📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Artsy Rambler' Evy Journey #AuthorInterview
Evy Journey writes. Stories. Blogs (three sites). Cross-genre novels. She’s also a wannabe artist, and a flâneuse (an ambler).
Evy studied psychology (M.A., University of Hawaii; Ph.D. University of Illinois) initially to help her understand herself and Dostoevsky. Now, she spins tales about nuanced multicultural characters negotiating separate realities. She believes in love and its many faces.
Just as she has crossed genres in writing fiction, she has also crossed cultures, having lived and traveled in various cities in different countries. Find her thoughts on travel, art, and food at Artsy Rambler.
She has one ungranted wish: to live in Paris where art is everywhere and people have honed aimless roaming to an art form. She visits and stays a few months when she can.
Evy’s latest book is Artsy Rambler: Mindful Journeys to Paris and Beyond.
Visit her website at https://evyjourney.net.
Connect with her on social media at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/evictoriajourney
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eveonalimb2
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/evy-journey
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14845365.Evy_Journey
The Arrangement offers French travel, impressionism and the transformative power of art. Which of these was the most challenging for you to write about?
The art—from gothic cathedrals to Picasso’s Guernica (a cubist painting) and understanding what they mean to me and the world around us.
Which part of Artsy Rambler was the most fun to write about?
The socializing—much of which was spontaneous. It was fun and enlightening to meet the “natives.”
What do you think sets Artsy Rambler apart from other books of the same genre?
The concept embodied in Mindful Journeys. This is not your typical travelogue, nor a recounting of sights seen from the usual “tourist gaze.” It also includes wandering off the beaten path and allowing yourself to get lost in a place to discover something new to you.
Surprise me. What is something that happens in the book that would make my mouth drop without giving too much away?
We all have different life histories so what might make your “mouth drop” might be different. Anyway, for me, there were several—there’s always something unexpected and surprising when you venture into a different culture. One such experience in Paris was my first time going into a cheese shop with hundreds of different kinds of cheeses. And being invited to press a round of cheese to see how soft it was. At home, it’s hands-off for most edible merchandise unless you’re buying it. Also, in that shop, sellers dressed in white “lab coats.”
Do you think writing a nonfiction about art and travel is more complex than writing books of other genres?
It’s not. For me, anyway. I did research about places and events for the fiction I’ve written. Sometimes quite extensively; for instance, in The Shade Under the Mango Tree, I read a lot, even interviewed someone about living in Cambodia and surviving the Khmer Rouge genocide. I had taken a few art and art history classes in the past that helped in writing Artsy Rambler. One thing I like about writing a book is I always learn something new.
What’s next for you?
Quite likely, back to fiction.
Experience the transformative power of art when you see the rich and vibrant city of Paris through the eyes of a mindful artsy traveler. From the light-inspired grandeur of Gothic cathedrals and the fresh beauty of Impressionism, sinuous forms that speak to our innate sense of beauty, and the rare library that helps one define oneself; to the role of French cuisine and cultural events in shaping the city’s uniqueness, this collection of essays will take you on a journey of discovery and self-reflection.
Amidst the charm and allure of Paris and its art, questions arise and conflicts are explored. Can art truly enrich our understanding of life? Can it help extricate us from constantly waging wars? And how does a urinal become a symbol of controversy that challenges our conception of art?
If you enjoyed “A Moveable Feast” by Ernest Hemingway, this thought-provoking and sometimes meditative collection of essays will unveil the beauty and complexity of the world around you by unleashing the power of art as you satisfy your wanderlust.
Read sample here.
Artsy Rambler: Mindful Journeys to Paris and Beyond is available at Amazon.
The Writer’s Life
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