Sherri Smith Revealed
Revealing Questions
- Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
- A. Writing, reading, research, deadline, barking dogs, wine, lots of
- Q. What is your motto or maxim?
- A. Be Kind
On Books and Writing
- Q. Who are your favorite authors?
- A. I am still, always discovering new favorite authors, but as of right now, I most admire Ian McEwan, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Richard Yates, Milan Kundera, Margaret Laurence.
- Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
- A.
Alias Grace
Atonement
Never Let Me Go
Revolutionary Road
Unless
- Q. How did you come to write Virgin's Tale?
- A.
The idea for the book originated while I was taking a summer course at the
I was drawn to the subject because there is little known about the Vestal Virgins though they were a long-standing state cult. I think this is pretty much why I wanted to write about them, to sort of sate my own curiosity. I just couldn’t help but wonder, what sort of impact it would have on a child to be given up by her parents to become a priestess, what sort of woman would she grow into? What sort of coping mechanisms might someone develop in order to stand around and watch a fire, day in and day out? What would the dynamics be like between the six Vestal Virgins, who would have been outwardly privileged, but isolated from the rest of society? And of course, I also couldn’t help but wonder what would lead a vestal virgin to risk such a horrifying punishment?
