Interview With Author Debbie Hartung
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am a San Francisco-based writer and painter; I love traveling and live music. “The Factory of Maladies is my first book.”
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Factory of Maladies is my first book; it’s a raw and unflinching memoir that explores the stigma of mental illness, the danger of cults, and family dynamics. It details my week on a psychiatric ward after a failed suicide attempt with compassionate lens and dark humor; additionally, it sheds light on the inadequacies of publicly funded psychiatric wards. There was a clear moment when I knew that I had to write the memoir: it happened during my hospitalization when a very kind nurse went against hospital protocol and smuggled a notebook and a miniature golf pencil into my room. She knew that I loved to write (miraculously, this information was in my chart) and it was this generous gesture that became the catalyst for writing my memoir.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I do my best writing between 4-6am, with lots of coffee!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There are so many amazing books and authors that have influenced me throughout my life and reading has often been a lifeline for me during periods of difficulty and darkness. I always return to Love in the Time of Cholera and 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; I find his magical realism style of writing constantly inspiring. I am also a big lover of Dickens and I think that he’s one of the greatest writers that has ever lived. I admire Irvine Welsh for his sharp wit, amazing dialogue, and humor; I think Skagboys is one of his finest books and it offers a great window into Thatcher-era Britain (Edinburgh) and deals with intense subject matter like politics, drug addiction, and the beginning of HIV with his unique, razor sharp wit. I also love A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry; it’s an intense and beautiful novel that I have read at least three times.
What are you working on now?
I am currently writing a book of short stories that I hope to share with the world soon.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Once my book is out you will be able to find it and learn more about it on Amazon.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice is to write for yourself first. Commercial success may or may not follow; however, it’s important to stay true to your ethos, vision, and creative process.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
The best advice that I have received is simple, yet very powerful: Write what you know.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading You Are Beautiful and You Are Alone: The Biography of Nico Jennifer Otter Bickerdike. It’s a very well-researched and highly engaging biography about one of my favorite musicians.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I would love to write a prequel to The Factory of Maladies and to deeply explore my earlier life, what led to my hospitalization, and how I became vulnerable to a New Age cult.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
If I was stranded on a desert island I was only allowed a few books, I would choose: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, and A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh.
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Debbie Hartung’s Social Media Links
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