Barbara Passaris
Born in
Baltimore, Maryland, Barbara is the third child of five. A
native of Virginia, she is very familiar with the history of
this wonderful state. Barbara is a graduate of Kempsville High
School, Old Dominion University. She has been a teacher in
Virginia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Alabama, and Utah.
Barbara is married to a clergyman since 1983. The Passaris' have
three daughters, four cats, and two dogs. Currently, they live
in Utah.
Barbara is a seasoned educator. She is the author of various
materials for curriculum and development. Barbara also is the
author of several short stories and poems. She is an amateur
historian as an avid reader of history and historical fiction.
Most notably, Barbara is the author of the epic novel, Through
Tempest Forged (Community Press, 2007), an epic family
drama/historical fiction of the American Revolution.
In addition to reading and writing, Barb enjoys singing, helping
her husband at church, where he is a Greek Orthodox priest,
growing an organic garden, and traveling. She has traveled to
the United Kingdom for research and leisure. Several other trips
are in the making for work and pleasure.
She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Fiction Writers
of America, Romance Writers of America, the League of Utah
Writers, Blue Quill Society, and the Eden Writers’ Circle. Visit
Barbara online at
http://www.barbarapassaris.com and
http://communitypresshome.com/barbara_passaris.html
PageOneLit.com:
Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life?
Who were your earliest influences and why?
Barbara Passaris:
I was born in Baltimore,
Maryland. But the summer before I was to enter the second grade, our
family moved to Virginia Beach, VA. I grew up in Virginia. I actually
grew up in the Kempsville section of Virginia Beach. This is the
present day location of the township Kemps Landing, which is the nearest
town to the Willow Bend Farm.
Reading was always an event in our family. My parents
had a home library in our house. Expanding the intellect was not a
choice in my parents’ home: It was an expectation. That meant reading,
and to some extent writing. My parents insisted that we learn to
express ourselves with intelligence and clarity of thought, both in
reading and in writing.
I have been weaving tales with my pen since I was a
little girl. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a writer, though I
didn’t do much about this for a very long time. And so, as in all
things, the time was right a few years ago, and I finally set about to
making that dream a reality.
As a reader, and eventually a writer, I read lots of
books. My mother started me out with historical pieces when I was
thirteen. Anya Seton was and remains one of my favorite authors. Her
book, Katherine, opened up a world to me: one of reading, writing, and
history. Now, if you’re not familiar with this book, it’s a
well-researched historical fiction/romance about the life of Katherine
de Roet Swynford, (and much later), the Duchess of Lancaster. She was
the sister-in-law of Geoffrey Chaucer. This book, while a romanticized
version of the events surrounding the Great Plague in England, and the
medieval court life of England, gave me great insight into the life and
times of the Plantagenet dynasty of England. I began reading everything
that I could about them….There’s a great historian, Thomas B. Costain.
His books are the standard for an accurate look at the Plantagenets. My
parents have these books in their house. Someday, they’ll be mine.
I also read lots of books about Arthurian legends.
Naturally, Idylls of the King by Tennyson was a favorite of mine.
I have to say that I had three high school teachers who
profoundly influenced me. Mr. Paul Peter, who reinforced in me the need
to work hard at all times, the late Mr. John Perry, who taught me a
little physics, and a whole lot about life, and Mrs. Becky Comstock, who
gave me a love for English literature and excellence in education.
PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?
Barbara Passaris:
That’s a great question.
Here’s the simple answer: Because I MUST. But, I also love it. It is
a wonderful art form. And to me, there’s nothing like weaving magic
with words.
PageOneLit.com: Explain the title
of your new book, "Through Tempest Forged", as it relates to the plot.
