The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire 170: Kate Walter
"I’m an outgoing person with a good social life. That disappeared during pandemic lockdown and I had to figure out how to cope with this major loss. That is the book’s main conflict."
Since 2010, in various publications, I’ve interviewed authors—mostly memoirists—about aspects of writing and publishing. Initially I did this for my own edification, as someone who was struggling to find the courage and support to write and publish my memoir. I’m still curious about other authors’ experiences, and I know many of you are, too. So, inspired by the popularity of The Oldster Magazine Questionnaire, I’ve launched The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire.
Here’s the 170th installment, featuring Kate Walter, author of two memoirs, Looking for a Kiss: A Chronicle of Downtown Heartbreak and Healing, and Behind the Mask: Living Alone in the Epicenter. - Sari Botton
P.S. Check out all the interviews in The Memoir Land Author Questionnaire series.
Kate Walter is the author of two memoirs, Looking for a Kiss: A Chronicle of Downtown Heartbreak and Healing and Behind the Mask: Living Alone in the Epicenter, and many personal essays. Kate taught writing at NYU and CUNY for three decades. She has documented her life in downtown Manhattan since 1975. She now teaches memoir writing at a senior center in Greenwich Village. Kate lives in the legendary Westbeth Artists Housing and divides her time between Manhattan and the Jersey Shore.
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How old are you, and for how long have you been writing?
Just turned 77. Have been writing and publishing since I was in college.
What’s the title of your latest book, and when was it published?
Behind the Mask: Living Alone in the Epicenter, 2021
What number book is this for you?
Second book.
How do you categorize your book—as a memoir, memoir-in-essays, essay collection, creative nonfiction, graphic memoir, autofiction—and why?
This book is a memoir in essays.
I was lonely and freaked out during the lock down and writing was form of salvation. A friend who teaches memoir writing at The New School said she thought I was writing a memoir in essays, so I pitched this idea to my publisher at Heliotrope Books and she liked the idea and gave me a contract and then I finished the book.
What is the “elevator pitch” for your book?
“Written as a series of essays, Behind the Mask is an intimate and emotional account of a extroverted single gay woman coping with fear and isolation during the pandemic in New York City. Kate melted down in lockdown. She dreamed the city was on fire. She hit the wall. But she picked herself up and called upon her resilience and spiritual practices. More than a year later, Kate emerges with a deeper appreciation for her home and everyday things she took for granted.”
What’s the back story of this book including your origin story as a writer? How did you become a writer, and how did this book come to be?
The back story of this book: many of these essays appeared in the Village Sun, a local website and there was a very positive response. I was lonely and freaked out during the lock down and writing was form of salvation. A friend,who teaches memoir writing at The New School said she thought I was writing a memoir in essays, so I pitched this idea to my publisher at Heliotrope Books and she liked the idea and gave me a contract and then I finished the book.
My origin story as a writer: I always loved writing. I was an English major. I started out as a music reviewer then moved on to opinion pieces and personal essays and then two memoirs. My first published pieces appeared in The Aquarian Weekly in 1969.
What were the hardest aspects of writing this book and getting it published?
Compared to my first memoir, which took many years to write and publish, the publishing process for my second book was pretty straight forward, probably because I already had a publisher. But in terms of the writing, the hardest part was figuring out where to end the book. I was literally under contract as I was writing it.
Behind the Mask starts in March 2020 when New York City went into total lockdown. Everything shut down in the City and in my building, Westbeth Artists Housing, a lively place about to celebrate its 50th anniversary as an artist community. Now I had to wear a mask every time I stepped outside my apartment into the hallway and the elevator. I’m an outgoing person with a good social life. That disappeared during the lockdown and I had to figure out how to cope with this major loss. That is the book’s main conflict.
As for the ending, at first I thought I should end the book when I got vaccinated at the Javits Center, but then I realized there was more to come. So I ended the book in May 2021 as we were starting to come out of the lockdown. The last chapter describes going to a party in Hudson River Park. It’s my friend’s 75th birthday and we’re outside singing and dancing, eating cake and drinking champagne. I’m happy and having fun There’s about 20 people at the party, the most people I’ve been with in over a year. That night was a turning point for me and a logical place to end the book. In the last chapter, I reflect upon how I’d been changed by the pandemic.
