Renée D. Bondy taught in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Windsor, where she facilitated courses on queer activism, women and religion, and the history of women’s movements. Her writing has appeared in Herizons, Bitch, Bearings Online, and the Humber Literary Review. She is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers. Renée lives in Chatham, Ontario. [non]disclosure is her first novel.
1 - How did your first book change your life? How does your most recent work compare to your previous? How does it feel different?
My début novel launched just a couple of weeks ago, so I haven’t processed the effects of it being out in the world quite yet. The experience of writing the novel changed me, certainly. I wrote it in the seclusion of the covid-19 pandemic, which had its challenges as well as its advantages. I was fortunate to be able to enroll in the graduate program in creative writing at the Humber School for Writers, and I also joined a stellar writing group. The opportunities to learn and grow as a writer were life changing.
2 - How did you come to fiction first, as opposed to, say, poetry or non-fiction?
Actually, I wrote non-fiction first – articles, essays, creative nonfiction. Popular writing, mostly for feminist magazines, and scholarly writing were ways that my teaching and research interests in Women’s and Gender Studies found expression. I never thought I would write fiction. Ever. The isolation of the pandemic, and my desire to find a creative way to express my thinking on the subject of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church led me to fiction. As strange as it sounds, the novel came as a surprise, even to me.
3 - How long does it take to start any particular writing project? Does your writing initially come quickly, or is it a slow process? Do first drafts appear looking close to their final shape, or does your work come out of copious notes?
My thought process is lengthy. I am ‘in my head’ a lot at the outset of a new project. I thought about the novel for years before I began writing. When I begin a short story, it is only after weeks of living with the characters. I am a slow writer. However, with both the novel and short stories, my drafts are not so far from their final shape.
4 - Where does a work of prose usually begin for you? Are you an author of short pieces that end up combining into a larger project, or are you working on a "book" from the very beginning?
Until recently, my initial ideas about the form and length of any project remained constant from start to finish. However, my current project, which is in its very early stages, is a novel that grew out of a short story. I decided to keep going with it when I realized that I knew far more about the characters than I was able to convey in the short story.
5 - Are public readings part of or counter to your creative process? Are you the sort of writer who enjoys doing readings?
I love readings. Perhaps it’s my background in teaching, but I like reading aloud and hearing work read aloud. I’m definitely a writer who writes with my ear, and I think there are layers of meaning revealed in tone, inflection, and cadence.
6 - Do you have any theoretical concerns behind your writing? What kinds of questions are you trying to answer with your work? What do you even think the current questions are?
My novel, [non]disclosure, is political. I hope to challenge the reader’s thinking about the abuses enabled by hierarchical religious institutions, and the misogyny and homophobia implicit in those structures. Another important takeaway from the novel is the complicated nature of silence and silencing; that is, how silence can be imposed and damaging, but it can also be chosen and protective. As a culture, we have redefined ideas about privacy in recent decades, so it's important to think about the complex meanings of disclosure and secrecy.
7 – What do you see the current role of the writer being in larger culture? Do they even have one? What do you think the role of the writer should be?
I definitely belong to the camp of writers who feel that art is, in and of its nature, political. Whether by accident or by design, we change the world when we write. At least for me, I feel a responsibility to pursue truth in my writing. If I’ve done that, I’ve done my job.
8 - Do you find the process of working with an outside editor difficult or essential (or both)?
I suppose it would depend on the editor, but my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. I wrote for Herizons magazine for several years, and worked with its long-time editor Penni Mitchell, who is a gem of an editor: sharp, perceptive, and incisive. Liz Johnston edited [non]disclosure. Not only is Liz exceptionally skilled, but she was sensitive to the traumatic material in the manuscript, which was of paramount importance to me. She and I had a wonderful collaboration, and I learned so much from her.
9 - What is the best piece of advice you've heard (not necessarily given to you directly)?
A yellow Post-it above my desk reads, No one is watching. This helps me remember that I write for myself first, that nothing is set in stone, and it’s okay to take chances with my writing.
10 - How easy has it been for you to move between genres (historical fiction to critical prose)? What do you see as the appeal?
Since I completed [non]disclosure, I’ve been writing short stories. Most of them are much lighter in subject and tone than the novel, and writing them has been an antidote to the stress of writing about trauma. My second novel will have a different structure than the first, and I think the challenge of figuring that out keeps the writing fresh.
11 - What kind of writing routine do you tend to keep, or do you even have one? How does a typical day (for you) begin?
I’m not a morning person – I wish I could be. I tend to write after coffee and the morning news, and before my daily swim.
12 - When your writing gets stalled, where do you turn or return for (for lack of a better word) inspiration?
I walk. I read. I walk some more.
13 - What fragrance reminds you of home?
I grew up near two large distilleries – Hiram Walkers and Seagrams. When they were in production, the sweet, yeasty smell of mash permeated the town. That scent takes me back to childhood.
14 - David W. McFadden once said that books come from books, but are there any other forms that influence your work, whether nature, music, science or visual art?
I’m not sure that I can pinpoint a direct link between other forms of art and my writing. Because I’m an auditory person, I appreciate the musicality and poetics of prose. Also, while writing [non]disclosure I watched many excellent films which addressed the subject of sexual assault by Roman Catholic priests – from feature films like Doubt and Spotlight, to lesser-known documentary films, like Prey. The emotional intensity of film made an impact on the work.
15 - What other writers or writings are important for your work, or simply your life outside of your work?
I admire so many writers : Miriam Toews, Heather O’Neil, Katherena Vermette, Casey Plett, Suzette Mayr, Alicia Elliott, Sigrid Nunez, Lauren Groff… I could go on and on. Diane Schoemperlen’s work has been a huge influence, particularly her penchant for lists, which I share.
16 - What would you like to do that you haven't yet done?
Hmm… I might try my hand at poetry one day. But not soon.
17 - If you could pick any other occupation to attempt, what would it be? Or, alternately, what do you think you would have ended up doing had you not been a writer?
I love to bake, so if I had to choose a career that didn’t involve writing (except on birthday cakes), I would be a baker.
18 - What made you write, as opposed to doing something else?
I often joke that I am good at just two things – words and cake. My first career, teaching, utilized my skill with words. Writing was a natural next step.
19 - What was the last great book you read? What was the last great film?
All the Colour in the World, by C.S. Richardson, is a wonderful book, in content as well as design. I love a book that merges fiction and nonfiction, and Richardson does this brilliantly. I don’t watch many films these days, but I recently saw Wicked Little Letters, starring Olivia Colman, which was highly entertaining.
20 - What are you currently working on?
I always have a
short story in process. And I’ve started a new novel, which is in its wobbly
early stages. It’s an intergenerational story, and it explores ideas around
sexuality and aging.
12 or 20 (second series) questions;
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