Donna Minkowitz has been a dynamic force in the literary world for decades. She is a writer, teacher of memoir writing, a writing coach, a journalist, a radical activist, and the originator of the literary open mic series called Lit Lit.
Her memoir, "Ferocious Romance," won a Lambda Literary Award, and "Growing Up Golem" was a finalist for a Lammy and for the Publishing Triangle's Judy Grahn Nonfiction Award. A former columnist for the Village Voice, Minkowitz writing has also appeared in the The Nation, Salon, Slate, and The Advocate.
I've had the privilege of knowing Donna throughout this journey, witnessing her thrive and garner prestigious awards, while also sharing her expertise. One of her memoirs, "Ferocious Romance: What My Encounters with the Right Taught Me About Sex, God, and Fury," delved into the world of the right-wing Christian Fundamentalist organization the Promise Keepers. Her writing highlighted, in a funny and harrowing way, her absolute fearlessness as a journalist and social critic.
Her debut novel, "Donnaville" is set in "the city of Donna's mind," where all the characters except her partner and a "tourist" character are parts of her. The city is outwardly verdant and pleasant — attractive to visitors — but it also has a hidden, central prison. Some of the characters run the prison, and others are hoping to burn the place down. Still other characters, of course, are incarcerated there.
In advance of its October release from Indolent Books, Minkowitz discussed the inspirations behind her multi-singular-character novel.
Michele Karlsberg: Why did you choose the title "Donnaville?"
Donna Minkowitz: Since I was very young, I've been obsessed with the idea of the mind as a city. As a teenager, I read a poem by Delmore Schwartz that says, "the mind is a city like London,/Smoky and populous. It is a capital/Like Rome, ruined and eternal..."
I wanted to see what my mind — what my self — would be like if it were a city. What would the divisions between rich and poor be like? Would there be aggressive cops who hurt people? Would anyone rebel against them? What would sex and love and flirting be like in there? Would the economic system be oppressive?
Some of this imagining came about because I realized there was some kind of prison inside me in which parts of myself were imprisoned, and sometimes even tortured. I really wanted to destroy this prison, but in order to do that, I had to see it clearly first. I knew it was only through exploring it that I could learn how to tear it down.
I also knew there were a lot of beautiful things in my city — groves of flowers and fruit, some courageous people — and I wanted to put them in as well.
How queer is Donnaville?
Very queer! I like to say that the only heterosexual character is a horse. Everyone else (including the llamas) are bisexual, gay or lesbian, and/or nonbinary. There's a goddess in the book called the divine mother, and she's pretty much a lesbian who gets involved with several of the other female characters.
If you identify as a queer woman, and all the characters are parts of you, why are gay men so prominent in the story?
I actually identify as both female and nonbinary (always queer though). But in my life, I have sometimes felt like a man and sometimes like a woman. Even though I strongly identify with the specific history and culture of being a woman, gay men have always loomed large in my imagination. My wife says I must have been a gay man in a previous life. I often think gay men are sexy, and I like their personalities.
On that level, the book is a big romp across different genders and sexualities. There are three lesbian characters in addition to the goddess, and two gay men and a bisexual one, as well as a child who doesn't yet know her sexuality. And sometimes the lines get crossed — sometimes people get attracted to people outside their official sexual orientation, people they're not "supposed" to be attracted to.
Tell me more about the characters that aren't you.
Yes! Tourism is a big part of Donnaville's economy, and there's an important character named Hylas who's a tourist. That means that unlike most of the characters, he's not a part of me. He gets into a relationship with one of the protagonists, which is a way of illustrating what it's like to get into a relationship with me.
Also, my wife, who I call E in the book, is present as a character. Relationships are a major theme of this book. How to share your real self with others, how to honor your own needs but also make room for the needs of another person.
"Donnaville" will be available this October, from Indolent Books. You can pre-order now and also find out about her upcoming Kickstarter.
www.indolentbooks.com/
www.donnaminkowitz.com
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