Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Holly Gattery
Guest: Lucy Black, author of A Quilting of Scars
Date: September 23, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of New Books Network features Holly Gattery in conversation with Lucy Black about her latest novel, A Quilting of Scars (Now or Never Publishing, 2025). The discussion delves into the creation and themes of the novel, which explores forbidden love, trauma, and the confines of rural life in late 19th-century Ontario. The conversation addresses character development, the challenges of depicting repressed sexuality and violence, the resonance of rural stories, and the persistence of social silence, secrecy, and misinformation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Inspiration of A Quilting of Scars

• The Spark: The story began with Lucy Black’s discovery of an 1874 reproduction poster advertising a prized stallion for stud services, which led her to research farming practices and inspired questions about the life of such a farmer.

  “I began to wonder about the kind of farmer who would put his stallion out in this way in 1874… As I was doing the research, Larkin just sort of walked into my head and the story unspooled itself. And I just fell in love with Larkin and his story, and he helped me write it.”
  — Lucy Black [04:50]

• Rooted in Personal and Observed Experience: Larkin became a composite of farmers Black knew, as well as vulnerable queer youth she encountered in her career as a high school administrator.

2. Characterization: Larkin and the Young Queer Experience

• Depth and Contradiction: Larkin is described as reserved yet emotionally rich, shaped by repression and a hostile environment. Black drew on experiences with young people rejected by their families due to sexuality or gender identity.

  “Larkin represents for me a number of young people I worked with… who really struggled with their sexuality… and their families rejected them... Larkin, I think, embodies some of that.”
  — Lucy Black [07:56]

• A Timeless Struggle: The narrative links 19th-century repression to ongoing social struggles, reinforcing its contemporary relevance.

3. Narrative Structure, Pacing, and the Art of Memory

• Memory as Patchwork: The book employs a dual timeline: Larkin as an older man reflecting back on his tumultuous youth. This structure is likened to a “quilt,” piecing together memory fragments for a reflective, immersive pace.

  “These memories that came to him as he was going through the scrapbook and as he was reflecting on his life were akin to the sorts of memory bank movies that [Margaret] Lawrence talked about... for Larkin, they all piece together and they form a quilt.”
  — Lucy Black [13:13]

• Atmosphere: Host Holly evokes the immersive, sepia-toned vibe of the novel, likening it to “sitting in a comfortable old chair… just being in that suspended state of reflection.” [11:50]

4. Violence, Resilience, and Silence

• Writing Trauma with Restraint: A pivotal thread involves Larkin’s friend Paul, who endures family violence. Black explains her sensitivity in depicting violence, drawing from a childhood memory of a classmate.

  “In the playground one day his shirt flew up and I saw a quilting of scars on his back and realized that he had been beaten... It’s that image, that recollection of that boy that I drew on when I wrote Paul.”
  — Lucy Black [16:07]

• Secrets and Nonverbal Communication: Much of the novel’s emotional insight comes from what is not spoken—gestures, silence, and things left unsaid.

5. Research and Portrayal of Rural Ontario Life

• Verisimilitude: Black’s 16 years of farming experience inform the authentic rhythms of farm life and its interplay with church and community cycles.

  “There is a rhythm to farm life… And overlapping that… are the seasons of the church and the impact that the church seasons have on the farm seasons… It was just piecing together again, piecing together the quilting, if you will, of all those disparate pieces.”
  — Lucy Black [24:50]

• Animals as Character Mirrors: Larkin’s relationship with his dog encapsulates his emotional reserve and yearning for connection.

6. Small-Town Dynamics: Misinformation, Gossip, and Outsiders

• Rumor as Social Force: The novel examines how information, rumor, and prejudice ripple through the isolated rural community—an analogue for today’s digital misinformation.

  “There’s a lot of withholding, there’s a lot of secrets in the novel. But people also jump to conclusions, human nature being what it is. When there’s a deficit of facts, people jump to conclusions.”
  — Lucy Black [28:45]

• The Outsider: Constable Kian’s inability to penetrate local secrets underscores community insularity and suspicion of outsiders.

7. The Silent Generosity of Larkin’s Parents

• Counterpoint to Repression: Unusually for the period, Larkin’s parents are loving and supportive, though unwittingly kept in the dark about his identity.

  “I intended them to be loving, supportive parents who loved him unconditionally… even though he never shared some of the key pieces… I believe they understood more than he realized that they did…”
  — Lucy Black [31:55]

• Contrast to Authority: Their warmth stands in stark contrast to the local minister’s harshness and the broader atmosphere of judgment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Repression and Regret:
  “Larkin is a character who is so full of seeming contradictions, but it’s only because the world in which he lives does not allow him to be who he is fully… It’s just a life half realized.”
  — Holly Gattery [06:40]

• On the Enduring Nature of Prejudice:
  “The issues that Larkin dealt with at the end of the 19th century in my book are the same issues that families are still struggling with today… It was really horrific to see these young people rejected by their families, living in parks and couch surfing with friends.”
  — Lucy Black [07:56]

• On Gossip and Community:
  "Once they've made their mind up, the rumors begin to swell and they sort of burgeon throughout the community until everybody believes that they're true without there being any sort of factual basis... we see that happening all the time in the news cycles."
  — Lucy Black [28:45]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:34] Introduction and overview of A Quilting of Scars
• [04:50] Inspiration: the horse poster and the genesis of Larkin as a character
• [07:56] Developing Larkin through personal experience with marginalized youth
• [11:50] Narrative structure: dual timelines and pacing
• [13:13] The concept of memory “quilts” and narrative construction
• [16:07] Writing violence with restraint; the real-life inspiration for Paul’s trauma
• [20:18] The emergence of the queer love story within the writing process
• [24:50] Authenticity and research in depicting farm life and rural Ontario
• [27:12] Community as a conduit for gossip, misinformation, and exclusion
• [31:55] Larkin’s parents: intention, complexity, and the power of silence
• [35:29] Next project: The Mural, an upcoming novel centering on marriage and growth

Conclusion

Holly Gattery and Lucy Black explore the deep emotional, historical, and social layers of A Quilting of Scars. The episode offers insights into the creative process, period research, and the enduring realities of repression, love, and resilience—both in fiction and in society. Black’s reflections and personal experiences enrich the conversation, making the episode a compelling listen for fans of historical and literary fiction, as well as those interested in the intersections of community, identity, and memory.

Further Reading:
A Quilting of Scars is available from Now or Never Publishing. Lucy Black’s next novel, The Mural, will be published in spring 2027.