In this candid interview, Author Emily Brown reflects on the deeply personal journey that inspired the creation of her memoir—a journey that began with a desire to better understand family, identity, and the passage of time. Through memories, self-discovery, and hard-earned insight, the book explores the universal search for belonging and the winding path that leads us toward self-acceptance. Brown shares the challenges of transforming life experiences into a compelling narrative and discusses the lessons she hopes readers will carry with them long after the final page.
Q&A with Emily Brown
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
A: I started writing when I realized my father was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. If wanted to understand the environment I grew up in, why my parents divorced and to get my dad’s view on my difficult mother, I had to start asking questions before it was too late.
Q: Can you give us an overview of what the book is about?
A: The book is about my search for belonging. It wasn’t clear to me when I first started writing that all along, and particularly at key junctures in my life, I was actually looking for a place to belong. It was only when I reflected back on the choices I made that I began to realize what my journey was all about.
Q: What message or lessons do you hope readers take away from your book?
A: That most of us do not have a straight path that we can take to magically find ourselves. It takes time, failures, successes and acceptance of change to truly become who you are meant to be. Even when you don’t think you can struggle any further, know that clarity will come.
Q: What makes your book unique compared to others on the same topic?
A: Many memoirs are written by famous people and although their memoirs are interesting they are not necessarily relevant to the majority of us who lead regular lives. But each of us has a unique story to tell that readers can learn from. Memoirs hopefully spur readers to think more about their own lives and inspire them to make decisions that they may not have otherwise made.
Q: Were there any challenges you faced while writing this book?
A: If so, what were they? Transforming a manuscript based on self-discovery to a story with structure, scenes and dialogue was difficult. Also, having to cut content about experiences that included people very important to me but which distracted from the main themes of my memoir was difficult.
Q: What is your favorite chapter or section of the book and why?
A: The ending is my favorite chapter because I was finally able to connect the dots about my life decisions and find personal relief and self-compassion. It has allowed me to find space from which to move forward in my life.
Q: How did you determine the structure and organization of the book?
A: It was a slow process. Initially, I simply wrote to make sense of my world and the decisions I had made in my life. I had no specific structure in mind. It was only after I completed the first draft of the manuscript and had exposed everything that had been pushed down inside for so long, that I began to see the themes that now run through the book.
Q: Can you tell us about any specific moments or stories that stood out to you while researching or writing the book?
A: I was a full time activist in San Francisco for many years challenging the harmful effects of capitalism. My time living in Hungary was an opportunity to experience life under a socialist system. It was an opportunity to compare these two social systems. I wish I could have told more of that story in my memoir.
Q: What role do you see your book playing in society or in the field you’re writing about?
A: My memoir, like other memoirs, can hopefully break through celebrity myths about the reality of life and provide the reader with more relatable stories. It is these shared stories that likely match up more closely with our own lived experience. With memoirs, readers can challenge assumptions and misconceptions about life decisions and ultimately find purpose that reflects our truest selves.
Q: Can you give us a hint about what you’re working on next?
A: I haven’t decided yet what I will write about next. I am still mulling over different ideas, but the strength of my writing relies on my direct experience.
About the Author:
Emily Brown has lived a diverse life, rich in personal growth, travel, and self-discovery. She grew up amidst the manicured lawns and celebrities’ houses of Beverly Hills as her family disintegrated. She completed a BA in economics at the University of California. She then devoted eight years in San Francisco to an intense full-time commitment to an activist organization founded by women, engaging in campaigns such as preserving funding for social services by increasing corporate taxes. She moved to Canada with her Canadian husband Tony, enrolling in an MA in international political economy at Carleton University. She spent a year conducting research on foreign capitalist enterprises in Hungary and travelling through Eastern Europe, just before the collapse of communism. Emily and Tony eventually settled in Hamilton, Canada, where they raised their son. Emily worked in the financial district in the Toronto headquarters offices of large international banks and insurance firms. Emily devotes her spare time to gardening and writing. Momentum is her debut book.