Sunny cloudless weather was on the mind of an Easthampton, Massachusetts, author who's recently released novel is called “Bluebird Day.”
“It's a bright blue, sunny day after a snowstorm,” explains author Megan Tady, “And it also was a bit of a metaphor. You know, the mother and daughter go through the storm of their own relationship, and there is a question of whether they're going to come out on the other side and see that bright blue, sunny day that you long for.”
The author and NEPM’s Carrie Healy recently met to talk about Tady’s novel at the Forbes Library, in Northampton. We ducked into a quiet space to talk about her writing process, which included research on competitive alpine skiing using library books. While Tady recreationally downhill skied a long time ago, writing about a complicated relationship between a mother and daughter who are each decorated alpine ski racing champions who separately leave the sport for wildly different reasons, was a world she was somewhat unfamiliar with.
Megan Tady, author: I wanted to explore the world of competitive athletes, and women who are competitive even beyond their 20s or 30s.
What does it mean to be a competitive woman? I thought, 'Well, what's the most dangerous sport you can do?' And it turns out... it's downhill ski racing!
You know, you're going 90 miles an hour down these ski runs. They're different every time the weather changes - there are so many variables. And not only do you have to be physically fit, but you also have to be mentally ready.
And that was really compelling to me. I wanted to play with mental health and sport, which I do, in the book.
Carrie Healy, NEPM: Your daughter character, Wiley, has a unique, very Western Mass-centric and recognized job. Describe what museum she's at?
Yeah. So, I have her working as an exhibition manager at MASS MoCA (in North Adams).
I did some research about what that job entails; she went to art school, and that's what causes the rift between her and her mom.
She gives up [alpine skiing] and goes to art school. Her mom's like, ‘but you have all the talent in the world. Why would you do this job instead? You're just hanging picture frames’… when in reality that job is an art form in and of itself. And I learned a lot about it.
I have to say that there is a chapter, or at least a part of a chapter, that is set in a location that I have not read (or maybe very, very rarely read in a novel) and that is: a bathroom. Was your editor at all hesitant to include that?
Yeah, that's such a funny question! No one pushed back on that. I love creating forced proximity. The mom and daughter are stuck in Switzerland, and the only place to stay is this youth hostel with bunk beds. And to make matters worse, there's only one bathroom on this floor. And so, you know, you always have these bizarre run ins with the people who are staying there. And it created a really interesting place for people to forge unlikely friendships in an unlikely place.
A great deal of the novel is set in the Swiss Alps, and it's somewhere that I've never visited, but a place that you made feel very real because of the atmosphere. All the colorful guests and all the great foods. Everybody eats fondue and all manner of European pastries. But there's also the muesli and all of that. So, food plays actually a crucial part in the unraveling of this story (and actually in the stitching up of another). Was that a natural fit for you to just include food in the narrative?
It definitely was. You know, I have traveled quite a bit and went to Switzerland and appreciated the food so much, so I wanted to play with that. I also knew that for Wylie, she's still kind of coming out of this world of sports that was highly controlled, and in that way, she was also controlling her exercise and her food and going so far as using an app to sort of count up her calorie intake.
And she gets to Switzerland and she's just like, ‘Wait a minute, look at all these pastries. Look at this fondue! Why have I been holding out all my life?’
And that's kind of been the journey for her over the novel is a softening up and a relaxing into an enjoyment in not only food, but taking a walk for no particular reason, you know, not to get her steps in, but just because it's a beautiful day.
You did include climate change; Glaciers are retreating, and that cannot be overlooked when you're writing a book about the Swiss Alps. Is that a hot topic in the competitive ski racing world?
It definitely is. And I knew that if I wanted to touch on snow and ski sports, I had to talk about climate change. The winters are changing, and if we care about winters and snow sports, we have to take action.
So, I wanted to sort of spread that message throughout without hitting the reader over the head with it. So, they walk away and they're like, ‘Oh yeah, like, I love a beautiful winter day. What am I going to do in my own pocket of the planet to make a change?’
RESOURCES:
- The Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL) is available 24/7, 365 days per year and is available for all residents of Massachusetts. Call or text 833-773-2445. Visit the website to chat online.
- 988 is for anyone in emotional distress or suicidal crisis. It is also for anyone who is worried about a loved one and needs support to get them help. Lifeline specialists are available to provide free, confidential emotional support to all callers.
