哔咔漫画

When it comes to writing, the story always dictates 鈥渢he when and the who鈥� for novelist Anita Diamant, MA 鈥�75.

鈥淭here has to be a tale that I am intrigued by,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have to want to spend a lot of time with it. There鈥檚 nothing scientific about it. It鈥檚 just something that grabs me.鈥�

Diamant spoke to students about the writing process, the publishing industry and her latest novel, 鈥淭he Boston Girl,鈥� during a Skype session at Harpur Edge from her Newton, Mass., home on Nov. 12. Wendy Neuberger, Harpur Edge director, served as moderator of the event.

The inspiration for 鈥淭he Boston Girl鈥� came from Rockport Lodge, a Fresh Air Fund-like resort outside of Boston founded in 1906 to give low-income girls the opportunity to take part in recreation.

鈥淚t was a Progressive-era approach to poverty and immigration,鈥� Diamant said. 鈥淭his was a way to Americanize immigrants and give them an American summer experience. Who went there? What was the experience like? That led me to the north side of Boston.鈥�

鈥淭he Boston Girl鈥� 鈥� Diamant鈥檚 fifth novel 鈥� tells the story of Addie Baum, an 85-year-old who recounts her life to her granddaughter, Ava. Addie, born in 1900 to an immigrant Jewish family, describes her early adolescent life living in Boston and gaining friends at Rockport Lodge.

The decision to have Addie tell her tale to Ava was key, Diamant said.

鈥淚t lightened the tone of Addie鈥檚 voice,鈥� she said. 鈥淪he cracks wise every now and then. Although Ava isn鈥檛 a big presence, she is the reason that Addie comes across as warm and pleasant as a person.鈥�

The book, released in late 2014, has resonated with readers. Diamant said that 鈥淭he Boston Girl鈥� has generated more e-mail and e-book sales than any of her previous novels.

鈥淧art of it is that (鈥楾he Boston Girl鈥�) is a personal book and people can connect to it,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 get a lot of e-mail from people talking about their grandmothers or writing that they wish they had known their grandmothers.鈥�

Diamant鈥檚 novels have connected with readers since 1997, when 鈥淭he Red Tent鈥� was released. She came to 哔咔漫画 to pursue her master鈥檚 degree in English after receiving her undergraduate degree in comparative literature from Washington University in St. Louis.

The decision to attend 哔咔漫画 was 鈥渁 good move,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 had some good teachers and interesting classes,鈥� Diamant said. 鈥淚 even had a women鈥檚 radio show for a while on Saturday nights. It was an interesting place to be.鈥�

Diamant last returned to 哔咔漫画 in 2011 for a talk in the Osterhout Concert Theater and a campus tour.

After receiving her master鈥檚 degree, Diamant moved to Boston and 鈥渟tumbled into journalism.鈥� She wrote several non-fiction books before debuting as a novelist with 鈥淭he Red Tent,鈥� a first-person narrative about the Bible character Dinah.  The novel was an unexpected success, Diamant said, thanks to book groups and independent book stores.

The Lifetime network turned 鈥淭he Red Tent鈥� into a television miniseries in December 2014, but Diamant was not involved in the production.

鈥淧eople expected me to be invested in the characters, but it had been more than 15 years since the book was published,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o I had a lot of distance from it.鈥�

Diamant described the miniseries as 鈥減retty Hollywood,鈥� but said that it did help sell more copies of the book.

鈥淚t鈥檚 different from what I wrote,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was a passion project (for the miniseries creators). They were nice people.鈥�

The book-publishing industry has changed since 1997, Diamant said, because of electronic books.

鈥淭he publishing industry was slow to even start publishing using computers,鈥� she recalled. 鈥淲hen I was in newspapers, I was filing stories electronically, but still sending boxes of paper to New York! That鈥檚 nerve-wracking. It took (the industry) a long time to catch on. Once it realized what was going on, it was still behind the times.

鈥淚 was lucky that I had success on the cusp (of the e-book age). It has permitted me to do what I want in publishing with different kinds of books. Believe me, after 鈥楾he Red Tent鈥� came out, they wanted 鈥楾he Red Tent 2.鈥欌��

Electronic books and audiobooks have helped the industry by making books more accessible, Diamant said.

鈥淎ny platform for people to read is great,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 used to get mad at people on the subway who would be constantly looking at their phones. Then I realized that some people were reading books on their phones! I prefer paper books, but if I鈥檓 on a plane, I鈥檓 happy to have an e-book.鈥