SEELIE KAY: Postcards from The Ledge: This week in The Loft: Australian Author JL Peridot!

Joining me today in The Loft is Australian author JL Peridot. JL writes love letters to the future on devices from the past. She's a qualified computer scientist, former website maker, amateur horticulturist, and sometimes illustrator. But most of the time, she's an author of romantic science fiction. When not writing, JL indulges in cryptic crosswords, pole fitness, books, gardening, and indie videogames. She lives with her partner and fur-family in Boorloo/Perth, Australia, on Whadjuk Noongar country.

Author JL Peridot

S: Welcome to The Loft, JL! Thanks for joining me today.

Book banning is back in the news and even some very popular romance authors' books are being removed from school libraries. How do you feel about this trend? How do we fight it?

JL: You know, while reading about book banning in the US, I learned that my country has a history of doing this, too. Here, getting caught for carrying a banned book would mean police involvement and possible conviction. A news story from a couple years ago tells of how in 1970, Penguin Australia arranged for a banned book to be illegally printed and distributed in secret. Supported by lawyers, journalists, academics, and other members of Australia’s literary community, Penguin was only successfully convicted in one state, with another state simply refusing to prosecute. This happened at a time when censorship laws were supposed to be universally enforced, and it effectively “punched a hole in the system," inspiring other publishers to publish more banned books. This carried on for a couple of years until 1972, when Australian voters elected a new government that then dismantled the censorship system. I came across stories of Americans fighting back against book banning as well. Like those booksellers who loaned and gave away free copies of a banned graphic novel about the Holocaust. And the furry community leading fundraising efforts for a public library denied funding because they carry LGBTQ+ books. And the bookshops that banded together against politicians testing the waters on bookselling “restrictions." Penguin Random House and chain bookstores are more Goliath than David these days, but all these stories of solidarity remind me of that Margaret Mead quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” We fight this by continuing to create and circulate good books, by writing to department heads and local policymakers, and by voting with both dollar and ballot paper.

S: I have to admit, I never thought book bans would be implemented in my neighborhood. But just last week, a suburb next to mine pulled a number of books from school library shelves. I was quite pleased when students expressed dismay, but pointed out that the same books are available at the public library and online. Said one student, "And, now I'm going to make an effort to read all of them."

What is the best/worst thing that has ever happened to you as a writer?

JL: Oh man, the worst thing? Before writing books, I used to make zines and sent one to a community magazine. Their review writer totally went to town on how much he hated it. I was devastated, not just from the harsh criticism of my work, but because it completely shattered the idea I had about a close-knit creative community who looked out for each other. My heartbreak ended, however, when I had a chance to read the reviewer’s own zines. His whole bit was that “punching down” type of comedy, which can be hilarious if done well. His work didn’t appeal to me at all, so it made sense that my writing wouldn’t be his cup of tea either. One of the best things came soon after. A reader on the other side of the world sent me a lovely hand-written letter to let me know my zine helped her during a difficult time in her life. It meant so much, because someone in her shoes was exactly who I’d had in mind while writing. All of this opened my eyes to how most of the criticism you’ll get isn’t really about you, it’s just randoms doing their thing while you happen to be there. What really matters is the feedback you get from the people you care about and the people you’re writing for.

S: Have you ever shelved or thrown out a manuscript?

JL: Definitely! Just in the last few years, I’ve scrapped two novel drafts and four novella plots. Sometimes, you know instinctively that something isn’t working, even if you can’t articulate it. That said, your chat about “heat levels” with J. Arlene Culiner got me thinking. Maybe I tried too hard to control my characters and stories, rather than letting them develop a life of their own. Have you had this experience as well? Sometimes writing feels like you’re trying to carefully brush dirt off a mysterious buried artifact without accidentally taking its nose off too.

S: I always say my characters direct the story, not me. If the story doesn't go anywhere, I have learned to move on. There is no benefit to forcing it.

Are you self-published or traditionally published?

JL: My latest book, "Yet We Sleep, We Dream," is my first self-published novel-length work. It took me a year to plan and write, and close to another year to revise and produce, but every step gave me a chance to try something new — like working with a sensitivity reader, canvassing a diverse group of beta readers and critique partners, and connecting with local writing groups and organizations. Stuff I would just never have thought to do with a publisher, because my traditional publishing pathways were so established and on fixed timelines. "Chasing Sisyphus (2017)" and "It Starts with a Kiss (2019)," were both traditionally published by Siren-BookStrand and Kyanite Publishing respectively. Each publisher operated so differently and getting to work with both of them was an amazing experience I’m so grateful to have had. I’d definitely try traditional publishing again, but for now I’m focused on learning as much as I can through the indie route.

S: If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose to write books?

JL: Seelie, if you’d asked me three months ago, when I was in the throes of final edits, I would have said absolutely not. When I’m in the weeds, I’m right in there with my face in the mud and bugs coming out my nose, and whatever book I’m writing is the bane of my existence. But that’s just part of the creative process sometimes. It’s the mountain you climb so you can be the person you become once it’s over. You hate it and you love it and by doing so, you get to experience a broader spectrum of your humanity. So yes, I would still choose to write books. And I will relish the love–hate every step of the way.

S: Editing can be a frustrating experience, especially when others don't share you vision for a book.

What inspired "Yet We Sleep, We Dream?"

JL: I’m very open about this book being a retelling of Shakespeare’s, "A Midsummer Night’s Dream." There’s an Oberon and a Titania, and characters who mash-up and mangle the Bard’s original roles. This novel was my redemption arc for understanding a text I struggled with in school. In a way, it’s a love letter to my teenaged immigrant self to say, hey, you’ll get this one day. It was also a way to explore my hopes and fears about climate change through the lens of futuristic fantasy romance.

S: Is there anything special you would like people to know about "Yet We Sleep, We Dream?"

JL: It’s never mentioned in this novel that the characters are from Australia, but the language is lifted from the everyday speech I’ve heard since moving here. I was tempted to include more colorful and uniquely Aussie turns of phrase just for fun, like “flat out like a lizard drinking,” and “dry as a dead dingo’s donger," but that would just be inauthentic--I don’t hear those nearly as much as I’d like to in the suburbs! Besides, I reckon non-Aussie readers will have a good enough time with “yeah nah” and all the casual swearing.

Here's the blurb--

Love triangles get bent out of shape when restless gods come out to play.

Relationships are complicated enough when only humans are involved--something the crew of the starship Athenia know plenty about. These children of a changing climate are no strangers to conflicts of the heart. And it seems there's a lot of conflict going on, even out in space.

When an alien dust finds its way on board, the veil between realms begins to fray. Old gods of a long dead planet resume their own romantic bickering while ancient magic wreaks havoc across the ship. Grudges resurface, friends turn to enemies, unrequited love turns to passion — or does it? It's kinda hard to tell with everyone at each other's throats.

Gentles, perchance you wonder at this show; but wonder on, till truth make all things plain. Yet We Sleep, We Dream is a romantic space-fantasy inspired by Shakespeare's endearing hot mess, A Midsummer Night's Dream.