A revealing interview with Rebekah, author of 'Unthinkable' in our Sending Nudes anthology. How does it feel to publish a true story with all of your mistakes there for the world to see? Read on...
‘Unthinkable’ is a nonfiction narrative about a digital relationship you had with someone in another country. Was this story something you've had in mind to share for a while?
This story is exceptionally personal and highlights the worst in myself. For that reason, I never really anticipated sharing this with anyone outside of my support circle. This year, during lockdown, as things between us became progressively crazier and crazier, I realized just how unbelievable a lot of it was. I began to feel like I was living out a story, and that's when I decided to write it.
This relationship was a significant part of your life for 14 years, how did it feel when you finished writing ‘Unthinkable’, and how does it feel now knowing it will be published?
When I finished writing 'Unthinkable,' I felt numb. Writing it was an unexpectedly emotional experience. Digging through the old e-mails and texts really brought back each and every emotional high and low that I experienced throughout all those years. I am glad to share the story with others, as I think it is relatable, though shocking at times.
In regard to this being nonfiction, how do you handle feelings of vulnerability?
I have been very conflicted about how open to be about this piece of nonfiction. In the story, I write about things of which I am not proud; big mistakes that I made. I decided to leave names and other identifying information out of the story so as to protect the anonymity of the other people involved. I am happy to own up to my mistakes, but it is difficult writing about them for others to see and hear.
You're an English teacher. Does this help with your writing, and are your students a source of inspiration?
My students certainly serve as inspiration for me. I am planning to write a memoir of sorts recounting my experiences in the classroom and my students' antics. Teaching is an unpredictable and unbelievably important profession; I go in each day not knowing what will happen, and I try to impart knowledge and my own passion for language and literature to them. It is a challenge, but the students are hilarious, dramatic, and face unimaginable adversity. They make teaching worth it.
What are you currently reading?
I have just started An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Jovial, introspective, outgoing
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Sending Nudes is an intimate collection of fiction, nonfiction and poetry about why people send nudes. Release date is 15 January 2021. To pre-order from Guts visit: gutspublishing.com/sending-nudes. Sending Nudes is also available on Amazon worldwide. Click here to pre-order from Amazon US and Amazon UK.
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Rebekah LS is an American teacher in London with big dreams of owning a big dog. Rebekah writes about the only thing she really knows: her life.