TYPORAMA
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Acclaimed poet’s new literary novella explores truth and deception at a famous writers’ colony.
PRAISE FOR THE BAYROSE FILES:
“Young journalist Violet Maris tells a daring lie that launches her on a collision course with the truth about herself. ‘You just can’t trust a writer,’ Violet says. Trust Diane Wald to write a beautifully unsparing, rollickingly funny, tender story about fact and fiction, love and art, set in the creative hub of 1980s Provincetown. A great read you won’t want to put down.”—Philip Bennett, former managing editor, “The Washington Post”
“‘The Bayrose Files’ is a gem of a book, taking us into the creative and complex world of an art colony, seen through the eyes of an impostor. The characters, story, structure, language, setting, and pacing are brilliant. The moral lessons are gentle, human foibles forgivable. I devoured it in a single sitting and remain in awe of Diane Wald's imagination.”—Romalyn Tilghman, author of “To the Stars Through Difficulties”
“I gulped down ‘The Bayrose Files’ in one sitting. What starts as a simple story of deception unspools into a tale of grief, love, and complicated regret. In prose that crackles, Diane Wald crafts a marvelous storyteller in Violet Maris. Violet is sharp, endearing, and deeply human. It was a pleasure to follow her every bad decision. Violet—and Wald—kept me guessing until the last page.”—Miriam Gershow, author of “Closer” and “Survival Tips: Stories”
“For Violet Maris, the temperature varies in inanimate objects. This is her guide in The Home, a prestigious artist colony in Provincetown where, as a journalist, she poses as a fiction writer in order to write an exposé. Following the relative heat of things, she navigates the death of a dear friend, a love affair with a board member, and her own deceit. Of course, there is a reckoning, but it is not what she expects, in this metaphysical and gripping story where the pages seem to turn by themselves. What will touch her now?”—William C. Dell, author of “Home Alone in the Multiverse”
“In ‘The Bayrose Files,’ Diane Wald’s quirky narrator spins a strange story as oddly poignant as its setting: an artists’ community in early 80’s Provincetown. The moody, seductive atmosphere of this town and that time offers a fitting backdrop for this tale of betrayal and imposture. Violet Maris, named for the sea, tells a story of shifting currents, fogs of betrayal, emotional shipwreck, and ultimate confession. Wald’s story is smart and moving, a search for lost time and a reckoning with ghosts.”—Cynthia Huntington, author of “The Salt House” and “Heavenly Bodies”
“With sympathy and warmth, vividness and keen humor, Diane Wald chronicles Violet’s painful and belated coming of age, while bringing to life a raucous, randy, dedicated cast of artists and writers. Long after ‘The Bayrose Files’ ends, you will find Violet living on in your imagination: her ambitions, regrets, losses, and conscience pangs are keenly relatable, as is her journey toward authenticity, accountability, and living up to her heart’s potential.”—Karen Holmberg, author of “The Collagist”
“In spare and evocative prose, ‘The Bayrose Files’ chronicles the coming-of-age of a misguided young journalist who goes under false pretenses to an artists’ residency in off-season 1980s Provincetown. Diane Wald draws a compelling portrait of a complicated young woman forced to grapple with the cost of her ambition and the inevitability of regret. I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshingly unsentimental novel.”—Karen Dukess, author of “The Last Book Party”
“I read this little gem all at once, pulled in quickly by its eccentric and somewhat morally-challenged characters who are so relatable and so perfectly imperfect. The entire tale is based on a lie told by Violet Maris (an unsuspecting imposter who lives temporarily at an alluring artist colony for a writing fellowship), and watching the repercussions of her dishonesty unfold made me chuckle, wince, and worry right up the very last sentence.”—Chris McClain Johnson, author of “Three Guesses”
“Diane Wald's concise narrative and character-driven plot make this novel a joy. With a colorful combination of humor, romance, drama, and intrigue, the pages of ‘The Bayrose Files’ fly past effortlessly. I finished the book in a single sitting and enjoyed every moment….The dialogue is witty, and all the character interactions feel organic. I love how Wald makes Violet such a dynamic and layered character in a few pages….I highly recommend this book.”—Readers’ Favorite, 5 stars
“‘The Bayrose Files’ explores the tension in a young and highly ambitious writer who will do anything to make her dream come true…. Themes of creativity and self-exploration are cleverly developed…. [T]his deftly written and balanced narrative will engage readers from the beginning to the very last page, thanks to the gorgeous and descriptive prose.”—The Book Commentary, 5 stars
“‘The Bayrose Files’ is an alluring novel about creativity, lies, loss, and authenticity.”—Midwest Book Review
“Provincetown’s setting comes to life with its seaside, bohemian vibes and vibrant energy… A powerful exploration of artistic ambition, deception, and redemption.”—Kirkus Reviews
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ABOUT THE BAYROSE FILES:
BOSTON, MA – In Diane Wald’s sharp and tender novella, ambitious young journalist Violet Maris goes undercover at a prestigious writers’ colony in 1980s Provincetown.
