closed doors
I was up late last night—I did have the TV on, but I wasn’t really following the various political analyses of the election results. Woke late this morning, and thought I’d have a victory pancake breakfast since I managed to write two thousand words yesterday! Was very inspired by my Monday visit to the Neue Gallery and two botanicas in Brooklyn. When I entered the second botanica, the first thing the (male) owner said was, “Are you from Haiti?” He wasn’t crestfallen when I told him I was from Canada, and while he searched for a wallet-sized photo of Erzulie Dantor/Mater Salvatoris, I scanned the shelves and made mental notes, which helped me write a *long* chapter yesterday. How would Genna react to seeing a live chicken in a cardboard box—would she freak out, or try to act cool? I’m trying to prepare several chapters for a friend of a friend who has very generously agreed to review my references to the Haitian religion, Vodou. I’ve said before that Wish is very much about doors—especially those that are closed to my main character. Genna is cut off from her Panamanian heritage because her father left the family, and her American mother discourages her from identifying with her Afro-Latino heritage. Genna soon realizes that having no access to her ancestral mythology & religion means having no access to her own magic (a closed door). She does tap into the African American legend of the flying Africans, but mostly Genna’s *grasping* at whatever strands of magic she can find in the city. Yet as her Haitian friend Peter points out, “You weren’t interested in my culture before. You’re only curious now because you need something. Vodou is a religion, Genna. It’s not something you play around with whenever you’re desperate or bored.” So in this narrative, Vodou is—for Genna—a closed door. Still, I need to make sure that what I’m writing is respectful and accurate, and I very much appreciate Cybil’s willingness to review my work. I’ve got one more chapter to polish up today—it’s amazing how much better I write when I know someone else will be looking at my words!
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