Diana Peterfreund has been a costume designer, a cover model, and a food critic. Her travels have taken her from the cloud forests of Costa Rica to the underground caverns of New Zealand (and as far as she’s concerned, she’s just getting started). Diana graduated from Yale University in 2001 with dual degrees in Literature and Geology, which her family claimed would only come in handy if she wrote books about rocks. Now, this Florida girl lives with her husband and their puppy in Washington D.C., and writes books that rock.
A Midsummer Night’s Read (MSNR): Welcome to A Midsummer Night’s Read, Diana! Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy promotion schedule to stop by. Congratulations on the success of your most recent release, For Darkness Shows the Stars, we loved it!
MSNR: I have to say that For Darkness Shows the Stars was nothing like I expected, and I love what you did with Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Why Persuasion out of Austen’s works?
Diana Peterfreund (DP): I love Persuasion and I feel like it’s one of Jane Austen’s novels that doesn’t get the same amount of attention as, say, Pride & Prejudice. There have been dozens of retellings of that one, and Emma, of course, has Clueless, among others. I wanted to see what could be done with my favorite.
Diana Peterfreund (DP): I love Persuasion and I feel like it’s one of Jane Austen’s novels that doesn’t get the same amount of attention as, say, Pride & Prejudice. There have been dozens of retellings of that one, and Emma, of course, has Clueless, among others. I wanted to see what could be done with my favorite.
MSNR: Can you tell us a little bit about the world building you did to create Emma and Kai’s rebuilt society? Why choose that setting to retell Persuasion?
DP: My first concern was creating a society where the notion of class was a real, quantifiable thing. I also wanted to make sure this was a society whose class system was about to break down, even if the Powers-That-Be weren’t entirely aware of it yet. That’s what you have in Persuasion: a landed nobility that thinks they’re better than everyone, even though they might be in debt to an up and coming, industrious middle class. Everything else sort of built from that need, and when I came up with the concept of the anti-technology Luddites and the world that made them that way, I realized it would be an excellent way to incorporate the sort of pastoral, historical feel of Austen into my futuristic world.
DP: My first concern was creating a society where the notion of class was a real, quantifiable thing. I also wanted to make sure this was a society whose class system was about to break down, even if the Powers-That-Be weren’t entirely aware of it yet. That’s what you have in Persuasion: a landed nobility that thinks they’re better than everyone, even though they might be in debt to an up and coming, industrious middle class. Everything else sort of built from that need, and when I came up with the concept of the anti-technology Luddites and the world that made them that way, I realized it would be an excellent way to incorporate the sort of pastoral, historical feel of Austen into my futuristic world.
MSNR: Not going to lie, I desperately want to have more from Elliot and Kai’s world, especially with the way For Darkness Shows the Stars ended. Is there a possibility for more? Or is it definitely a stand alone?
DP: There’s always the free prequel, “Among the Nameless Stars.” It’s funny; I specifically set out to write this book as a standalone because I haven’t done that before and because there’s a real dearth of them in the YA market now. But I’ve been asked about a sequel so often I understand why everyone else likes to write series! I will never say never. Besides, I’ve kind of got a reputation for writing short stories set in my book worlds, so…
DP: There’s always the free prequel, “Among the Nameless Stars.” It’s funny; I specifically set out to write this book as a standalone because I haven’t done that before and because there’s a real dearth of them in the YA market now. But I’ve been asked about a sequel so often I understand why everyone else likes to write series! I will never say never. Besides, I’ve kind of got a reputation for writing short stories set in my book worlds, so…
MSNR: I have to say I enjoyed the tortuous relationship between Elliot and Kai, and as much as I wished there was more KISSING in For Darkness Shows the Stars, I think that the payoff was much better this way. Were you tempted to throw some in there that eventually didn’t make the final draft?
DP: Ah, the kissing. Well, there were a few thoughts going into that one. I thought not shoving in a big make-out session was probably more true to Austen. Additionally, Kai and Elliot are extremely private people, so a big public makeout session wouldn’t be on their to-do list under any circumstances. There was a question during edits about whether she was in his cabin there at the end (which I guess means Ro would be there too?), and I decided to leave it as “cabins” and let the reader draw the conclusion that felt most comfortable to them. And of course, I’ve gotten a lot of question about what exactly happens in the letters after Chapter Nine!
