In her early 20s, Rachel Kling was a promising young writer, being mentored by the likes of Philip Roth and Louise DeSalvo. One of her lines even earned her a guest appearance in the Roth novel Deception. But then, after being accepted into Columbia University‘s prestigious graduate program in creative writing, she suffered a breakdown that eventually led her to a catatonic state: six weeks of her life in which she walked and minimally interacted with others but of which she has no memory.
After three years of writing, Kling has completed a novel about the experience, which she is now marketing to agents. She shares the first chapter of the novel in this appearance on Writers@WRUV.
Listen to the show.
Read the first chapter of her novel.
Kling lives in Burlington, where, in addition to writing two hours every day, she is working her way to a black belt in the Japanese martial art of Aikido.
You write well (in semi-retirement I’ve been reading LOTS of fiction)…and I wish you luck in getting into print.
My intimate familiarity with the characters–and the camp–makes it hard to be objective about what you write–but for the same reason, I found it fascinating. And I understand and empathize with your reactions to your childhood experiences.
I too wish you well. But I must say your first chapter did little to “draw” me into your story. I felt there also was too much “tell” and not enough “show.” Have you thought of starting with some action that take s place in the middle of your story and then going into your backstory?