Laura Pritchett considered a life as a criminal – albeit in a fictional way

Laura Pritchett is the author of seven novels and two nonfiction books. Her work is rooted in the American West and was significantly influenced by her upbringing in Colorado. Both her fiction and nonfiction often focus on themes of ecology, conservation, climate change, and social justice. She has won the PEN USA Award for Fiction, the High Plains Literary Award, the Milkweed National Fiction Prize, the Colorado Book Award, and the WILLA Fiction Award, and has been shortlisted for many other awards. She is the editor of three anthologies, all on environmental issues, and is a regular magazine contributor.

SunLit: Tell us the backstory of your new novel, Three Keys. What inspired you to write it? Where did the idea come from?

Laura Pritchett: That’s a funny question, because I love the backstory of this novel. I was on a writing retreat in New Mexico, drinking coffee and looking at the sunrise and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, when the idea of ​​becoming a criminal first occurred to me. Or rather, getting a character to become a criminal.

What if I just stayed after my month was up? Or broke in again later? Aside from the two wild horses that occasionally passed by, I wasn’t sure anyone would notice my continued presence. And that’s exactly what my character does – she breaks into people’s homes as she travels around the West and then the world. But just so you know, she’s very polite about it.

To be clear, I had no intention of overstaying my hospitality. I’m generally overly polite and basically a law-abiding person. But I began to think about the anonymity a middle-aged woman might have. want under certain circumstances and the way in which they receives from society, whether it wants it or not. And because I was at the Aldo and Estella Leopold Writing Residency, I was thinking about land ethics and protecting planet Earth, and that’s one of the big themes. It all happened in a sunrise.

SunLit: Your excerpt is from Chapter 1. How does it fit into the overall work of the book? Why did you choose it?

Pritchett: Well, first chapters are always nice – this selection allows readers to start from the beginning. If it intrigues them – and I hope it does – they can order the book and read on!

Sunlit: Your protagonist, Ammalie Brinks, struggles with middle age and a world that no longer conforms to the norms she once observed. Did you create this character from scratch or is she more of a mix?

Pritchett: Like me, Ammalie is going through the transition to middle age – and is confronted with the invisibility that comes with it. And it is true that our culture is good at erasing older women – an impulse that must of course be resisted. How satisfying it is, then, to play with the idea of ​​anonymity and its exact opposite, anonymity. seen as the manifested, powerful, perfect self that we are.

As we all know, the pandemic has changed the world, and the longer it has continued, the more I have become interested in how we have adapted to isolation, our newfound awareness of the fragility of everything we had taken for granted, and how nature can serve as a safe haven.

All of these themes – isolation, invisibility, middle age, self-sufficiency, adventure, the glory of nature and the responsibility to protect our planet – came together in Three Keys..” Ammalie is not me – and not really a composite character – she is just Ammalie, and Ammalie wanted to have a “big adventure”, as Peter Pan puts it. She discovers that she can find her own by entering other people’s lives. I suppose I am always on my own journey to find myself too. Aren’t we all?

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Each week, The Colorado Sun and Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book publish an excerpt from a Colorado book and an interview with the author. Explore the SunLit archives at coloradosun.com/sunlit.

SunLit: Ammalie has quite a unique adventure. What influences and/or experiences shaped the plot before you started writing?

Pritchett: I love to travel – and I’ve spent time in all the remote places she visits – Colorado, Arizona, New Zealand. I’ve also experienced some of her adventures, like a “water drop” on the US-Mexico border (which I wrote about for the Colorado Sun).

My experiences as a woman travelling alone have enriched the plot – Ammalie has certain concerns about safety and independence that I also had. However, I have never broken into a house! And a lot of it is fiction. I can’t give away the plot, but a lot of what happens to her is pure fantasy. That’s the joy of writing novels.

SunLit: You have long had an affinity with nature. What role does nature play in the plot of “Three Keys”?

“Three Keys”

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Pritchett: A huge role. Ammalie wants to fall in love again – she’s single and lonely and craves company – and she does have some great romantic adventures. But she also falls in love with the planet. And when we love something, we long to protect it.

Part of her arc involves learning about natural history over time and then deciding to do something for Earth. I can’t give away her plot – that would spoil the plot! – but her story is essentially about a new and better relationship with our spectacular and rare planet.

Anyone who knows me knows what forces rule my life: books and nature (especially in Colorado). I have the honor of directing the MFA in Nature Writing at Western Colorado University, and so nature-based, place-based books are my thing—and so nature shows up in all of my work.

SunLit: What role does Colorado in particular play in the story?

Pritchett: A third of the book takes place in an unnamed area near Salida, in a house remote enough that she can remain unseen. She also stops to admire the beginning of the Royal Gorge near Antonito, Colorado, before traveling on to New Mexico and Arizona.

I’m a native Coloradan and love this state. All my other books are set here. In fact, this is the first book I’ve taken anywhere else.

On that note, I’d like to add that I’m looking forward to upcoming readings throughout Colorado: Denver, Fort Collins, Grand Junction, Montrose, Glenwood, Steamboat, Durango… I’ll be exploring the entire state, which, as you know, is one of my goals. I always joke that I want business cards that say “Professional Coloradan.” Interested readers can find my tour schedule at www.laurapritchett.com

Sunlit: What did you enjoy most about creating the book?

Pritchett: A playlist! For the first time in my publishing career, I was asked to create an official Book Club Kit, complete with discussion questions, a map, a recipe, and more. My favorite part might have been creating the playlist that Ammalie listens to on her drive.

I have selected many songs that relate to Colorado (either the musicians are from here or the song takes place here). You can find it here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0dI5uDJOLB4dBWOEMsgK0z?si=6689f442d4d34cd6

SunLit: You’ve already had a big year: “Three Keys” is your second book, which will be published in 2024. What was it like having two releases so close together?

Pritchett: Busy but happy. On days when I’m tired, I remind myself that this is what I’ve always wanted and worked for decades. I’ve gotten thousands of rejections, earned three degrees, and typed millions of words for this dream. Plus, it’s a short-term pursuit – I’m sure I’ll be writing at my leisure for years to come. The two books just happened to come out at the same time. It really wasn’t my plan. But I’m certainly happy about it!

SunLit: You mentioned that you’re working on a memoir. What can you tell us about it—both the inspiration for it and your timeline for completion, especially given your exceptionally busy year?

Pritchett: I had to put it on hold to “give birth” to these other babies – and publishing a book is a really big deal for an author, so I want to give it my full attention. Authors work so hard for years, so it’s important to spend time finding our audience.