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Former Lafayette professor talks about her writing life
By Stephen Wilson
Alix Ohlin , former associate professor of English, returned to campus to read from her latest novel and share perspective as a writer during a question-and-answer session.
Ohlin’s new novel, Dual Citizens, published in June, has received lavish praise. The story follows two half-sisters, one studious and the other wild. Both are artists and both struggle with demands and self-doubt. Over the book’s arc, their bond is tested, breaks, and reforms. Kirkus says, ‘'The book is a lovely, deeply moving work. A lyrical account of the lives of two women, their failures and hopes, and ultimately their quiet redemption.'' Ohlin is author of three novels and two collections of stories. Her previous novel, Inside, was a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and Rogers Writer’s Trust Fiction Prize. She chairs the creative writing program at University of British Columbia. ‘‘Writing many awful stories taught me more about the craft and my style. These were practice stories along the way. With my novels, I am not an outliner--I have never successfully written an outline. I am a detective of other people’s lives. I write scenes where I discover a character and follow where it goes. Successive drafts have me amplify threads and delve for the most texture. I often ask myself if I am the right writer for the material or if it is a story I can tell.’’ When asked about her origin story as a writer, Ohlin explained, ''I had the good luck that books were valued in my house as a child, so I felt comfort in the world of books. I wrote and made construction paper books but later put it away as a childish idea. As an undergraduate, the risk was too great for me to submit work and apply to take creative writing classes, so I studied English and after graduation had a career in publishing. I tried to apply for my Ph.D. but became physically incapable of writing my statement. It started my quarter-life crisis. I decided to write in secret in order to figure out if I wanted to keep doing it. Slowly I had to admit to myself that writing was what I wanted to do. I then completed an MFA and came to Lafayette to teach.’’ ‘‘My new novel was inspired by Elena Ferrante’s The Neapolitan Quartet, which were the first books in a long time where I wasn’t reading as a writer; I was just loving those books in a pure way. Her stories put women in the center--two friends whose relationship is intense and charged and carries a lifelong importance. I wanted to respond to that feeling when I started Dual Citizens.’’
