An Interview with Dr. Elaine Duval

Betsie: To start this off, why don't you give an idea of what the book is about?

America After Siege: Roadmap to Victory After 9/11 presents America with a literary and spiritual forum for reflection upon the meaning of 9/11 for this nation and other nations of the world. Whereas the 9/11 Commission presents America with much needed political, diplomatic and intelligence recommendations for the future security of the nation, America After Siege presents the nation with key spiritual and moral imperatives that post 9/11 America must embrace and practice, if the nation is to gain something redemptive and enduring from the tragedy of the terrorist attacks.

The book examines this proposition within the context of the Judeo-Christian worldview of the theory of transcendence—that is, the redemptive concept of the darkness of tragedy leading to the light and glory of triumph and transcendence. The book challenges America to champion this redemptive approach to dealing with 9/11, and further charts the benefits that will accrue to the nation if it embraces the proffered ameliorative solutions to the tragedy of 9/11: Healing, hope, unity, strength and honor will redound to the nation. 

The book purports that military might and economic strength do not guarantee the attainment of these virtues for America or for any other nation. But if America is to attain the preeminence she needs in order to exert her role as leader of the free world, then the nation must reexamine its moral and spiritual standing. The national tragedy of 9/11 has presented America with an unprecedented opportunity for such reflection and examination. America After Siege presents the nation with the blueprint of how to proceed and how to rise up as an even greater nation than she was prior to 9/11.

Betsie: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life?

I grew up in a charming little town called Gordon Town, nestled in the hills of St. Andrew, just about 35 minutes outside of Jamaica’s capital city of Kingston. So I guess you could say that I had the best of both worlds—the city and the country held in a tenuous and delicate balance between study at home in idyllic Gordon Town, and study at school in the bustling metropolis of Kingston. The life-giving nexus between my two worlds was the Hope River, which flowed through Gordon Town into Kingston and out into the Caribbean Sea. The Hope River, which is rather aptly named, became the symbolic harbinger of one of the greatest hopes that I nurtured as a child—that is, to become a writer of books that would impact nations. For it was there –at the riverside just yards away from my childhood home—that my poetic sensibilities were developed; and it was there at my much-loved haunt by the riverside that I learned the discipline and intellectual rigors of a life of contemplation and study. I studied many of the great works of English Literature sitting by that riverside, and many of my early poetic expressions were penned in the bucolic setting of my beloved hometown. So yes, reading and writing were central to my life even as a child growing up in Jamaica.

Betsie: Who were your earliest influences and why?

Without the shadow of a doubt, the earliest influences on my love for reading and writing were my English teachers, both at the private prep school that I attended in Kingston, Jamaica—St. Hugh’s Preparatory School, and subsequently during my years at St. Hugh’s High School, also in Kingston.

As a nine year old child at St. Hugh’s Prep School, I remember being spellbound as Ms. Whitfield read stories of Greek mythology to the children in her English class. Such stories fired my childhood imagination, and I remember determining from way back then, that I would write stories when I grew up.

In high school, I was equally blessed to have English teachers who always held me to standards of excellence. As destiny would have it, all my English teachers in high school were from the UK. Mrs. Junior, an English woman who I had during my first four years of high school, taught me the elements of effective writing and continued to nurture in me a deep love for literature. Then during my last three years in high school, Miss Mackintosh (from Scotland) and Miss Julie Thorne (from England) took me to levels of excellence in both English Language and Literature that brought me sheer joy and gratification in my intellectual pursuits. With their positive influence bolstering my purposeful pursuit of the study of English Language and Literature, I won the prize for English upon my graduation from high school. And also because of the influence of these English teachers, I went on to major in English at the University of the West Indies. These were some of the earliest influences on my lifelong passion to write.

Betsie: What would a typical day be like for a writer?

A typical day for me as a writer would start with a celebration of the importance of morning time. I love mornings. Each morning for me represents a type of resurrection as I rise up from sleep to face another day. It is usually a time of celebration and thanksgiving to God for granting me another day. So I usually start with my morning devotions and Bible reading. Then I go through my other morning rituals—a nice healthy breakfast, pottering about with the plants, and then getting dressed to go into my home office to write.

