Karen Cushman on Historical Fiction

Your books have been set in medieval times, during the Gold Rush, the McCarthy era, and other time periods. As someone whose career has been built on historical fiction for children, why do you think the genre is important, both for you as a writer and for readers?

I think for readers historical fiction is important because it helps them to see beyond the boundaries of their own experience. It helps them to stretch and to see what life is like for others. This helps illustrate both how we are the same and how we are different, and can give readers more empathy.

As a writer the story always comes first. Then it seems to fit into one time period and a place. I also like to stretch beyond my own boundaries and to see our commonalities. One thing historical fiction does for writers is that it helps us to look at a time when we know how things turn out, which is very unlike our own.

Karen Cushman Interview :: Kirby Larson