would have been attracted to Riley regardless of how she was treated, but the fact that she wasn’t with Brent anymore allowed her to better explore these feelings for Riley. In one draft, Tara and Brent were still together when she got mesmerized by Riley.
Having an absent father was something I thought of later and again just seemed to work with Tara’s journey. Even through the ups and downs, Tara is a strong character and goes for what she wants. She would have found a way to be with Riley regardless of her personal dilemmas.
Toni: I realized that the book has to do with problems you could have with friendship, love, and family. What is the main reason you wrote a book that had to do with friendship , love, and family? Was it because these are some of the things that teenagers may go through or is there another reason?
AD: I wanted the book to have a little bit of everything and I certainly didn’t want it to be an “issue” novel. I personally never saw it as a “gay” book but rather a book where sexuality is explored and accepted. Being a lesbian doesn’t make Tara who she is, but rather it’s just one of the many aspects of her personality. Yes, it is a book about friendship, family, and love; that was my intention. I knew teens (and older audiences as well) could relate to these topics and hopefully relate to one or all of the girls. I also wanted to have a fun, pacy read and not something heavy and dense. I’m a big believer of writing what I want to read.
Toni: I realized while reading the book that Pinkie is the one that is kinda uptight and always wanting to know what going on with the other two now what made you think if having one of them being that way?
AD: Yes, Pinkie can be over the top sometimes with her worry. That was exactly how I wanted her to be (believe it or not, she’s actually toned down from how she originally was!). From the evening I got the idea, I wanted three very different girls: the athletic one, the brainy one, and the drama queen. But I wasn’t happy with Pinkie just being book smart, she needed more depth and that’s where her anxiety came in. The loss of her mama at a young age helped fuel that. She was also the easiest to write; I just greatly exaggerated and multiplied the “what ifs” that already cross my head.
Thanks to Toni and Alexandra for a great interview. If you want to read Of All the Stupid Things, come to the library to check out a copy.