DP: Ah, the kissing. Well, there were a few thoughts going into that one. I thought not shoving in a big make-out session was probably more true to Austen. Additionally, Kai and Elliot are extremely private people, so a big public makeout session wouldn’t be on their to-do list under any circumstances. There was a question during edits about whether she was in his cabin there at the end (which I guess means Ro would be there too?), and I decided to leave it as “cabins” and let the reader draw the conclusion that felt most comfortable to them. And of course, I’ve gotten a lot of question about what exactly happens in the letters after Chapter Nine!
MSNR: What inspired the beautiful Star Cavern in the novel?
DP: The star cavern was inspired by the beautiful glow worm caves found in New Zealand, where For Darkness Shows the Stars is set. When I visited New Zealand in 2004, we visited these caves in the North Island and I was utterly enchanted. I felt like a natural miracle was one that would mean a lot to the nature-loving Luddites in my book, and it had a beautiful resonance with the story of Noah and the rainbow and the olive tree, so I made it a sacred space for them.
DP: The star cavern was inspired by the beautiful glow worm caves found in New Zealand, where For Darkness Shows the Stars is set. When I visited New Zealand in 2004, we visited these caves in the North Island and I was utterly enchanted. I felt like a natural miracle was one that would mean a lot to the nature-loving Luddites in my book, and it had a beautiful resonance with the story of Noah and the rainbow and the olive tree, so I made it a sacred space for them.
MSNR: Can you tell us scientifically what caused the Reduction? Or is it something left to the imagination and God?
DP: I actually did a ton of research on epigenetics and endogenous retroviruses that didn’t make it into the novel because it wasn’t part of Elliot’s story or Elliot’s POV. The former is truly a fascinating field, less about genetic changes (which rely more on inheritability, which of course is not 100%) and more about the expression of genes we already have. As for endogenous retroviruses, our DNA is full of both genes that don’t work, and remnants viruses that our ancestors have fought off but have somehow become incorporated into our DNA — “junk” that we think isn’t useful to us anymore, like resistance to diseases that no longer exist. But they aren’t really junk, as occasionally, they unexpectedly “switch on,” and scientists still aren’t sure exactly why, or how to get them to “turn off” again. One example of this is that a gene that makes people susceptible to Crohn’s disease is suddenly switching on in people again after thousands of years. Is it modern diets? Genetically modified wheat? A retrovirus? There have been other studies that show levels of ERVs (endogenous retroviruses) in people with certain mental disorders are higher than in the general population. At it’s very, very simplest, my story imagines a world in which genetic engineering centered on using enhanced forms of artifically induced retroviruses to switch on “good genes” to make our bodies stronger and better– but it went terribly wrong, and activated swaths of “bad genes” in the process. And I could go into more detail, but it would take charts and scientific papers.
DP: I actually did a ton of research on epigenetics and endogenous retroviruses that didn’t make it into the novel because it wasn’t part of Elliot’s story or Elliot’s POV. The former is truly a fascinating field, less about genetic changes (which rely more on inheritability, which of course is not 100%) and more about the expression of genes we already have. As for endogenous retroviruses, our DNA is full of both genes that don’t work, and remnants viruses that our ancestors have fought off but have somehow become incorporated into our DNA — “junk” that we think isn’t useful to us anymore, like resistance to diseases that no longer exist. But they aren’t really junk, as occasionally, they unexpectedly “switch on,” and scientists still aren’t sure exactly why, or how to get them to “turn off” again. One example of this is that a gene that makes people susceptible to Crohn’s disease is suddenly switching on in people again after thousands of years. Is it modern diets? Genetically modified wheat? A retrovirus? There have been other studies that show levels of ERVs (endogenous retroviruses) in people with certain mental disorders are higher than in the general population. At it’s very, very simplest, my story imagines a world in which genetic engineering centered on using enhanced forms of artifically induced retroviruses to switch on “good genes” to make our bodies stronger and better– but it went terribly wrong, and activated swaths of “bad genes” in the process. And I could go into more detail, but it would take charts and scientific papers.