But morning is also a celebration of the magic and the mystery of what takes place in my spirit and my consciousness as I sleep. Whole poems would sometimes be formed in my spirit and my mind as I sleep, and I would wake up bursting at the seams to put it all down on paper. On such poem that took shape in my sleep in both form and substance is a poem entitled, “If Death Is Not The Final Destructive Blow of Brokenness—What Is?” The poem, which forms the Postscript of America After Siege was fully formed in my sleep—every word, every image, every rhythm and rhyme, every nuance, every cadence—all had their genesis in the creative and regenerative process of sleep.

I know that some authors attempt to put in certain number of hours per day, especially during their “best hours” of the day, whether it is in the morning, during the daytime, or at night time. But I do not gauge the productivity of my writing day simply by the number of hours that I devote to writing. I gauge it by my obedience to, and respect for, the dictates of my creative impulse. I am fired by inspiration, by the poetic muse, if you will. I’m fired by the anointing. I’m fired by an acute sense that I must fulfill the dictates of my destiny to write. I must deliver the message that I’ve been given to deliver.

So sometimes, when I am under the heavy influence of the anointing, I will have a marathon period of writing spanning several days, in which I go literally non-stop until whole chapters are completed, or indeed, until an entire book is completed. One such experience involved the writing of America After Siege. I wrote the entire book, including the Introduction, in one single weekend. I literally became a scribe writing down all that I “heard” in that single weekend of creative inspiration and visitation with destiny.

Betsie: How long have you been writing and in what capacities?

I have been writing poetry all my life, but it was not until the 1970s that I started seriously embracing my destiny and calling as a poet. It was during the 1970s that I entered some of my poems in the Jamaica Festival Literary Competition and was awarded medals for my entries. It was also during the 1970s that I wrote my first short story, which was entitled “We Were More Than Visitors.” Using the Hope River (that I alluded to earlier in this interview) as the central symbol connecting the past with the present, the story described the odyssey that my mother and I embarked on as we journeyed back to my childhood home upon my graduation from college.

During the mid to late 1970s, I worked as a Promotions and Educational Program Officer for a quasi-government organization under the auspices of the Jamaica Government Ministry of Finance, called the National Savings Committee (NSC). During my tenure at the NSC, I also wrote articles on savings, money management and investment for publication in the Jamaican newspapers, and in publications by the NSC. During my tenure at NSC, I was also the founder and editor of a money management and investment quarterly magazine called, Savings News. I also co-authored a book with Linnette Vassell on savings and money management entitled, Money Matters (published by National Savings Committee, Kingston, Jamaica, 1975). During the 1970s, I also worked with the public television/radio and information arm of the Jamaican Government—Jamaica Information Service (JIS). I researched and wrote the text for brochures on all the Ministries of the Jamaican Government.

In the 1990s, I worked as a book editor for two publishing houses, Cornerstone Publishing in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Kingston Publishers in Kingston, Jamaica. I edited both fiction and non-fiction books, including scholarly works. I’ve also written for publication in an academic journal, Obsidian II. 

But it was not until April 2002 that I assumed writing as a full time vocation. Within the period of one year from that date, I ended up writing nine books, including the book that I wrote in one weekend—America After Siege. In terms of genre, the books fall under the categories of prophetic/inspirational poetry and non-fiction dealing with contemporary events (such as 9/11), as well as spiritual and life-empowerment issues.

Betsie: Which is more difficult to write - Fiction or nonfiction and why?

I recently posted my thoughts on this matter on my website (www.elaineduvalinternational.com), which thoughts I’m going to repeat here. Quite honestly, I think I write with equal facility in both fiction and non-fiction genres. When it comes to writing in the fictional mode, I depend on and draw heavily from the inspiration of the creative muse, or the anointing—as I prefer to call it.  As for writing non-fiction, I feel that I’ve been steeped in the craft of writing, having three degrees in English (including a Ph.D. degree), and having taught various courses in literature and writing for over 16 years at universities and colleges in Jamaica, the Bahamas and the USA. However, I must say that poetry is my passion. I call it the language of God. It is the language that speaks to my spirit, and it is the language that permits me to enter into modes of expression not otherwise accessible to me. I experience more joy in writing poetry than I do in writing any other genre.

