I grappled a lot with how to describe other people, what to expose or not, the ethics of that. I tried to be very matter-of-fact and just report what I had directly experienced, but I also wanted to be careful to not publish things that could be perceived as reinforcing messed up stereotypes about, for example, how working class men behave, and so on.
Grace Covill-Grennan – 21 October 2019
The Back Flap
Grace Covill-Grennan’s Blockhead documents the author’s experiences working as a carpenter in the building trades. The book explores issues of gender, class, craft, and labor to create an entry into the particular moods, subjectivities, and characters that populate the job site.
About the book
What is the book about?
In broad strokes, Blockhead is about my experiences working as a carpenter in the building trades. It’s about people I’ve worked with and my memories of them, craft and building, apprenticeship, trades culture, as well as gender, class, and how I’ve seen them manifest in construction work.
When did you start writing the book?
I started recording the memories, fragments, and vignettes that would become Blockhead in fall of 2018.
How long did it take you to write it?
About a year.
Where did you get the idea from?
I think I was in a period of reflection and having all these wild, hilarious, sad memories flood over me as I thought about the building trades and what it means to be a carpenter. The more I paid attention to them the more I remembered, and at a certain point I realized there was enough there to create something out of them.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I grappled a lot with how to describe other people, what to expose or not, the ethics of that. I tried to be very matter-of-fact and just report what I had directly experienced, but I also wanted to be careful to not publish things that could be perceived as reinforcing messed up stereotypes about, for example, how working class men behave, and so on.
It was sometimes challenging, too, to strike the perfect balance in tone: somewhat removed, observational, letting the situations and characters speak for themselves, but at the same time pushing myself to be at least as vulnerable and candid as the people I was writing about in terms of my own emotional stakes.
What came easily?
Tapping into the reservoir of memory and just letting myself be a vessel for all the stories and recollections was so effortless and amazing. I surprised myself with all the strange details I had apparently squirrelled away in my mind throughout the years.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I borrowed heavily from real-world experiences and people for Blockhead, and did my best to blur and jumble any identifiable details to preserve privacy.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I felt inspired my Maggie Nelson’s approach to creative non-fiction: she’s so fearless in baring her experiences, and has an incredible ability to use a memoir-like form to access issues and themes so much bigger than any individual’s experience. I also felt inspired by R. Zamora Linmark’s Rolling the R’s. It’s an amazing book, and the collage of styles, voices, and genres felt influential in how I ultimately structured Blockhead as a collection of small pieces with a mix of genres.
Do you have a target reader?
I think as I was writing it I felt that to some degree I was writing to/for other tradeswomen and gender nonconforming folks, and fellow tradesworkers who’ve read Blockhead have said they haven’t read anything else that engages trades work in this way. I’ve also heard from those outside the trades that they found Blockhead to be a fascinating window into a usually self-contained world, and that accessibility for those outside construction work was a goal of mine in writing it as well.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I think my process is pretty typical: brain-dumps of memories, thoughts, feelings, then a slow process of refinement and revision. I played with layout and format a lot for Blockhead since there are so many parts to it, that was an interesting and new part of the process for me.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I didn’t outline for Blockhead. I didn’t really have time, it just sort of jumped out of my head in a rush and then I scrambled around trying to arrange the pieces, adding things, and editing for the next several months.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edited in phases throughout the process.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I can’t listen to music while writing, unfortunately. I get too distracted!
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I submitted my work directly to a handful of small presses.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
My decision to be published by a small press was guided by the nature of book: it was relatively short, and unusual both in its content and form. Because of these factors, I felt it didn’t have a good chance if submitted to a mainstream press.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My publisher, Another New Calligraphy, designed the cover.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Somewhat winging. I’m reaching out to some places I’ve been published before about publicity, as well as setting up consignment and an event at some small bookshops in Portland, OR.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Do your research ahead of time on what would work for you in terms of a publishing setup. There are a lot of different models, each with distinct advantages and drawbacks. Don’t be shy to ask direct questions of publishers you’re thinking of working with.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up first in Seattle, WA, then later, as a teenager, in rural northeast Pennsylvania.
Where do you live now?
Right now I’m moving around a lot, living between Eastern Oregon and the Bitterroot Mountains in Idaho. I still go back to Portland to do carpentry jobs there occasionally, too.
What would you like readers to know about you?
In addition to carpentry and writing, I enjoy fiddle, trout fishing, quilting, shape note singing, and plant and bird identification. I also have a house rabbit named Acorn.
What are you working on now?
Right now I’m gearing up for a month-long writer’s residency on a farm in Nebraska. I’m hoping to use the residency to start work on a poetry collection.
End of Interview:
Get your copy of Blockhead from the publisher.
