Interview with Dianne Ebertt Beeaff, Authors of Infinite Paradise

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Infinite Paradise?

The property Infinite Paradise has been in my family for nearly seventy years. As so much of our natural world has been—or is being destroyed, I wanted in some small way to bring attention to what remains. Nature has so much to offer, to tell us and give us, especially in troubling times. It is my hope that my experiences will inspire others to look to the natural world to combat stress, heal the human spirit, and foster new and calming perspectives on life. The complexity, beauty, and power of the natural world are available to any reader who stays open to the splendid lifeforms among which they live.

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

I write and read in many genres, including fiction and non-fiction. I don’t actually have a favorite, though I lean toward literary fiction or mystery in the fiction area.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

– A Book of Luminous Things, an anthology of international poetry by Czeslaw Milosz
– Tales of a Pet Vet, by Dawn Filor
– The Power of One by Bryce Courtnay
– Street Corner Dreams by Florence Kraut
– Treasures of Ukraine by Andrey Kurhov

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There were many unique experiences in the book, but one of my very favorites would be any of the blackbird murmurations that took place through July and August.

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

I don’t have one at present that I’m aware of, but for many decades, I could not write without a severely beaten and battered Roget’s Thesaurus. I’d had it nearly from the beginning of my career, and it was in such a state that the cover had long disappeared, and many pages were kept in place with snippets of tape.

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

“Celebrate whenever you can.”
“Patience, Practice, and Persistence” – particularly for writing and by extension, life.

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

It is my hope that the stories in Infinite Paradise will transcend the personal space from which they come, move past the subjective to touch the collective spirit; that readers will find their own, however small, healing portion of nature’s paradise, realizing that despite all that we’ve lost in the natural world, many riches remain.

Dianne Ebertt Beeaff is the author of the new book Infinite Paradise

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