April Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ April 9, 2024
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your magic quill–wielding host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us Trish Card from the book The Surface of Water by Cynthia Beach. Cynthia is a longtime professor of creative writing and author of Creative Juices for Writers, second edition. She co-founded Scriptoria Workshop with Newbery winner Gary Schmidt.
Meet Trish
[Patricia settles back onto an orange suede couch.]
Welcome to Fable Features! Tell me a little bit about where you’re from. Do you have many good memories from there?
Trentwood’s kinda’ rough.
[Trish squints at Patricia then shrugs.]
It’s in Chicago. But in the 80s, it wasn’t bad. We had fifty aunts, you know? The grownups looked out for us. Everyone looked out for everyone. Most of the time. Mr. Hartman was my teacher at Fischer. He was the best teacher ever. He loved us. He even played jump rope with us. So, yeah. I have a lot of good memories. Yeah. Mostly.
He sounds like a great teacher! It’s nice having people like that in your life.
[Patricia’s green eyes soften with her own memories. A floating quill bumps her wrist and she returns her focus to Trish.]
Do you have any family?
Family? That’s tricky. I do and I don’t.
[Trish looks away.]
Mom died fourteen years ago. I was ten. She never told me who my dad is. But the wonderful Maria & Co took me in. Neighbors, you know. Yeah, I’m super grateful. For them.
I’m sorry to hear about your mom. Your neighbors sound amazing, though! Was it hard adjusting to living with them?
Not really hard because we got to know them as next-door neighbors. When Mom had bad days, Maria would take over—and soon we were living with them. So, yeah, when Mom died, I already felt like I had family.
I did feel a little—oh, I don’t know—shy, maybe with all her sons. Especially Andres.
[Patricia raises an eyebrow and grins.]
Shy, huh? I’m nosy, so I have to ask—why Andres? Why the most shy around him?
He has the most beautiful eyes—well, uh, never mind. We just play tennis sometimes. What’s next?
[Patricia shoots her a knowing look but graciously moves on to the next question.]
Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
Well, I got a journalism degree in college. But shhh! Don’t tell the people I work with. Some don’t like journalists—did you know that?—and I’ve already got enough against me—being from Trentwood.
[Trish straightens.]
Since you ask though, I think Trentwood taught me what I needed to know. How to be loyal. How to be . . . well, vigilant. Sometimes you have to watch people to see what they’re really about. Street smarts. That’s what Trentwood taught me.
[Patricia leans forward.]
Very interesting! What’s a street smart you learned that you’ve found very helpful?
Looking through someone—past what they’re wearing—and into their eyes to their soul. I get fast beads on people with that little maneuver.
That certainly sounds helpful. People tend to wear metaphorical masks these days.
[The quill bumps against Patricia’s cheek and she waves it aside.]
What would you say is your best physical feature?
Oh no. I hate that whole looks thing. I. had. no. clue! My new employer made me meet with an image consultant—and he spent over $1,000 on this crap. New clothes + hair + nails???
Okay. Probably my hair.
[Trish pinches an end and looks at the light strand.]
I keep it long for Mom’s sake.
[Patricia’s eyes widen.]
$1,000?! Even I don’t spend that much on my clothes.
[She pats her burgundy red dress.]
Alright, here’s a deeper one for ya: how do you want others to perceive you?
That I care for justice. That’s it, really.
And maybe this: That I care. I do care. A lot.
[Patricia nods.]
I can see that.
On a less serious note, if the world was going to explode and you could only bring one person with you on the escape pod, who would it be and why?
Impossible question with Maria’s clan—although I did think, “Andres.”
Hmmm interesting.
[Patricia grabs the floating quill and taps it against her chin.]
So what’s your biggest pet peeve?
[Trish shakes her head.]
Spoiled, clueless people who judge the poor without knowing anything about it. You know, people who refuse to walk one mile in another’s shoes.
[Patricia rolls her eyes.]
Ug, I definitely know a few people like that. It’s infuriating, isn’t it! How do you handle a situation when you come across someone like that?
I drive to Trentwood. They won’t follow me there.
[Patricia laughs.]
Smart move! Alright, here’s the final question for today: what would you say is your greatest treasure?
Well. Hmm. Being loved. Maria—did you know she protected me once? Yeah, it was terrifying. A guy had a knife. She was like a mad bull and—well, her hands. They’ll never be the same. She loves me. I get how much. That’s done all sorts of things for me.
Wow. That’s incredible. Maria sounds like a wonderful, fierce woman.
That’s love, right? Wonderful and fierce?
Definitely.
[Patricia smiles and stands up.]
It's been great getting to know you! I wish you the best of luck with whatever the future brings you.
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Trish Card's author, Cynthia Beach, can be found on Instagram and Facebook, as well as on her website, cynthiabeach.com. Her book The Surface of Water (which released today!!) can be purchased here.
author Cynthia Beach
See Ya Next Month
Aaaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Trish, for letting us get to know you! See y'all next month, and until then stay outta trouble and keep writing!
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
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