Interview with Ann Colbert, Author of The Mantra of Lucy Watts

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Mantra of Lucy Watts?

I started reading Taber’s Medical Dictionary a few years ago for fun, not for work, and began to write commentaries about the words I found, especially as related to the incongruities and absurdities of medicine. One day, it occurred to me that I could write a novel about a female doctor, like me, who read Taber’s. That first book started the series “Doctors Who Read Tabers”. I wanted to write this second book, “The Mantra of Lucy Watts,” to show the life of a wanderer, another female doctor who reads Taber’s. And while it is not as autobiographical as the first, this book reflects debates I have had with myself over selfishness and selflessness. I also tried to explore the many facets of wanderlust and the perpetual travelers who have always intrigued me.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Mantra of Lucy Watts, what would they be?

The theme song for Lucy Watts would be “Nowhere Man” by the Beatles. For the other major character, Sophie, I would pick “Come Sail Away” by Styx.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

My favorite genre is literary fiction, but depending on my mood and concentration, I like to read sci-fi by women authors. I like to write non-fiction editorials and commentaries, but when I write fiction, yes, literary fiction or women’s fiction is my favorite.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

1) Scissors, Paper, Rock by Fenton Johnson 2) The Trial by Kafka 3) Too Close to the Flame by James Ingle 4) My Friends by Fredrik Backman 5) Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Two scenes stand out as pleasurable. They both involve water. The first was describing the feeling of swimming in the university’s Olympic-sized pool. While I wrote the scene, I could feel the buoyancy of the water and the freedom of my body. The second scenes were the moments when Lucy is sitting on her porch in Belize watching the sea. Imagining those times, I could hear the sound of waves crashing on the rocks and the unique ocean birds and rainforest animals. They are sounds I don’t hear living in a forest.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

This isn’t so quirky, but when I start an idea, I print my words on a composition notebook with wide rule lines using a Pilot Extra Fine Point pen and skip every other line. As if I intend to make corrections between the lines.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I believe I learn something from everything I do and everyone I meet.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

To think about the question “Doing good or looking good?”. This is a theme that the main character struggles with, especially related to her volunteer work, and I believe many readers may think of it.

Ann Colbert is the author of the new book The Mantra of Lucy Watts

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