An interview with Brenda Vicars, author of Polarity in Motion.
Book description:
Fifteen-year-old Polarity Weeks just wants to live a normal
life, but with a mother diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, that’s
rarely easy. Her life gets exponentially more disastrous when her sixth-period
history classmates start ogling a nude picture of her on the Internet. Polarity
would never have struck such a shameless pose, but the photo is definitely of her,
and she’s at a complete loss to explain its existence.
Child Protective Services yanks her from her home,
suspecting her parents. The kids at school mock her, assuming she took it
herself. And Ethan, the boy she was really starting to like, backpedals and
joins the taunting chorus. Surrounded by disbelief and derision on all sides,
Polarity desperately seeks the truth among her friends. Only then does she
learn that everyone has dark secrets, and no one’s life is anywhere near
normal.
Hi Brenda! Congrats on the release of Polarity in
Motion! This story tackles a lot of hard-hitting issues contemporary teens
face, particularly cyberbullying. Why did you choose this as the premise of
your novel?
National headlines about
young people being targeted by cyberbullying make this issue important to teens.
Polarity’s story probes hard questions: Where’s
the line between victims and bullies? What’s
the role of adults—are they enablers, pawns, or something else? How does a girl go on after being humiliated
to the world? Will a boyfriend’s loyalty
survive?
Polarity's mother suffers from borderline personality disorder –
something that is very hard on Polarity and her father. Why did you choose this
particular disorder to write about, and what kind of background research did
you do to create the character?
I read many books, blogs, and articles about the disorder. Three books that I found particularly helpful were I HATE YOU, DON’T LEAVE ME by Jerold J. Kreisman MD and Hal Straus, STOP WALKING ON EGGSHELLS by Paul Mason and Randi Kreger, and EVIL GENES: WHY ROME FELL, HITLER ROSE, ENRON FAILED AND MY SISTER STOLE MY MOTHER’S BOYFRIEND by Barbara Oakley.
Are any of the circumstances, characters, or locations of your
novel based on the real world?
When I was a young administrator
in a school much like Polarity’s, I had the duty of accompanying the
drug-sniffing dog during routine searches. Typically, dogs don’t find drugs in
school because users and dealers know schools will be checked. However, one day
the dog alerted on a student’s backpack. I took the backpack and the student to
my office where I searched and found a baggie.
My first thought was, “What if this student is innocent? What if someone planted the marijuana here?
How will I ever find the truth?”
Fortunately, the student admitted guilt and we moved on. But from that day to this, I constantly mull
over disciplinary procedures—fearful of a weak spot that could cause a student
to be unjustly punished. Polarity in Motion grew out of that
fear.
At the heart of Polarity in Motion is an
interracial romance between Polarity and Ethan, and race relations in the U.S.
are touched upon at several points in the plot. What inspired you to explore
this subject?
I wondered whether a
white girl’s perception of white privilege would change when she fell in love
with a black boy.
Polarity has a strong affinity for Emily Dickinson – something
that earns her praise from teachers but jeers from schoolmates. Why did
you choose this particular poet for your character to focus on?
I love Dickinson’s vision.
So I was dumbfounded when I learned she believed the Irish should be
scientifically exterminated to make more room for everyone else. How could a
person with her gifted insight be so inhumanely prejudiced? This brutal look at the poet etched into my
understanding how fickle human perspective can be. Even Dickinson, with her
magical insight, was at one time blind to her own bias.
What do you hope readers will take away from Polarity in
Motion?
It’s hard to see our own
way of seeing—but love helps.
Why did you choose to write a YA book? What is it about that
particular genre/age group that appeals to you?
Young people are open
minded, ready to love, free to question, and willing to lay new paths. They are the future. I love them.
As a grown woman, what was it like writing from a modern day
teen's perspective? How did you get "into character"?
I never grew up! I am blessed to have young friends and young
editors who help keep my pages from sounding dated.
If you could co-write a book with any author across history, who
would you pick?
Flannery O’Connor. She lived a short, disease-plagued life, but
her raw, visionary perspective is astounding.
I think a writer could learn much from her!
Are you working on anything new?
Polarity and Ethan have
matured and grown since I wrote Polarity
in Motion. They have deeper needs
and are ready for greater risks. Their
next book is emerging: Polarity in Love!