Barbara Passaris:
Through Tempest Forged is
actually not the original title. The book was at first called WITH
METTLE FORGED. The entire time that I was writing this book, I was
never completely happy with that title. My editor, Deana Riddle, and I
spent an entire weekend rolling titles around. And we knew that we
wanted to have a storm theme to it, because there is that TEMPEST theme
that runs through the book the entire way through it. But a TEMPEST by
definition is a portion of time, a calamity, a violent storm. It is also
a violent tumultuous outburst. The word FORGED means to move onward
through difficulty, or to build and create, as a foundry would. One of
my main characters is a blacksmith. But I wanted to go beyond that, and
to use the first definition. I put a preposition in the front, because
it described the other two words so well, and frankly, in my opinion a
preposition is very interesting when placed at the beginning of a
title—makes one think… But I literally wanted the reader to see that
this family, the Rogerses, would move onward and forward, not only
despite the difficulties and calamities, but BECAUSE of them.
PageOneLit.com: "Through Tempest
Forged" is a historical epic -- How much did you have to research for
this book? How did you research?
Barbara Passaris:
Oh, my gosh—so much. I
literally immersed myself in the eighteenth century. Some of it, the
local lore, etc, I knew—having grown up in that area. But other things,
such as the chronology of events, those I looked at with great care.
And the Battle of Great Bridge is an obscure but pivotal battle in the
Revolution. It took a long time for this nation to get to Yorktown.
But I also looked at books about women: Their clothing, their
lifestyle, their place within the framework of a typical household—and
that of the plantation home. I read the history of Princess Anne
County, and looked at the kinds of plantations that were in the colony
of Virginia. I studied weaponry, and did some travel, too. I have to
give my husband some credit here, too, because he actually did a little
digging for me. And we took a trip to England so that I could get a
British perspective on the war, which of course, is vastly different
from our American perspective. I also had to be sure of my facts. For
example, I had to know what the Provost Prison was like in New York
City. And I actually had the real superintendent of the place,
Cunningham described there. Not only that, it’s tricky when a writer
has to put it all together and fit a fictional family in there. You’ve
got to get it right.
Then, there are the things that were used to furnish
homes of the poor, the moderately moneyed, as well as the wealthy
households of the time. There’s also the problem of language and
expression: How did they talk? Well, no one knows for sure, because
one did not necessarily write the way that one spoke, especially with
the wealthier and well-educated people. But we have some clues: novels
of the time, narratives such as journals and diaries, the rhetoric of
the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, The Bill
of Rights, the Constitution. I also read some of Jefferson’s writings,
and collected writings of Thomas Paine.
You know, the research end of it is often tedious. But
the academician in me quite enjoyed doing the research. And once you
get into it, it’s quite invigorating.
PageOneLit.com: What is it about
historical fiction you enjoy?
Barbara Passaris:
I love being completely
immersed in another place and time. And I have to say, that when I read
historical fiction I often have my non-fiction material right alongside
the fiction piece as companion reading. But I suppose that the romantic
in me just loves a good story, especially one with an interesting and
complex cast of characters.
PageOneLit.com: "Through Tempest
Forged" is about the Rogers' family (Elizabeth and Paul Rogers) -
Discuss these characters briefly and how through the story/conflict this
family changed.
Barbara Passaris:
Elizabeth and Paul Rogers are
staunchly British in their way of thinking, especially at the beginning
of the story. They are a wealthy traditional couple: He makes the
decisions, he earns the money (or has people who earn it for him), he
does all the talking for the family. Paul is the family’s patriarch and
Elizabeth is its matriarch. Elizabeth runs the household, tends the
family garden, embroiders, rears the children, looks beautiful almost
all the time—basically lives to make her husband happy. This was never
questioned back then. Gender roles were clearly defined. And there’s
the “public” way to behave—and even a separate code of behavior when in
the presence of offspring. But in their suite, they were complete
equals.
As the story progresses, however, some of that changes.
Elizabeth’s strength and support are something that Paul has always
counted on. But she comes into her own more as her son is captured, her
daughter raped, her husband’s health is threatened. And when the truth
of their son’s sexuality is finally exposed, it is Elizabeth who will
insist that he be treated with dignity, “no matter what he has done.”
As with Paul’s illness, more of the decision-making is
transferred to Elizabeth, as she is trying to protect him against the
effects of stress. This has him confounded, but he reluctantly
acquiesces. Elizabeth emerges as a pillar of strength as her family
undergoes trials and tribulations. Paul leans on her for support, even
as she tries to uphold his dignity and sense of self.
