Inspiration and Intent Behind 'The Invention of Wings'

• 💡 The novel was inspired by the lives of the Grimke sisters, historical figures about whom little is widely known.
• 🎯 Kidd aimed to explore the courage it took for women, like Sarah Grimke, to find and use their voice in the early 19th century.
• 🔑 The book delves into the yearning for freedom on multiple levels, highlighting the limited rights of women, even privileged white women, in that era.

The Dual Quest for Freedom

• 🚀 The novel portrays two distinct quests for freedom: Handful, an enslaved woman, seeks physical liberation, while Sarah seeks freedom of mind, spirit, and voice.
• ⛓️ A paradox is presented: while white women had more physical freedom, they often lacked free will of their own minds.
• 🕊️ Both Sarah and Handful are depicted as trying to "invent their wings" in different ways, symbolizing their pursuit of self-determination.

Crafting the Narrative: Research and Imagination

• 📚 Kidd's research involved extensive reading on American slavery and consulting primary sources at the Library of Congress.
• 🗺️ She traveled to Charleston and the Brooklyn Museum, where seeing the Grimke sisters' names sparked her initial interest.
• ✍️ The author acknowledges the blend of historical fact and fiction, particularly in Sarah's relationship with Handful, which was conjured for the story.
• 🎭 The character of Charlotte was imagined to represent the resistance and subversion employed by enslaved people.

The Power of Storytelling and Empathy

• 💬 The quote "history is not just facts and events history is also pain in the heart and we repeat history until we're able to make another's pain in the heart our own" by Julius Lester deeply influenced Kidd's writing.
• ❤️ This concept of empathy, making another's experience one's own, is identified as the real power of fiction and literature.
• 🗣️ Kidd discusses the mysterious process of characters revealing themselves, with Handful's voice being more accessible than Sarah's initially.

Writing Process and Personal Reflections

• ⏳ "The Invention of Wings" took approximately four years to write, with an initial six months dedicated to intensive research.
• 🚪 Kidd describes her writing ritual as disappearing into her study for long hours, often signaled by her dog to take a break.
• 🚫 She advises against believing in writer's block, suggesting that taking walks or changing activities can help shift creative energy.
• ✨ The writing process is described as a blend of "measure and madness"—technique and craft combined with tapping into an inner, mysterious reservoir of creativity.

Literary Themes and Future Projects

• 🌊 A recurring theme in Kidd's work is the baptism scene, symbolizing a character's passage or rebirth, which appears organically in her novels.
• 🎬 Kidd expresses excitement about the upcoming adaptation of "The Invention of Wings" for the big screen.
• 📖 She emphasizes her love for story and narrative, whether in fiction or non-fiction, and listens to what pulls her creatively.