Elizabeth Dembrowsky answers our Top Five

Elizabeth Dembrowsky has written and directed several plays, including one for the Samuel French Festival in New York City. A native of Stroughton, Massachusetts, she studied at Boston University and The Warwick Writing Programme in the UK. She'll be sharing from her new novel, My Monk: A Typographic Novel, on Monday, July 26th at 7pm at the bookstore.

1. What's on your nightstand right now?

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

2. How do you write?

I write everywhere and anywhere. When I lived in England, I tended to keep a schedule but here in NYC I havent. I wrote about 1/2 of My Monk in offices around Manhattan while working as a temp. My new novel, I work on a lot at home but also when traveling- I am enjoying allowing the place to make its way into the story- an experiment I hope the readers will enjoy. I usually dont listen to music when I write (if I can help it), but for poetry I almost always do. My Confessions series were highly influenced by both R.E.M. and Madonna's album American Life.

3. Name the first time or moment you realized you were a writer.

When I would be careful as I wrote my diary entries- sure the world would read them one day. Fortunately, they havent; a good thing partly because they are sooooo boring.

4. What are you working on now?

My second novel To Save One. I love writing this story and cannot wait for readers to tell me what they think of it.

5. Favorite recent find?

Semi-recent but I found a husband. Pretty wild- never thought I would find one but am thrilled I have.