An Interview with Liam Callanan

Bas Bleu carried Liam Callanan’s bestseller Paris by the Book in 2019. His newest novel, When in Rome, is now available in our latest spring catalog. Be sure to pick up the book here before reading; there are potential spoilers ahead.

Here’s our review of the novel:

“Something inside her, raw, medieval, specious, wanted to punish her for falling in love with Marcus when she’d been preparing to promise herself to God alone.”

Claire’s life hasn’t exactly gone to plan. She had every intention of becoming a nun after graduating Yale, but instead, she had Dorothy—her lovely, brilliant daughter. Some thirty-odd years later, Claire, now a real estate agent specializing in churches, finds herself advising the few remaining nuns at a struggling historic convent in Rome. Her time with the clever and lively nuns awakens something in herself she long considered dormant. What follows is a battle of the heart, as Marcus, her oldest and dearest friend, confronts his own missed opportunities. Liam Callanan writes with heart and humor in this delightful tale. (RR)

BB: Thank you for taking the time to sit down and answer some questions for us! Your novel Paris by the Book was popular with our readers in 2019, and we’re so excited to carry your latest, When in Rome. Can you tell us more about the themes you explore in these books and why they’re meaningful to you?

The books have stayed the same—print is an obdurate technology that way—but the way I see them has changed. For a long time, in book after book, I thought I was writing about belief, not just religious or spiritual belief, but belief in other people. I still think that belief is an undercurrent in my books, but I also see a recurring interest in community, in what people can and should do for each other. When in Rome is about a lot of things, especially starting over at midlife, but it’s also about what’s required to start over, and that’s a community. I’ve been reminded of that as I tour the country talking about the book with different groups of friends, book clubs and other clubs. Coming together matters.

BB: What was your writing process like for When in Rome? Did your writing and research methods differ between that and Paris by the Book? What did you struggle with most while writing When in Rome?

When in Rome required more interviews; with Paris by the Book, it was a lot of library research (and croissant eating in France, of course). But for When in Rome, I found myself needing to talk to Italian realtors, canon (church) lawyers, movie directors, a Warner Brothers archivist, a Rome-based food consultant (who helped me with shopping trips and menus), and of course, many nuns. As for what I ‘struggled’ with, I wouldn’t say I struggled, but I worked very hard to make the view of religious life not a caricature.

BB: What was your most treasured discovery while researching religious life, properties, and Rome?

Well, I can’t really say without spoiling the ending, but I was fascinated to discover that this rather plain fountain which I fell in love with in Trastevere some time ago and that is seen early in the book, the Fontana del Prigione, has a dramatic, um, backstory. It became a much bigger part of the plot.

BB: In your author’s note, you mention certain sections of the book that were fabricated, like the restaurant at the top of the stairs and the Clementine and Gertrudan orders. How does your writing adapt to invent these concepts from scratch, as opposed to the scenes based in reality, like Yale’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library rooftop or Sister Thérèse’s maritozzo?

I try to use as much real as possible even when I am making things up. The restaurant for example, is completely invented, but I asked some of my Roman experts that if it did exist, would it exist there? It would, one said. Exclusive bonus reveal for Bas Bleu readers of this interview: the location of the fictional restaurant is an “Easter Egg”—the address I give it in the book is the same as Gregory Peck’s apartment in Roman Holiday.

BB: Throughout the novel, Claire is frozen by her own indecision. What was it like to write a protagonist who, until the end, is primarily affected by the actions of others, as opposed to Leah, Paris by the Book’s protagonist, who seemed more in control of her own autonomy? Is there a reason men tend to play secondary characters in your books?

Claire has a lot to work through before making a decision. One thing the nuns I spoke to emphasized to me was that choosing to join, and then joining a religious order, taking vows, is no simple, speedy thing. It’s filled with moments of fear and doubt—and joy. No one rushes into it, or should. As for the contrast, I’d say Leah and Claire are cut from the same cloth: strong, independent women (and great moms). But Leah is all about breaking away from her old life, burning her bridges, and Claire is all about finding a new ‘home’, new connections. As for men playing secondary characters, I don’t know why that is. I’ve spent the last couple decades in the fortunate position of living in a house with three funny, smart, independent-minded daughters and the mother they all take after. As our one boy-cat can attest, males have been secondary characters in my family for quite some time.

BB: Claire finds peace in the simplicity and sparseness of the convent. Do you crave a similar ambience in your own work space? What are your go-to strategies for staying deep in the writing process?

Absolutely; I used to think I did well with noise and chaos all around, but writing about silence, I found I needed it. Not to overstate things, but this book should have been sponsored by Bose QuietComfort® 45 Headphones. They made the writing of this book possible, especially when my family and I were all pandemic-penned in one house. 

BB: You teach Creative Writing at UW-Milwaukee’s English Department. Did your research and writing for When in Rome satisfy some of your academic interests? How do you adapt your class schedule when writing? What is your favorite part of teaching?

I like teaching students about researched writing, whether it’s for an academic paper, a creative nonfiction piece, or a short story, so that was a nice overlap. I don’t really adapt my class schedule—the students come first, so whatever they need, I’m up for—but I timed the writing of Rome to coincide with a sabbatical, and that’s when the writing got done.

As for my favorite part of teaching, that’s easy: it’s seeing great students do great things (like someone I know at Bas Bleu). I devote part of my website to touting my students’ books. There’s nothing quite like that pride; I learn so much from them.

BB: What advice would you give aspiring authors who aren’t sure where to start?

Find a place that interests you and soak yourself in it, even if you have to do so from afar. Story comes from place to me, and the longer I steep (like tea) in that place, the more story emerges.

BB: What’s next for you?

I have some ideas, but it’s like lifting up a sandcastle to show someone else: it always seems to fall apart in the process!