Exploring life's privileges with anna quindlen

Former _New_ _York_ _Times_ columnist and best-selling author Anna Quindlen’s latest novel, _After_ _Annie_, explores how a woman’s sudden death alters the lives of her husband, best friend

and four young children. Quindlen, 71, shares the novel’s unexpected origin story, how she loves to spend time with her grandkids and why she feels aging is a privilege. _This_ _interview_

_has_ _been_ _edited_ _for_ _length_ _and_ _clarity._ How did you get the story idea for _After Annie_? Quindlen’s latest novel, “After Annie,” explores how a woman’s sudden death alters the

lives of her family and friends. Courtesy: Penguin Random House Usually, the idea for a novel develops gradually over time. I think of characters, situations, themes. This book was

completely different. I was walking along the Hudson [River in New York City] one morning, and suddenly I had this mental picture of a young mother in her kitchen putting dinner on the

table, getting a terrible pain in her head and falling to the floor. And so the beginning of _After_ _Annie_ came to me almost fully realized in an instant, in a way that has never happened

to me before. … I can’t explain why I suddenly had this mental picture, but it was very vivid, and I went with it. This is my 10th novel, so it was a little unexpected. When did you realize 

you wanted to be a writer? I always got positive reinforcement from teachers for my writing. And then, in eighth grade, my teacher, Mother Mary Ephrem, looked at me over the rim of her

reading glasses and said, “Miss Quindlen, you are a writer.” That was a really powerful moment. I never looked back. What’s your favorite genre to read? Oh, my gosh. Reading is my favorite

thing in the world to do, except for hanging out with my kids and grandkids. I’m a prolific reader. I will read anything. When I’m revising — in between first draft and final draft — I read

almost entirely mystery novels, because when I read literary fiction, I tend to pick up other people’s tics. Having said that, I don’t ever want that to sound as though mystery novels are a

lesser genre, because I feel like this is a golden age of mysteries. … I just finished a book called _The_ _Wharton_ _Plot_ by Mariah Fredericks in which the main character is Edith Wharton,

who’s one of my favorite novelists. And I’m looking forward to J. Courtney Sullivan’s new book, which is called _The_ _Cliffs_. How are you inspiring your grandkids to read? I have a

7-year-old [Arthur], a 5-year-old [Ivy] and a 3-year-old [Jacob], and they’re all readers. I started giving them picture books when they were babies. Right now, my 7-year-old and I are

reading the Betsy-Tacy books [by Maud Hart Lovelace], which were favorites of mine when I was a little girl. They start when Betsy and Tacy are only 5 years old, so they’re perfect for

Arthur now.