And the Rogers Family will bond even more through
difficulty, because it is in their nature to do so. This is a big
loving family—accepting of one another, loyal, and honorable. Those
traits were always there. But when the chips are down, they become
fiercely loyal, so that no one would dare to question to allegiance to
one another.
PageOneLit.com:
How do you relate with this family who were from a different period of
history? How has American 'family' changed? How is the American 'family'
the same?
Barbara Passaris:
Well, I am from a very big
family, very much like the Rogeres. And we love each other very
much—even when we disagree….(LOL) And we have a great tie to family
traditions, with a strong matriarch and patriarch, too.
The face of the American family has changed quite a lot,
I think…For example, divorce was practically unheard of back then.
Legislation and the law provided for it, but culture frowned upon it.
And in the rare case of a divorce, it was assumed that it was the
woman’s fault…(Recall the big scandal when Andrew Jackson married a
divorced woman. There were placards against him at election time which
read, “We don’t want a whore for a first lady.”)
And most families are double-income, so gender roles are
far less defined in many cases, though not all. We could have a week’s
worth of discussion about this…(LOL) Also, take into account the recent
legislation allowing homosexuals to marry in some states…And there are
plenty of homosexuals who either adopt children or have them with
artificial insemination. This is a reality of our time, I think. And
even now, being a single mother is all right, where even as little as
twenty years ago it was less so, I think. Personally, I like that the
word “ illegitimate” seems to be heard less and less. I was always
saddened by the use of it, too, as if a child could choose parentage or
the circumstances surrounding its birth.
And yet, I feel that the essential structure of family is
being threatened. And that worries me. But then, in many ways I’m very
old-fashioned.
PageOneLit.com: "Through Tempest
Forged" deals with 'rape' and 'homosexuality' -- Discuss briefly how
these controversial themes were treated differently during this era
compared to today?
Barbara Passaris:
These were both considered to
be a scourge upon a family or individual.
Homosexuality was considered to be an aberration, even a
disability. It was thought that if a person had this “unfortunate
condition” that they could be cured with just the right person of the
opposite sex. I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that after
doing quite a lot of research on the subject, that it was considered to
be acceptable, if acted upon discreetly—in some very wealthy segments of
society. Whole segments of the population would turn a blind eye to it,
so long as the family was not embarrassed, or any aspersion cast upon an
individual or the group with whom they were affiliated. But publicly,
there was a completely different stance. And is was considered illegal
to be a homosexual, an offense punishable by a torturously awful death.
The same went with rape. If a girl was raped, the
assumption was that she did something to deserve it. And back then, if
a girl wasn’t “pure” (a virgin) she was considered to be unmarriageable,
or at best, a considerably less valuable commodity. This brings me
back to the role of women: There was a different code for the behavior
of a young man versus that of a young woman. And a girl’s “virtue” as
it was called back then, was valued very highly. And a “good girl”
could ensure a good marriage with a respectable man of some means. This
was a way of life. So, if a girl was raped, it was a family tragedy, as
well as a personal catastrophe for a young woman. You see, a woman HAD
to be married…she had very few choices. And having an “ old maid”
(someone past mid-twenties) was an embarrassment to a family. A girl
who was raped was considered to be used or “damaged” goods.
I like to think that in our time we are considerably more
enlightened with both of these ticklish topics. And yet, I bemoan the
fact that I still see some of the age-old misunderstandings prevalent in
much of our society. And even in the United States, in some of the very
conservative parts of this country, women are viewed in much the same
way. It angers and saddens me greatly. The same could be said for
homosexuals.
Still, I think that we are more honest about human
sexuality in our time. And we separate acts of sexuality, from acts of
violence. But “hate crimes” still exist. And people are still taunted
for being of homosexual orientation. That has not changed, I’m afraid.
Somehow, I don’t think that it ever will, totally.
PageOneLit.com: In "Through
Tempest Forged" Paul Rogers made a speech at the Harvest Ball --
Discuss this speech and his personal beliefs.
