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Jo Kadlecek, professor and author, taught English for ten years before she entered the adventure of freelance writing. During her 14 years as a professional writer, she traveled often for speaking engagements, wrote various news and feature articles, and wrote a regular column for Prism Magazine. Kadlecek has written ten books, two of which are novels, and is working on the second novel for The Lightfoot Trilogy. She is currently Assistant Professor of Communication Arts at Gordon College in Wenham, MA.
Q: Where did you get the idea behind A Mile from Sunday and The Lightfoot Trilogy?
A: I was jetlagged having just come back from Australia, and I couldn’t sleep. The character popped into my head and the idea for a trilogy just kept me up. It was the idea of having a character help navigate us through the pluralism of today’s society. She’s quirky, real, flawed, messed up, but she’s sincere and smart.
Q: For what audience is your novel written?
A: Primarily, but not exclusively, it’s the next generation--folks in their twenties or thirties who are on the adventure of faith and trying to figure out and think about how to engage other people. I want it to connect to those who might be asking questions, who aren’t afraid of questions.
Q: Are there specific themes your novel is written around?
A: The search for good. Jonna Lightfoot McLaughlin is in search of good news and a good man, and she can’t find either. She thinks that religion ought to be good for us like oatmeal and exercise. She’s in search of good because we all are. We all want to find something that is good to believe and good to inspire.
Q: What do you hope people will take away from reading this novel?
A: I hope that people will take away a sense of pleasure, because Jonna is fun and doesn’t take herself too seriously. I also hope they’ll gain a desire to engage in conversation like Jonna does, with a mutual respect and curiosity. Everybody believes deeply in something. Everyone has a certain sense of the transcendent, whether they acknowledge it or not. I wanted her to encourage us to have dialogues with other people who might believe differently—and to respect others’ beliefs without having to compromise our own.
Q: What compelled you to address pluralism?
A: I’ve worked in a lot of religious publishing environments and noticed many people seemed threatened by diverse beliefs. That’s why I wanted a character that was down to earth and not hyper spiritual. You don’t have to be hyper spiritual in order to engage in conversations without compromising who you are or what you believe. Jonna is curious and smart, and knows what she believes. She also realizes people change and that’s okay too.
Q: Can you explain your approach to pluralism?
I think people are often threatened by what others’ believe if it is different. Maybe it’s a lack of security on their own part because they don’t fully know what they believe, but this is a pluralistic culture. It’s polarized often. People often point at others and say us versus them, politically, spiritually, and ideologically. Jonna, though, wants to bridge the gap and bring people together. Her story gives people a little bit more confidence to engage in discussions.
Q: What’s next?
A: A Quarter After Tuesday, the second book in the trilogy is expected to be released in Spring of 2007. The three books in The Lightfoot Trilogy are one story in the life of Jonna Lightfoot McLaughlin. In a reporter’s career, you’re always looking for the next big assignment and newspaper. A Mile from Sunday takes place in Denver, Colorado, Jonna’s hometown. She is offered a job in New Orleans (pre-Katrina), which is where the second novel A Quarter After Tuesday takes place. Every reporter’s ultimate goal is to get to New York City. Jonna gets there in the third novel A Minute before Friday, which will be released in Winter of 2008. |
