Interviews
Reviews
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to Thurber's Light HOME
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- Lesa Holstine
- Chairperson of the Author
Selection Commitee - Lee County Reading Festival
- Managing Librarian of
Rutenberg Library, Lee County Florida
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- "It's not a ghost story. Not a mystery. It's a good
novel."
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- Q: Why did you write about a lighthouse? What was your
source of inspiration?
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- A: Growing up near the Sanibel Island Lighthouse, I had
always taken lighthouses for granted, that they were a
fixture of the coastal landscape and that they would
always be there. A few years ago, after watching a
program on their history, I decided to explore the
Internet to see what was out there about lighthouses. The
first website I came to featured the efforts to save the
Round Island Lighthouse in Mississippi. It showed a brick
lighthouse beautifully fashioned like a chess piece
standing proudly, despite neglect, next to the water. The
site described how they had worked to create a breakwater
to try and protect the tower. And I thought, 'Well,
that's nice.' Next I found a website dedicated to saving
the Cape St. George Lighthouse in Florida's Panhandle,
the so-called "leaning tower of Florida"
because it had a significant tilt. Again I thought, 'It's
nice that people are going to take care of the lighthouse.'
But I still didn't think much of it. The next site was
another page about the Round Island Lighthouse...or what
remained of it, anyway. The photo was startling to me,
striking...a sad, water-swept stump and a handful of
scattered bricks was all that was left of the tower. Then
I went back to the Cape St. George website and looked
again at the leaning lighthouse and thought, 'Oh man,
these people are in trouble!!!' The more I looked around,
the more I realized that we are in danger of losing...and
have already lost...many of these historical structures
where so many people spent their lives serving others.
Their plight captivated me. They truly are national
treasures.
- Q: What is the current status of the Cape St. George
Lighthouse?
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- A: I know that efforts have been made to stabilize the
tower. The people of Apalachicola have worked hard for
the lighthouse and I believe they are still attempting to
complete the restoration.
- Q: What kind of research was involved in writing Thurber's
Light?
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- A: I did a lot of research on the Internet, but I also
contacted a number of knowledgeable individuals, visited
actual lightstations in the Southeast and did some good
old fashioned book reading.
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- Q: How long did it take you to write this book?
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- A: About three years.
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- Q: Tell us about plans for future books.
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- A: I am currently putting the finishing touches on a
second book entitled To the Star, With Love. And I'm
slowly exploring ideas for a third story.
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- Q: What authors do you like to read?
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- A: Most recently, I have finished a novel by Candace Robb.
I read a wide variety of things...as much, or more,
nonfiction as fiction. I greatly appreciate the works of
Elinor DeWire, Cheryl Shelton-Roberts and Candace Fleming...and
the role they have played in raising lighthouse awareness.
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- Q: Have there been other influences on your writing?
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- A: Yes, indeed...the cinema. I am, in truth, a visual
person. The vision comes to me first, rather than the
words. There are many movies and movie-makers which have
had a strong influence on me. I enjoy writing immensely...but
I will also always be in love with the image.
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- Q: What is your writing process?
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- A: Thurber's Light took me a long time to write,
in part because I also held a full-time job during its
creation. Writing and editing were relegated to very
brief periods during the early morning and in the
evenings. Then I would spend as much time as possible
writing on my days off. But I did identify with the
characters central to the story and took the time to view
things as the characters would see them.
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- Q: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
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- A: I have a great love of nature and visit local beaches
and parks whenever I can. I also enjoy drawing and many
other creative projects.
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- Q: What do you think makes a good story?
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- A: A good story should take you somewhere. I think that
there is a fine balance between action and strong
characters. A story needs both...it can't be just one or
the other. And also a good story needs to have a spark of
hope. I'm not opposed to tragedies, but they should give
readers something to walk away with...something positive
to think about.
This
interview, in whole or in portion, may be freely republished.
John M. Parsekian, January 16, 2004
An intriguing tale about a lighthouse and a ghost.
Diana Lee Whatley has written an excellent mystery novel,
quickly proving that she is not only a master story teller, but a
truly gifted wordsmith as well. Her novel is very carefully
plotted. Her characters are well drawn, engaging and very
believable. This book has a very unique story line. It involves
the sleepy fishing village of Saint Rosabelle, a town with some
deep, dark secrets in it's past; the long abandoned Saint
Rosabelle lighthouse; and a long dead lighthouse keeper named
Martin Thurber. Mr. Thurber happens to be a ghost! Another truly
interesting dimension of this novel is that it is told in two
tenses, the past and the present. The author very deftly shifts
back and forth, from present tense to past tense, in almost every
chapter of her story. She skillfully balances two casts of
characters-one from the past and one from the present- as she
advances her intriguing plot. The prime protagonist (present
tense) is Darcy Vornack, a likeable and intrepid young woman. In
a wager with her two land-developer friends, Darcy agrees to camp-out
on land adjacent to the old lighthouse for 90 days. Soon after
she sets up her tent, Darcy has her first encounter with the
other chief protagonist (past tense) of this tale, Martin Thurber.
To be precise, the ghost of Martin Thurber, dead since 1939!! The
stage is now set for a well told tale of interaction and
supernatural dialogue between Darcy and the ghost. The story
unfolds, with carefully plotted twists and turns, reaching a
surprising and satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed this book from
start to finish. If you enjoy mystery stories, ghost tales, and
very tightly plotted novels, this is a book for you. Thurber's
Light is a great read. I highly recommend it.
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Last revised: March 19, 2007.