Another tricky part was weaving in pre-pandemic scenes to show contrast, to illustrate what my life had been like before the lockdown. For example, as I’m eating Christmas dinner alone, I flash back to the big family dinner the previous year at my niece’s home and I wonder when I will see my family again.
It was a journalistic experience to be writing a memoir in real time as it actually happened. And then a major catastrophe occurred while the city was in lockdown. My church (Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village) burned to the ground in December 2020 so I added that tragedy to the book. It was a real blow, a huge loss.
But my book is not all sadness and loss. There are definitely moments of humor and generosity.
Also, at the suggestion of my publisher, Naomi Rosenblatt, I decided to add a series of pandemic writing prompts. This made sense since I am a writing teacher, and I wanted to provide a way for people to process their experiences during the pandemic.
“Written as a series of essays, Behind the Mask is an intimate and emotional account of a extroverted single gay woman coping with fear and isolation during the pandemic in New York City. Kate melted down in lockdown. She dreamed the city was on fire. She hit the wall. But she picked herself up and called upon her resilience and spiritual practices. More than a year later, Kate emerges with a deeper appreciation for her home and everyday things she took for granted.”
How did you handle writing about real people in your life? Did you use real or changed names and identifying details? Did you run passages or the whole book by people who appear in the narrative? Did you make changes they requested?
In Behind the Mask, I used real names. Rev. Jacqui Lewis, pastor of Middle Church, is a major character in both my books. In my first book I changed names and identifying characteristic of some people and I ran passages past people whose real names I used.
Who is another writer you took inspiration from in producing this book? Was it a specific book, or their whole body of work? (Can be more than one writer or book.)
While I was writing Behind the Mask, I read When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers looking to publish a book like yours, who are maybe afraid, or intimidated by the process?
Go for it. Don’t give up. I published two memoirs after I turned 60. Join writing groups/workshops. Take Classes. Get feedback and revise. I’m in two different writing groups and those colleagues supported my process.
Publish shorter pieces. That will boost your writing chops and give you confidence to tackle a book. Shorter pieces may also attract agents and publishers. I was writing regularly for local publications in downtown Manhattan for decades and had many essays and opinion pieces published before I sold my first memoir. My having developed that platform helped me sell my first book.
What do you love about writing?
I can express my feelings and opinions.
I can raise awareness and make change happen.
I can analyze situations.
I can sooth my soul and write my way through difficult situations. Writing was my salvation during the pandemic and after a difficult breakup.
What frustrates you about writing?
The first draft is hard. Getting conflicting feedback can be frustrating.
What about writing surprises you?
Coming to a new realization while in the middle of writing a piece is satisfying.
Does your writing practice involve any kind of routine, or writing at specific times?
I do my best writing in the morning after I get up. I have coffee. I meditate, then I write or edit.
Do you engage in any other creative pursuits, professionally or for fun? Are there non-writing activities you consider to be “writing” or supportive of your process?
I’ve been in a singing group, a community chorus, the Bliss Singers, for the past eight years.
I play the ukelele.
I’m a photographer and take photos to accompany my work. I took the cover photo for both my books.
I keep gratitude journal and a regular journal, more like a diary.
I try to walk a couple of miles every day. This helps my creativity.
I spend a lot of time at the family beach bungalow during the summer. Being near the ocean relaxes and inspires me.
It was a journalistic experience to be writing a memoir in real time as it actually happened. And then a major catastrophe occurred while the city was in lockdown. My church (Middle Collegiate Church in the East Village) burned to the ground in December 2020 so I added that tragedy to the book. It was a real blow, a huge loss.
What’s next for you? Do you have another book planned, or in the works?
Not sure yet. I had a cowrie shell reading last summer and I heard:
“A big story is in your bones but you don’t know what it is yet.”
I’m staying open to possibilities but not putting myself under any pressure.
In the meanwhile, I’m writing essays and articles. I’m a regular contributor to the “Senior Planet” website and to a local newspaper, “The Village Star-Revue.”
But at my age, my main goals are to enjoy life and to stay healthy.
Writing a memoir in real time as events unfold takes incredible courage. The detail about not knowing where to end until the birthday party really resonated with me. That uncertainty of when things shift is so relatable. Also love that Kate published both her memoirs after 60. Proof that its never too late to tell your story, especialy when writing becomes a form of salvation.
This sounds fascinating. I'm very much an introvert, and I still found the isolation really difficult. I was living in Japan at the time, and they took much longer to come out of lockdown. I can't imagine how painful that time must've been for extroverts.