But from my experience of teaching both fiction and non-fiction genres to college students, I would surmise that non-fiction would probably be more difficult to write. Those who possess the predilection for creative writing (whether poetry or prose) usually have some intrinsic appreciation for the beauty and the power of the English Language, as well as some basic “feel” for the fundamentals of the language, and so it is not so much a struggle for them. But when it comes on to organizing and composing thoughts for more expository writing or rhetoric (such as Argumentative Writing), my students usually found this experience to be more challenging. So I guess I would conclude that non-fiction would be the more difficult genre to write.

Betsie: Has there ever been a time when you wanted to throw in the towel and give up? And if so, how did you defeat those instincts?

I guess I would have to give a qualified “no” as an answer to that question. Why? Because I have never really felt like giving up in my mission as a writer. But this answer assumed currency only after a certain date. Since April 2002 when I made a serious commitment to write, I have never felt like giving up. That’s because I’m driven by a sense of purpose and destiny. I feel that I’m on a mission and that I must deliver the messages that—in my estimation—I’ve been divinely commissioned to write. I feel that destiny is on the line and that I cannot equivocate nor falter in my calling. Whenever I experience any frustration along this path that I’ve taken, I simply motivate myself to stay on course by reminding myself of the assignment with destiny that my mission as a writer has thrust upon me. Then the instinct to persevere and to succeed becomes elemental, and it takes precedence over any instincts to give up.

Betsie: What is the hardest part about being a writer?

For me, the hardest part about being a writer is dealing with the marketing and publicity of my books. I’ve discovered that marketing and publicity require the full time commitment of someone who possesses the savvy and expertise in the competitive fields of marketing and publicity. If, as an author, you do not have a trained professional managing the marketing and publicity of your book, then you will find yourself pressed between attempting to acquire this needed expertise, and at the same time attempting to forge ahead with the creative endeavor of writing. This has been a real challenge for me. For even though I have a good publicist, I am discovering daily that the author himself or herself is the best publicist for any book. For me, the challenge is to find a happy balance in this marketer-author dilemma. In that way, the marketing/publicity thrust will serve to augment my role as an author, and not stymie it, as sometimes I regrettably find happening.

Betsie: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

My hobbies include interior designing, fashion designing, floral arrangement, ceramics/pottery and gardening. Of course, all of these hobbies involve the creative process. They are all compositions of one sort or another. The creation of a floral arrangement, for example, can be compared to the creation of a poem. It involves form and structure as well as content and texture. It involves rhythm and movement. The combination of certain “clusters” of flowers can be seen as the inclusion of certain metaphors in a poem. And just as recurrent themes run throughout a literary work, so also, recurrent “themes” can pervade a floral arrangement by the repetitive and strategic placement of certain flowers.

Gardening, by its very nature of promoting growth and beauty, is a palpable manifestation of the creative process in constant progress. Form and substance also merge in the creative process of gardening. And because of the therapeutic nature of gardening, it is also a potent source of nurturing, rest and inspiration for my creative impulse as a writer.

If I may sum up how my hobbies enhance my role as an author, I would say that perhaps the greatest benefit that accrues to my writing from these hobbies, is that they provide a sense of balance and the palpable relief of psychological and physical space from the sometimes intense emotional and intellectual engagement of writing. In sum, while all these creative processes serve to augment and inspire each other, I would say that my writing is the greatest beneficiary of all their collective creative impetus.

Betsie: Articles and media alike make it sound as though the only way to rise to the top is to sacrifice. What do you find to be good sacrifices?

Yes. You must sacrifice. The evolution of anything of worth…anything of value…anything of purpose, requires sacrifice. You must relinquish something of value and great significance to you, in order to make way for the birth of something infinitely more valuable—not only to you, but also to your fellow human beings. You ask: “What is a good sacrifice?” It is the sacrifice that you make when you voluntarily and joyfully forsake and renounce something of great value or worth to you, in exchange for the anticipated pain of toiling for something that is ultimately more noble, more beautiful and more meaningful for you and for those who destiny intends for you to impact positively.  Sacrifice enlarges you. But it is larger than you are. When you sacrifice, you become the seed that must fall to the ground and die before your life can produce an abundant harvest for the benefit of humanity and for the glory of your Creator. 

In my capacity as a writer, the sacrifice that I’ve had to offer up has been quite costly. It has involved retreating from bustling Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, to the small retirement town of Zephyrhills, Florida for a year and nine months. It has involved not having a job, not having a car, not having a salary—in short, not having anything but a burning passion to write and to deliver the “messages” that I’ve been assigned to deposit upon the earth before my time to depart.  It has been a very costly sacrifice, but the outcome cannot be measured against the pain and the cost of the sacrifice. This constitutes the principle and the paradox of needful gain through necessary (and voluntary) loss. Such a sacrifice is ultimately a very good sacrifice.

