Through the gate and into the meadow. Onward, through the forest and to the river beyond. I had taken this walk nearly every day during the time I lived on the farm whose back acres provided the always amazing journey.
This was my inspiration for How Far to Heaven?. As I wrote, I took that walk over and over again in my mind, seeing it new, seeing it alive How the story evolved into the dialogue between Nanna and Little One, I really don't know. I didn't have a Nanna in my life, nor did I have a Little One. I guess they are just parts of me.
I wrote the story over the course of a few weeks -- or maybe a few months. I had a small writing studio at one end of a hallway on the second floor of an early 20th century building. The hallway was lined with doors bearing the names of other local artists. At the far end of the hall was the studio of Alfred Currier. His was the largest studio of the lot. It was a corner studio with immense windows that looked over Old Town Anacortes, providing northern and eastern exposure.
When Al read my manuscript and said he'd like to paint it, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. Just look at the paintings in this book or on his website at alfredcurrier.com. Understand? Alfred Currier wanted to paint my book!
After the publisher gave his nod, Al and I went on a model hunt. Al knew a woman, a journalist, who lived nearby. He thought her daughter would be ideal. Mother and daughter read the manuscript, and Katie became Little One. Deciding who might model for Nanna was more difficult. Al's criteria involve painterly stuff; my criteria rested in emotion.
At the time, there was an active arts organization, called Madrona, in Anacortes. Its membership comprised artists, writers, art enthusiasts and patrons, gallery owners -- nearly the entire arts community of Anacortes and the outlying area. Al and I discussed a woman we had seen at the meetings. Barbara. Her look was perfect, but we knew her to be rather shy. Would she do it? It took no little convincing, but she at last agreed to read the manuscript Al had offered to her.
Two or three days later, as I walked from my car toward the supermarket, Barbara came running to me. She was in tears. Her arms were outstretched. She pulled me into her arms and said, "Chara! How did you know?"
That was an awkward moment. I was happy to be in this woman's arms, but I had no idea that I might know something. Was I supposed to know about this? How did she know that I knew something I didn't know I knew? I'm sure I stared blankly. I'm sure my eyes shifted from side to side.
But my eyes were soon floating in tears as she told me about the recent death of her husband, and the walk and talk she'd had with her granddaughter. "Chara, how did you know?"
Okay, so maybe I was channeling Barbara when I wrote about Nanna? Goodness knows, it's difficult enough just channeling me!
The models had been found, but how would they find each other? Would they have the chemistry to make it work
Yup. But we were in for a big surprise.
We assembled for the first photo shoot. Al described to Barbara and Katie what he would like to see. Barbara was openly uncomfortable about the whole modeling thing. Katie asked, "What page are we working on here?" Al told her the page. Katie turned to Barbara. "But, Nanna, you said Grandpa is in heaven!" she said. Barbara's eyes filled with the light of love. Al's jaw dropped. I almost peed my pants.
Katie had memorized every line of Little One's dialogue. She prompted Barbara, whispering Nanna's lines when Barbara was unsure. She no longer called Barbara by her name; she called her Nanna and insisted that Barbara refer to her as Little One. Katie took "chemistry" to a whole new level.
That's the way each photo shoot went. Surprises. Magic. Laughter. Tears. Hugs. Happy sighs.
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