Interviews with Writers Big and Small on Wattpad

ROSE GLUCK- DONNA BARROW GREEN

https://www.wattpad.com/user/rosegluckwriter

I would like to introduce you to Rose Gluck a featured writer on Wattpad who writes fiction, memoirs and plays and tends to write about relationships that have a dysfunctional, psychological undercurrent.

She is a self confessed thrift shop addict and lives in Portland, Oregon where two of her historical novels are set.

Rose grew up in Massachusetts and her memoir is set there.

When she is not writing she works as a researcher for families with young children with special needs. If that was not enough hats for her to juggle she is also a college instructor, a playwright and mother.

Now as many of you know, I like to do a little bit of research and chat to my guinea pigs a bit before I do an interview. So Rose and I did a little talking and got to know each other over the last few weeks, talking about a variety of subjects, our unconventional childhoods and our love of writing and reading each other's works.

Thank you Rose for kindly agreeing to undertake this interview. Let's get ourselves comfortable as we settle down in our virtual café in our comfy chairs. Now I'll order.

Question: What are we drinking? Coffee? Tea? Or a glass of wine?? Oh and are we having cake? If so, which cake is your favourite?- Is there a memory attached to it that you would like to share?

Reply: Since I don't drink in real life any more (my characters are pretty heavy drinkers) and since this is a virtual occasion, I'll have a vodka martini--dry. Maybe cheese & crackers too? Before the drinks get here, I want to thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity! It has been so nice to correspond and get to know you and all the amazing work & writing you do. I feel like we are kindred spirits and I consider you a new friend.

Rose that is so nice of you to say that and I feel the same. Our childhoods with both of our mother's mental health problems, is something that many people can't find empathy with or understand; the fact we both did, was something that bound us both together right away, especially the way we can now laugh at some of our parent's eccentricities. Oh, I'll have a Pimms and Lemonade please and fresh strawberries, with a scoop of Italian vanilla ice cream, I don't fancy cake today. The sun's out and I'm feeling the Pimms.

Question: Rose you tell me you love thrift stores, estate sales and home garden shows, so I am hazarding a guess here, what project at home or in the garden is sitting there staring at you either that you haven't finished or even started but in your mind's eye you know exactly how you want it to be and one day, it will be.

Reply: I do love thrift stores / estate sales /home shows and my husband Ben and I are in the process of fixing up our old dusty attic, but really I am addicted to estate sales because it's like going back in time. Here in Portland there are a lot of estate sales. They just open up a house and start selling off all the stuff.

Usually the person who had lived there either passed away or moved to a retirement home. I always feel like I've entered a time machine and walked into that person's life story. There are still metal spice cans in the kitchen cabinets, chenille bedspreads, photo albums on shelves. One time in this tiny little house, there was an attic that was hardly tall enough to stand in, just a one small window. When I got up there, there were literally 100s of oil paintings. There were boxes and boxes of oil paints, and brushes. Something about the scene was so startling to me. It was this woman's private space—her creative world, she'd spent hours and hours there. I could honestly feel her spirit there. It's like that at every house, every time I go.