Betsie: What question do you get asked more than any other?

Well, Betsie, it is a question that has nothing to do with my writing, but which, nonetheless, I will state here, since I am continually confronted with it. Well, here is it— “Why are you not married?” seems to be the ubiquitous refrain that follows me around the world. And since most people who know me also know that one of my greatest desires is to be married, I usually respond by telling them that I am waiting for the appointed man to turn up, and that I’m not sure what is taking him so long to make his well-anticipated appearance!

Betsie: (giggles) I can relate to this!

Betsie: What’s the coolest thing a reader has said to you?

A reader from Mobile, Alabama recently called to inform me that he had read America After Siege in one afternoon sitting and that he had a brief review of the book. His comment was “This is indeed a masterpiece issuing straight from the Master Himself, and delivered through the Master’s daughter.”

Betsie: What has been your feedback from readers? What do they say to you about their interpretations of your book?

In terms of general feedback, several readers have compared America After Siege to the classics in English Literature. Some have described my book an “epic” work; while others have described me as “a modern day Shakespeare.” Others have said that it is a book that should be passed down to generations to come. America After Siege has also been described as a prophetic work with echoes of Old Testament oracles. Some have described the poems as songs of redemption or as psalms.

Regarding readers’ interpretation of America After Siege, the consensus seems to be that even though the book presents a blueprint for an appropriate national response to the tragedy of 9/11, each individual reader seems to find some kernel in the message that has proven to be personally transformational in his or her life. Furthermore, some of my readers have said that the message of the book goes way beyond 9/11, beyond America, beyond cultural and national differences, to deal with the fundamental and universal issue of finding triumph and redemption in the bad things that happen in our lives. Readers have also said that the book has caused them to re-examine their spiritual walk. Some readers have cried; while others have retreated into meditation and contemplation. Still others have stated that the reading of America After Siege has challenged them, not only spiritually, but also emotionally and intellectually.

Betsie: Do you think that as a writer you are more prone to watching what goes on around you and observing behaviors than most people are?

Decidedly yes. As a writer, you are both a participant and a watchman. You must maintain a careful vigil of all that takes place around you. You must be discerning and you must be circumspect. But you cannot just watch and observe. You must participate. You must become vulnerable…you must also experience what people around you experience….You must try to feel and think as they feel and think. Then you can become real. Then you can translate the experience for them. Then you can illuminate the path of life for them. In order to do this, the writer must of necessity be more observant, more sensitive, more engaged in life than most people are.  It is a necessary process for the education and nurturing of the creative sensibilities and for the nurturing of the spirit. A writer must display this passion for, and engagement with life. That’s the only way that a writer will gain the necessary wisdom, knowledge and understanding to create a mini-new world of light and life in each book that he or she writes.

Betsie: Who are some of the authors you consider to be "don't miss"?

In the non-fiction genre, I would like to recommend Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. The book offers hope for personal growth and fulfillment and it confronts readers with the individual challenge of finding and living the God-given purpose for each life. The fact that this book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for almost two years is a fitting testimony to how vital this “purpose-driven” message is to all.

In the fiction genre, I would recommend Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. In fact, I would recommend the entire body of her works—both her books of poetry and her novels. Her masterful presentation of the themes of courage, perseverance, self-acceptance and self-realization has the universal appeal that should satisfy the most discriminating of readers.

Regarding poetry, I must recommend my favorite poet from the modern era—T. S. Eliot, the “father of modern poetry” himself. I have been reading (and studying) the works of T. S. Eliot for over 30 years—a study which is simply inexhaustible. But it is important to have T. S. Eliot on your “don’t miss” list because he re-defined the modern concept of poetry. He re-defined its aesthetic form and content by weaving into a composite whole a multiplicity of complex elements such as a long litany of classical and sometimes abstruse literary allusions, myth, irony, parallelisms, allegory, anecdote and religious rituals. Eliot redefined poetry to accommodate his description of the complex realities of the modern era, and in the process, he has engaged his readers in the intellectual rigors of textual interpretation and appreciation.

