Eva Crocker has accomplished a lot for her age—more than some could hope for in a lifetime. Two published novels, a book of short stories, a PhD candidate and the founder of a short stories creative writing workshop.
In her latest novel, Back in the Land of the Living, we meet Marcy, a young queer woman who moved to Montreal from Newfoundland. A character that is not Eva, but could have pieces stolen from her real life.
“I do steal moments from real life, but elements are always changed. Often characters, I think of as a dream, where they are melded together from your best friend and your grandma, for example and they evolve in this psychedelic way, but drawing from real life,” said the author.
While characters are moulded creations of Eva’s that have droplets of her experience dipped into them, when she is in the world of writing, her senses are piqued to pick up on moments that could be worth putting pen to paper.
“When I am in a good space of writing and doing it all the time and then moving through the world, you start to be really attuned to moments that could be good for fiction, the kind of thing that feels representative of the way the world is today, or from my perspective.”
In the novel, Marcy struggles with work in Montreal, she picks up random gigs that are not consistent, nor secure but she needs money and it’s a worry that is on her mind a lot of the time. Eva manages to express financial stress as a common human concern, interwoven naturally through the thought processes.
“Actually it was really important. I am really interested in general in my writing, and how people’s economic reality and the larger social, political context in which the economy influences interpersonal relationships and their interactions with the people we live, and how intertwined that is with your emotional world.”
As Marcy moves through her day to day, there is a sense of loneliness, even when she is with others.
“I wrote this book during early lockdown of the pandemic and I think that influenced a little bit of the emotional world in there and Marcy’s experiences but it’s also a book about leaving home, leaving Newfoundland specifically for the first time. There is the feeling of being in a big city and feeling isolated even though you’re surrounded by people and it’s exciting but also kind of sad or lonely.”
Most literature about leaving Newfoundland expresses a desperation for its characters to return and Marcy rejigs that narrative, discovering herself in the city and growing with her experiences there making it exciting and beautiful to be in a new place.
“For me personally, there’s a phase of really missing home and then also feeling really appreciative of my life here,” said Eva who herself left Newfoundland and lives in Montreal. “ Marcy just left and she also created chaos and a mess for herself. A little bit instead of taking responsibility for that she had to get away fro this tiny place instead of recognizing that maybe she wasn’t the most responsible.”
Eva writes about St. John’s in this unsaturated way avoiding atypical descriptions with a vibe of how the city works, without forcing landmarks in between sentences and also manages to give the juxtaposition of bustling Montreal.
“I think it was kind of scary to write about Montreal because it’s a place that I am new to and I do not know it inside out or know the history in the same way that I do for Newfoundland. It’s intimidating to try and describe that and especially in a way that doesn’t feel cliche or through the eyes of a tourist, which I wanted to avoid,” explained the author. “I tried to focus on the type of work that people were doing and what that revealed about the place.”
Marcy is a representation of Anglo Montrealers of all ages, and the precarious work and how that can affect many aspects of their lives. While the book itself reflects that experience as well.
“The book is about place and part of a place is the political reality of the place and I wanted to capture some of that.”
Eva teaches a short story work shop in Montreal and when it comes to those starting to write, Eva says everyone has a story to tell.
“I really do believe that everybody is able to write and has stories to tell in their own unique voice to share with it. I think reading is important to open yourself up to different ways of telling stories and getting excited about that. I love keeping a journal and jotting down those moments that feel like this could be in a story,” explains the artist. “Just something about the moment is speaking to me and worth recording. I think another important thing is to connect with other writers as much as possible and share your work.”
Eva has run nearly 60 writing workshops since 2021 and she has noticed writers are willing to engage with one another and help one another with their craft.
“The workshop is focusing on giving and receiving constructive criticism. I always say there are things to be learned from pointing out what’s working in a piece. I think recognizing what works in each other’s work is really valuable and it’s a way to hone your own voice and recognize what you like in writing.”
Check out Eva’s books here.
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