The WSJ did a nice piece on a Bay Area resident-Isabel Allende, the prolific writer whose success has inspired thousands of women writers around the globe. She is generous with her time, and has been instrumental is providing direction for writers of all stripes in california where she has lived for many years.
The article, an edited interview, offers continued insights into her methods, her creativity, and her inspirations. She tells the story of how she received the idea of the story used in her book, The Japanese Lover. She was walking with a friend in New York City when the friend mentioned that her mother had a Japanese gardener who was her best friend for 40 years. And Isabel said, "Ok, maybe they were lovers". "Why would you think that?", said her friend. "Of course I thought that!" And that became the book.
She has had a difficult year with a divorce, a new home, smaller; and dealing with an aging parent like so many of her contemporaries. She also added that she and her Mother write letters everyday, and she, Isabel saves them all and has been for years. A life's record.
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