Jessica Bryant Klagmann
Author Interview - Jessica Bryant Klagmann
Author of North of the Sunlit River
Eila Jacobsen is adrift, reeling from her father’s recent death and still suffering from the loss of her best friend. When invited to join a research trip to a remote part of Alaska, she takes the chance to refocus her life and perhaps unravel the mystery behind the dwindling caribou population.
But as Eila buries herself in data, she stumbles across something remarkable. Concealed in the pages of her father’s journal is a discovery with life-changing possibilities. So why was it abandoned?
Unable to ignore its potential, Eila ventures deeper into the Alaskan tundra in search of healing and answers. But she’s not the only one in need of a new beginning, and she’s not the only one looking.
Pursued across the landscape and haunted by secrets, Eila presses on, unearthing the regrets of those closest to her, and revealing the joy and forgiveness that bind them together.
Author Interview - Jessica Bryant Klagmann
Author I draw inspiration from:
Nicole Krauss. I've been reading her work since her first book came out, and every one feels better than the last. So her latest, To Be A Man: Stories, is what comes to mind right now. I just find her use of language exceptional. Anytime I'm stuck, I grab one of her books and read a paragraph.
Author Interview - Jessica Bryant Klagmann | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
On my front porch, in the morning before everyone else wakes up, with a view of the mountains and coffee!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
January from The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. It would be intense at first, and there would be a lot of confusion about our capabilities, but in the end she'd open a portal in the wall (or floor or ceiling) and we'd walk through it to somewhere else. I'm quite claustrophobic, and getting stuck in an elevator is my worst nightmare, but I think I might survive it with someone who can create doors to other worlds.
Author Interview - Jessica Bryant Klagmann | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
Sitting in my first creative writing class in college. I signed up for the class on a whim because of a scheduling conflict, but as soon as we started discussing the craft of writing, I was hooked and knew it was something I wanted to do. I changed my major from visual art to writing the following semester.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Hardbacks are beautiful, but I believe books should be well-loved and well-travelled, and paperbacks are just so much easier to carry around. I like the idea of ebooks, and I love that I can easily highlight passages I want to return to, but I look at screens enough throughout the day and I find it hard not having all the pages in my hand to flip through as I please. I've definitely fallen in love with audiobooks as a mom of two young kids. I used to get too distracted and find that I'd stopped paying attention, but lately, they've made it possible for me to get through longer books. With the right narrator, audiobooks are game-changing for people like me with less time to sit down and read.
The last book I read:
Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino. I loved it. It's one of those sci-fi books that doesn't feel like a sci-fi book. Bertino seamlessly blends reality with the sci-fi elements in a way that makes you question whether it all might actually just be real. I'm so impressed when authors can achieve this kind of feat without it feeling forced.
Author Interview - Jessica Bryant Klagmann | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I used to love pen & paper, but these days, I can type faster than I can write by hand, and I have to hop on a computer to keep up with my thoughts sometimes. I do a lot of thinking while out on a walk or a run, and when I get home, I have to quickly write down ideas and sentences I've crafted in my head before I forget them. The only real hand writing I do is when I take a small notebook on a walk with me, but then I just have to decipher my poor handwriting once I get home!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
This is a hard one! I'm going to go with Anne from Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Aside from loving her as a character my whole reading life, she's outgoing and headstrong, which is a good match for me, but not because I'm the same. I'm super introverted and shy, but I get along really well with extroverted people (they take some of the social pressure off of me)! I tend to follow the rules, so it's good for me to hang out with people who get into trouble now and then. I also just think she'd be a ton of fun.
Author Interview - Jessica Bryant Klagmann | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I think I'd be an illustrator. It's what I wanted to be before I chose the writing path in college, and it's what I'm returning to now alongside writing. I wish I'd kept up with it all these years, but I'm loving coming back to it!
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I'm definitely not a fashion expert, but probably the 70s. I think that Jane Birkin white T-shirt and jeans look is perfect.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Norway. After living in Alaska, I have a real fondness for northern landscapes.
My signature drink:
An almond milk matcha latte with a bit of honey. I've become very good at making them, although I only ever get to make them for myself!
Favorite artist:
The painter Edgar Degas. I love the whimsical brush strokes and the color palettes, and his work inspires me to experiment with different media in my own art.
Number one on my bucket list:
I'd love to go on a pilgrimage in Japan. There are a couple of them calling out to me, but The Kumano Kodo is definitely on the top of my bucket list.
Anything else you'd like to add:
These are such great questions! Thanks for making me think so hard!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/jessklagmann/
https://bsky.app/profile/jessklagmann.bsky.social
About Jessica Bryant Klagmann:
Author Interview with Jessica Bryant Klagmann
JESSICA BRYANT KLAGMANN studied writing in Fairbanks, Alaska. Every good idea she’s ever had came while running, so she tries to stay within sight of a mountain or canyon trail at all times. She lives with her husband and two kids in northern New Mexico.