Determined to secure a coveted residency, she fakes her talent, using her friend’s stories to gain admission.
Her intention: to write a captivating exposé based on her experiences. However, Violet's promising start at the colony takes a dark turn when tragedy strikes—her friend, the true author of the stories, succumbs to AIDS.
This loss plunges Violet into turmoil, compounded by the weight of the terrible secret she carries.
Compelled to confess, she confides in a member of the colony's board with whom she has become romantically involved.
The revelation of her deception leaves Violet grappling with disgrace and searching for a path toward redemption and reconciliation—with herself and those she has inadvertently hurt.
A short but powerful and provocative read, “The Bayrose Files” explores art, morality and identity with humor and a gentle heart.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
DIANE WALD is a poet and novelist who grew up in New Jersey, but lived most of her life in Massachusetts.
She has an MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has worked as a library assistant, periodical circulation manager, English professor, academic dean, and in-house writer for a national animal welfare organization.
Her novella “Gillyflower” was published in 2019 and won first place awards from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and American Book Fest, among other accolades.
“My Famous Brain,” her second novel, won first place in Visionary Fiction from the New York City Big Books Awards, first place in Visionary Fiction, New Adult Fiction, and Speculative Fiction from the Firebird Book Awards, and was a bronze winner in the Foreword INDIES Awards. Diane has also published more than 250 poems in literary magazines.
She is the recipient of a two-year fellowship in poetry from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and has been awarded the Grolier Poetry Prize, The Denny Award, The Open Voice Award, and the Anne Halley Award.
She also received a state grant from the Massachusetts Council on the Arts.
She has published four print chapbooks and won the Green Lake Chapbook Award.
Her new novel, “The Bayrose Files,” is forthcoming in May 2025 from Regal House Publishing. Learn more at www.dianewald.org.
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FOLLOW HER ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook: @sleeperina
Twitter: @sleeperina
Instagram: @dianewaldwriter
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An Interview with
DIANE WALD
1. What inspired you to write “The Bayrose Files”? Did you spend time at a writers colony like the one Violet goes to?
I was in my twenties when I was accepted for a poetry fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown (FAWC) in 1973, and that was renewed for a second year. The Bayrose Files is based on my experiences there – although it is totally fiction. The protagonist is a fiction writer, not a poet, and she cheated to obtain her residency. The story is set in the 1980s, which allowed me to explore the topic of AIDS in those days.
2. Provincetown is an interesting setting. What drew you to that place?
My parents packed up me and my younger brother and drove us almost every summer from our home in New Jersey to one of the towns on the outer Cape for a week or two, and every year one day was dedicated to visiting Provincetown. I not only got to know the place; I fell in love, and visited as often as I could when I grew up. Provincetown as a setting allowed me to explore a wide array of lifestyles, ages, careers, art forms, and beliefs in order to enhance my book’s themes of personal ethics, creativity, love, and friendship. I often think of the setting as a character in my book.
3. A unique subplot is that Violet can sense items by their varying temperatures as a “thermopath.” What does this signify for you?
I’m not sure if “thermopath” is actually a word or if one of my blurbists coined it, but it does describe this interesting talent of Violet’s. I like to include extrasensory concepts in my work, and have done so in my previous two novels. In The Bayrose Files, Violet is forced to pay attention to these temperature clues all through her various experiences and misadventures as a sort of grounding device. By the end of the book she’s paying a great deal of attention to them.
4. You are also an award-winning poet. Does your poetry influence your approach to writing fiction?
I was terrified of showing my fiction to anyone for many years, although I started writing it in my forties. I didn’t resurrect the idea of publishing it until a few years ago. I do think my poetry influences my prose writing because I always work with a piece from the word to the phrase to the sentence to the paragraph. I want all the words to be the best ones I can come up with, and that’s a lot like writing poetry. Imagery is tremendously important to me as well, and making sure the imagery repeats and transforms itself and creates a sensory whole. What I love about fiction is adding dialogue to the mix.
5. Since retirement, you’ve been writing more than ever. Do you find you have more inspiration, more time to focus, or both? What is your writing process like?
Since I retired four years ago, I’ve published four books: a volume of poetry, two novels, and now this book. Plus, I’ve placed quite a few poems, stories, and memoir pieces in the last few years as well. Some of that is just luck; some of it is having more time. I have a lovely room to write in and the calmness that develops over time when you don’t have to worry about all the vicissitudes of your day job. My last day job, as an in-house writer for a large organization, was especially stressful, although I don’t regret it because my duties included writing every day. That keeps your writing muscles strong.
6. What’s next for you?
I’ve put together a “collected/selected” poetry manuscript that’s searching for a publisher. A few people have said they’d love to see a sequel to The Bayrose Files, so I’m thinking about that. I’m also playing around with ideas gleaned from my years as a dean in an art college, or my years working in animal welfare; I think either of those could provide an abundance of odd and interesting characters and situations, just as the art colony does in The Bayrose Files.
Sounds very good!!
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Thank you for the review.
ReplyDeleteSure - thanks for commenting, Mystica.
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