Author Profile – Susan Van Allen: 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go
Q: Why did you decide to write this book?
A: For many years I have been “The Girlfriend With The Lists,” sending my friends off to Italy with recommendations for sights, restaurants, and hotels. They have always come back raving, and when the opportunity came to expand the reach of these lists beyond my circle of friends and out to the world in a book called, 100 Places In Italy Every Woman Should Go, I was ecstatic. Focusing the entries on places where women are adored (as Goddesses, Saints, or The Madonna), and writing about all the pleasures in Italy that are especially attractive to females (and men enjoy many of them too)–such as spas, beaches, gardens, art classes, and shops, made the writing of this a beautiful experience.
Q: Do you have any secret writing tips you’d like to share?
A: It’s no secret to anyone who has ever written that the act of writing is humbling and a total test of one’s patience. I get help from two brilliant books on writing: “Bird by Bird,” by Anne Lamott and “On Writing,” by Stephen King.
Elizabeth Gilbert’s TED talk on Creativity (Google it!) is also very inspirational AND Erica Jong’s advice for writers on her website. Basically you have to sit down and just do it, and these writers I’ve just mentioned are great for getting you in the right head to begin and keep going.
Q: Tell us a quirky or funny story about you!
A: My grandmother, an Italian immigrant ,was a follower of Saint Anthony, the Patron Saint of Lost Things. She taught me the prayer:
Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, Come Around, Something is Lost and Can’t Be Found, Please Saint Anthony, Look Around!
Inevitably, as a child, the lost sock or barrette would be found, after reciting this prayer. These days I keep Saint Anthony cards in my purse and every piece of luggage I take along when I travel. And I keep a Saint Anthony card by my writing desk, which means you may see me sitting there calling out to this guy in the robe to help me find WORDS.
Q: Have you ever battled writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
A: Yes, I get blocked because it all seems so overwhelming. I deal with it by taking Anne Lamott’s “Bird by Bird” approach.
Q: What’s your favorite quote?
A: Can I have two?
“Whenever I go anywhere but Italy for a vacation, I always feel as if I have made a mistake.”–Erica Jong
“A person is a success if they get up in the morning and get to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.”–Bob Dylan
Q: Who inspires you the most?
A: Inspiration is everywhere. Whoever I am with at the moment is the one who is inspiring me most.