I am recommending the works of T. S. Eliot, not only because he is my favorite modern poet, and not only because my Master’s degree thesis was a study of Eliot’s last major work, The Four Quartets, but more so because T. S. Eliot’s work is seminal to all works of modern poetry. I recommend reading “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” The Wasteland,” “The Hollow Men,” “Ash Wednesday” and  “The Four Quartets.”

Betsie: If one were looking to start his/her own career as a writer, what would you suggest his/her first step to be?

First, you must know your purpose and mission in life. Then you must know what the purpose of your writing is within that mission. Writing that is placed within the larger framework of your life’s mission will cause you to overcome and transcend the obstacles that will inevitably come your way. Once you’ve established this fundamental step, then the next step is simply to START writing. Do not wait for everything to be perfect before you start writing. That’s a mistake that I unfortunately made in my quest to be a writer. For over two decades, I was waiting for the “perfect” condition to start my writing career. For me, that perfect condition entailed being financially very well secured, and being married and well settled in a dream house on an island, or on a lake somewhere. That was my fantasy. But when I abandoned this self-imposed precondition, and when I started seeing my writing career in terms of my destiny upon the earth, that correct perspective empowered me to embark upon and sustain my mission as a writer.

Betsie: What kind of movies do you enjoy?

I enjoy classic movies that deal with perennial themes and characters who reflect the common foibles and virtues of our humanity. I like “The Sound of Music.”  I like classics such as the movie adaptation of Jane Austin’s 19^th century novels. For example, “Emma” starring Gwyneth Paltrow, and “Pride and Prejudice” starring Kam Hoskin and Orlando Seale are delightful and wholesome enough for the entire family to enjoy. The masterful presentation of costuming, setting and dialogue gives the movie-goer not only a treat in cinematography, but also a story line that is ageless and wonderful. I could watch those movies over and over again and not get bored. That’s because they deal with human virtues and vices that are ever with us, and they not only entertain us, but they also present us with a faithful reflection of ourselves. I also like classics such as “The Sound of Music.” A more recent movie that has been transformational for me is Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of The Christ.” The artful inclusion of the original Aramaic and the English translation, and the masterful art direction, costuming, make-up and general cinematography transported me back to Biblical times and brought the reality of “the Passion” straight to my heart and soul.

Betsie: What is your favorite city to visit, but one that you wouldn’t want to live in?

My favorite city in the whole world is New York—a city that I’ve have visited every single year for the past 32 years. And yet, the irresistible magnet of this “crowing metropolis of all metropolises” as I term it in America After Siege, is not compelling enough to cause me to want to actually reside in New York City. Why is that so? New York for me represents the distillation and the quintessence of the modern metropolis. It is the international center for banking, publishing, commerce, advertising, the theatre and the arts. And O, the shopping!  For me, there is no better place on earth to shop than New York City. And to crown it all, I have close family and friends living in New York. All these are compelling reasons why I love to visit New York, and why I take my annual pilgrimage there. But after the high points of such visits, I always have the need to retreat to a place that I can call “home,” some place that will remind me of the spirit of the island that is still resident within me.

Betsie: What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked in an interview?

In an interview about America After Siege (which has nothing to do with the present Presidential election campaign), an interviewer kept trying to engage me in the fray of the controversial attack ads and he kept trying to get me to take sides by rephrasing his question over and over again. It was obviously a hot topic that he wanted to talk about, but it had nothing to do with my book, so I kept bringing back the discussion to the issues that my book addresses. I thought that was strange.

Betsie: What’s the best part of being a writer?

Knowing that I am walking in the center of my destiny and that I am the conduit for thoughts that can transform lives now and for generations to come. I regard this as a high calling. For me, this is the best part of being a writer.

Betsie: What's next?

America After Siege is now being produced into a CD with accompanying music. The CD will be released November 2004. In addition, I have ten other ancillary products (including three books, a video and a worship CD) that are being produced to accompany my signature work, America After Siege: Roadmap to Victory After 9/11.

Also, within the next twelve months, I will be publishing the other eight books that I have already written. These books all fall within the inspirational cum life-empowerment categories of non-fiction writing.  I have two other books that I am working on concurrently. I would really like to hide away to complete writing them. One of them is a novel, which I plan to turn into a screen play—this, of course, with a movie in mind.

Betsie: We congratulate Elaine Duval on her success and hope to hear more about her in the future!