'Stay Brave' with Marcy Dermansky
‘Stay Brave’ is an interview series by woman-identifying creatives for woman-identifying creatives to inspire bravery in the creative life. [Created and curated by Leah Umansky]
How do you interpret the phrase, "Stay Brave?"
For me, honestly, it's being a writer.
As a woman-identifying writer, what are the ways that you “stay brave” in your life?
It's a funny question. I always think in terms of being brave. Honestly, I don't think there's a choice. Life can seem really hard, we have to keep on doing every. Earning money. For me, lately, it's driving my car on roads that feel too crowded. Not allowing my daughter to know when I am not feeling brave -- something which I am mainly but not always successful at.
Who is someone in your life who models “staying brave” for you?
First person that came into my mind is my sister Julie Dermansky. She is an incredible photo journalist. Often, Julie just wants to take pictures, but because she is who is she, she not only photographs the devastation of climate change, but writes the stories. Interviews the people affected. Learns the science. She is a wonder really. https://www.desmog.com/user/julie-dermansky/
What writers, artists, and/or musicians do you look to to foster a sense of “bravery?”
Well, my sister. Patti Smith. Roxane Gay. Chanel Miller.
What’s a piece of advice you would pass on to your younger self about “staying brave?” What’s something you know now, that you didn’t know in the past?
Oh gosh. That would imply that I am wiser now. I wish I had done everything faster. Quit jobs. Gotten out of relationships. Started writing. But advice wouldn't help, because probably I needed all of that time.
Can you remember a time in your life where you realized your own bravery? How did you use it to propel you forward?
I remember quitting a well paying job to go to study writing in Hattiesburg, MS. I think I knew it was either brave or stupid.
What do you do when you aren’t feeling brave? What inspires you or motivates you?
When I am not feeling brave, I watch a lot of television. It provides comfort. I think watching television, also inspires me. I think leaving the house is always an act of bravery.
In what ways would you like to be more brave in your creative life?
I get daunted by the idea of writing outside of my comfort zone. I feel like it's time. A friend told me to start a novel set during the French Revolution and I thought no way.
What is your proudest moment of bravery?
I started driving again when I was in my forties. It was scary. I remember being very proud of myself the first time I drove on a highway. I went to a Whole Foods and got a salad and then a coffee and hung out at the cafe for a long time with my computer.
What are you currently working on?
A new novel. (Yep, that's all I feel comfortable saying at present.)
Thank you, Marcy!
MARCY DERMANSKY is the author of the critically acclaimed novels Very Nice, The Red Car, Bad Marie, and Twins. She has received fellowships from MacDowell andThe Edward F. Albee Foundation. She lives with her daughter in Montclair, New Jersey. Her newest book, Hurricane Girl, is out in paperback THIS WEEK ! Find her on IG @marcybdermansky
Leah Umansky is the author of three books of poems, most recently the forthcoming OF TYRANT, (The Word Works in 2024.) She is currently working on a memoir DELICATE MACHINE, an exploration of womanhood, hope, and heart in the face of grief and a global pandemic. She earned her MFA in Poetry at Sarah Lawrence College and has curated and hosted The COUPLET Reading Series in NYC since 2011. Her creative work can be found in such places as The New York Times, POETRY, The Bennington Review, The Academy of American Poets' Poem-A-Day and others. She can be found at www.leahumansky.com or @leah.umansky on IG.