MSNR: If you could choose any Austen novel, besides Persuasion, which would you recommend to readers, and why?
DP: If they haven’t read any Austen, I definitely recommend Pride & Prejudice. There’s a reason most people read that first, as it’s the one most suited to our modern tastes in terms of character and pacing. The heroine, Lizzy, is hilarious, and her story is one that will resonate with modern readers a lot.
DP: If they haven’t read any Austen, I definitely recommend Pride & Prejudice. There’s a reason most people read that first, as it’s the one most suited to our modern tastes in terms of character and pacing. The heroine, Lizzy, is hilarious, and her story is one that will resonate with modern readers a lot.
MSNR: Would you consider adapting another classic novel into a modern YA story? (I mean you did so wonderfully on this one!)
DP: Thank you. And yes. And my lips are sealed. 🙂
DP: Thank you. And yes. And my lips are sealed. 🙂
MSNR: You have been in the publishing world for a while, so what advice would you give to young adults that would like to become an author?
DP: Do not be in too much of a hurry to become “an author.” The day you do, your writing stops being for YOU, and you want to make sure you have a very clear sense of what you are a writer are before that happens. If you want to write, then write. Write anything and everything (journals, limericks, a rock opera!), read as much as you possibly can, but also learn a whole lot outside of reading and writing so that you have something interesting to write about. Travel and talk to people and study some completely unrelated subject. I learned very little in the creative writing classes I took that I use in my work, but I can point to several stories that arose directly from stuff I learned in a (non-writing) class at school – geology, history, sociology, even linguistics!
DP: Do not be in too much of a hurry to become “an author.” The day you do, your writing stops being for YOU, and you want to make sure you have a very clear sense of what you are a writer are before that happens. If you want to write, then write. Write anything and everything (journals, limericks, a rock opera!), read as much as you possibly can, but also learn a whole lot outside of reading and writing so that you have something interesting to write about. Travel and talk to people and study some completely unrelated subject. I learned very little in the creative writing classes I took that I use in my work, but I can point to several stories that arose directly from stuff I learned in a (non-writing) class at school – geology, history, sociology, even linguistics!
MSNR: Any hints on upcoming projects? J
DP: My next book is really frocktastic. Frocktacular. Frockalicious. After four books where my heroine wears essentially jeans and sneakers (with the occasionally black robe), two where the heroine wears hunting camos the whole time, and one where poor Elliot’s never heard of velvet or touched silk, and is shocked by anything in bright colors, it’s nice to write one about a real clotheshorse. I love clothes myself, so I really went to town. And that’s all I’m going to say.
DP: My next book is really frocktastic. Frocktacular. Frockalicious. After four books where my heroine wears essentially jeans and sneakers (with the occasionally black robe), two where the heroine wears hunting camos the whole time, and one where poor Elliot’s never heard of velvet or touched silk, and is shocked by anything in bright colors, it’s nice to write one about a real clotheshorse. I love clothes myself, so I really went to town. And that’s all I’m going to say.
MSNR: Thank you so much for stopping by A Midsummer Night’s Read! I can’t wait to read what you have next, and I will definitely be re-reading Persuasion (it’s been a while) soon.
DP: Thank you so much for having me! I hope you enjoy your re-read of Persuasion. I am curious if, coming into it after For Darkness, you’ll see something different in the characters, or make connections between my characters and their Austenian counterparts that you hadn’t before. I’ll admit, if my book can get more people interested in Persuasion, I’ll feel like I’ve done my duty!
DP: Thank you so much for having me! I hope you enjoy your re-read of Persuasion. I am curious if, coming into it after For Darkness, you’ll see something different in the characters, or make connections between my characters and their Austenian counterparts that you hadn’t before. I’ll admit, if my book can get more people interested in Persuasion, I’ll feel like I’ve done my duty!
Check out our review of For Darkness Shows the Stars
Purchase For Darkness Shows the Stars
Purchase Persuasion
Moving! 