Barbara Passaris:
Paul’s speech is about what
defines a man: He says, “We are honorable because we are men who
follow a code of decency, hard work, and personal ethics. Nobility is
defined by much more than inheritance. It is a way of living honorably
in the eyes of God.” (Chapter 8)
Paul truly believes in what he has just said. He is a
man who is bound by all of the things that he has just stated. And he
is trying to protect his family—a motivating factor in all of his great
decisions, including his choice to side with the Patriots. But Paul is
a very complex man. You see, he is a product of the English system.
He’s from a well-to-do family in which his father (William Bennett
Rogers) had a profession. He was an educated man of the highest strata
of society that could be achieved for someone NOT of noble birth. His
mother was the daughter of an English lord. But in English society of
the time, that meant nothing more than a polite nod. A person’s
parentage was accounted in a patrilineal way: Blood line, social
standing, inheritance. And Paul was never accepted by his mother’s
family, because of his paternal antecedents. He was hurt by this,
growing up. And even though he was educated along with his “betters,”
and even though he was rather wealthy, he still didn’t descend from the
Peerage. That was the biggest reason that Paul’s father brought them
over to the other side of the proverbial pond. And even though Paul
acknowledges full well that he is not a noble, he still wants to “fit
in,” whether or not he admits it to himself.
But he truly does believe in a strong work ethic, code of
morality, and “Christian” lifestyle. And yet, he is very typical of the
eighteenth century man in his belief that there is not a more superior
being on the face of the planet than a white male with European
ancestry. For him, this is simply the way that it is, an accepted axiom
of his time.
PageOneLit.com: What did you learn
from writing "Through Tempest Forged"?
Barbara Passaris:
(LOL) I learned what “burning
the midnight oil” means…I mean it! But I learned so much about the
thoughts that shaped this country, the philosophy of those times. And I
gained a new and greater respect for the people who built this nation
and fought to make us a recognized entity. This country was created on
the ideas and ideals of a group of men, but built on the backs of those
who fought the War for Independence. It makes me very proud to be part
of this country.
And I also did a lot of reflecting as I wrote this work
of literature. Some parts were very difficult for me to write, dealt
with so much in the way of trauma. And I had to conquer one or two
personal demons as I wrote it. But we won’t go into that here. I could
take days to discuss that, but I’d rather not.
PageOneLit.com: What's next?
Barbara Passaris:
Well, I am wrapping up the
sequel to Through Tempest Forged. It is (tentatively) called, The
Tempest’s Eye, but that may change. It’s a continuation of its
predecessor, and takes us through the Revolution, with the life and
times of the Rogers Family, their struggles and triumphs. And it’s got
lots of drama, a few surprises, too. And it’s much darker than the
first book, as it is a more in-depth look at this wonderful family. I
hope that it will be out in 2008.
I’ve also started a new book—something quite different.
It’s another historical piece, but there’s a paranormal them in there,
too. The story takes place in two time-lines: The late 1990’s in
Boston, Massachusetts and the late 1490’s in Venice, Italy. The stories
are interwoven, with plots, conflicts, and a catalyst which connects
both times, something that threatens to have history repeat itself…This
book is called The Weeping Madonna.
PageOneLit.com: What was the last
book you read?
Barbara Passaris:
The last book that I read was
David Starkey’s Six Wives, The Queens of Henry VIII.
PageOneLit.com: Do you have any
hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?
Barbara Passaris:
Yes. I play the piano and I
sing. My husband and I also grow an organic garden. I love to read…I’m
a member of two writing organizations in which we work of tweaking our
writing skills. And I belong to a small reading group that shares and
discusses books. I enjoy spending time with my husband and three
daughters. I also love animals, and we take in strays from time to
time, though my husband has informed me that we will no longer be the
bleeding hearts of the homeless shelter for dogs and cats. We have two
dogs and four cats, all of them “hard luck” cases, and all of the
well-loved.
My entire life’s experience has enhanced my writing. I’ve worked some
of my personal experience into my work, but with my writing groups, I
work even harder at the writing. And when you work in a group such as
Eden Writers, and The Blue Quill Society, you are sort of forced to
write. I laugh when I use the word, forced, because, usually it’s the
opposite for me: I have to force myself to stop, or to make it shorter.
