BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we interviewed J.E. Delehanty about his writing and his recently released novel, Barnaby Shea, a stellar mystery, in which Infidelity and murder turn a couple’s life upside down. (Read the review here.) Delehanty graduated from Gonzaga University, received his MA in Theater Arts at Washington State University and continued his doctoral studies at Northwestern. He has spent most of his adult life in the Northwest as a teacher, actor, director and writer. 

Tell us a little about how Barnaby Shea first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?

There are two things really that gave birth to my second novel. A character surfaced in my first novel, ‘Tis More than Luck, that intrigued me and I kept looking for an opportunity to develop him further. Some years after I published that first novel, a Jesuit friend of mine confided in me that, because of the national and international media coverage surrounding the accusations of abuse in the Catholic church, he found himself constantly under an invisible microscope. It more than saddened him to look out at his congregation, all eyes upon him, and wonder if they were all asking themselves, “Is he one of them? Is he also guilty of the horrible abuse we hear about?” I was so moved by the pain I saw in my friend’s eyes I could not help but see the truth in the belief that once an accusation is made the damage is done. What followed was my need to write the story of Barnaby Shea and, in the process, bring back the character who had so captured my imagination years before. I hope readers will understand that, even though the main character is a former priest, this is not a Catholic story any more than if the main character were an ex-senator it would require the story to be political. The issues, the characters and the story itself are all much more universal than that.

How did publishing your first book, ‘Tis More than Luck, change your process of writing when you started Barnaby Shea?

I don’t believe it did. In fact, while I was writing Barnaby Shea I wasn’t thinking about the publishing process at all. Perhaps I was more conscious of the formatting and paid more attention to editing as I went along but mostly I was simply telling a story and trusting my love of language to guide me.

How do you begin a book?

Well, that depends on the story I suppose. Every author has been told over and over that the opening sentence is crucial. While that opening sentence is important it is not, for me at least, where I begin. I can always return to that sentence many different times as the story unfolds. What is most important to me as I begin writing is that I have a clear image of the main character who will set the tone, drive the story, invite the other characters in and captivate the reader’s imagination. Thus, I first imagine a character and then decide where that character’s story needs to begin.

Which scene or chapter in Barnaby Shea is your favorite? Why?

While there are a number of chapters in Barnaby Shea I am very fond of, I think Chapter Six is perhaps the one I favor most. In Chapter Six we meet Muriel, Lynn’s mother, for the first time. I find her to be a warm and wonderful character. Her existence in the Cedar Hollow Retirement Home reminds me of my own mother’s situation and I loved creating a world for Muriel that I knew from experience was accurate and truthful. I also knew from experience how it would eventually end for Muriel and that gave me honest empathy for the character. The second part of Chapter Six shows us a few moments in Melvin’s life that are extremely important and foreshadowing and I love the way that part of the chapter unfolds as well.

Which scene was most difficult to write? Why?

Of course there were many scenes that were difficult. The subject matter alone presented any number of moments that were not only difficult to write but very painful as well. It was particularly challenging to write the scenes in Chapter Eight where Barnaby confronts the Hobsons. Walter Hobson’s anger aside, it was difficult for me to find a balance between revealing their guilt, anger and shame while at the same time making clear the multiple layers of love in that same family. Both the healthy and nurturing love and the misguided love as well.

What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?

That is a difficult question. I know for certain what I would not give up or compromise. I would not, could not, give up my values or my view of the world or the things and people I love. I would not forfeit the truth. I do have other passions and, I suppose, I could set them aside for a time if the single focus could make me a better writer. I don’t believe that a writer needs to give up anything to improve his or her craft. On the other hand, I am most definitely willing to give up worrying about selling my books. I will write and I will love writing if my wife is the only person in the world who buys a copy of my work.

What authors do you like to read? What book or books have had a strong influence on you or your writing?

I read all kinds of authors and all kinds of books including dramatic literature. I love a good story like everyone else and I appreciate well developed characters and important themes but the literature that has influenced me most is the work of authors who are wordsmiths, lovers of language and manipulators of language. Writers like Niall Williams and William Least Heat-Moon to mention a few. These and others like them can create a depth of feeling and understanding, a comprehension of the world that simply doesn’t exist in other works. These are the authors who can provide a vivid and perfect image in a single phrase even in as little as three words as Kurt Vonnegut often does in Slaughterhouse Five.

How does your faith life/ethical outlook inform your writing?

Good question. In my opinion, everyone’s view of the world is, if not defined, at least colored by their faith. It doesn’t matter if that is the faith of an orthodox Jew or a devout Catholic or a self-proclaimed humanist. The fact is what we believe in affects everything we do and the decisions we make. that certainly would hold true for authors who are trying to help us see ourselves and the world around us more clearly. My short answer would have to be that my faith life does indeed inform my writing because it informs my life. Exactly how and in what precise ways I really couldn’t tell you except that my faith is, at its core, a belief in kindness, love and forgiveness and that has to seep into my writing in some fundamental way.

What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

That we must be careful about accusations. That forgiveness is the only way we can move forward, that life can move forward.

What’s next for you?

I have started another novel that I play with in my mind when I daydream. It will not be a sequel in any way. The characters will be new and there will be, I hope, a great deal of humor on every page.

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