Behind the Book:
Peter’s Moonlight Photography and Other Stories
“No matter how many times people ask me, “Why did you decide to write this book?” I am filled with awe. I am filled with awe at the creative process, the spiritual world and the way art is given birth. I have been writing since I was a little girl and have felt such little control over deciding what to write, just that I had to. The stories wanted to come out. The stories are told to me and they want to be shared with the world. Having said that, there are other factors that I refer to as, “influences.” The stories in this collection have all been partially experienced in some way or partially, deliberately imagined.”
— Dina Rabadi as interviewed by Darrell Laurent of Snowflakes in the Blizzard. Go here for complete interview.
Influences
California
I moved out to Los Angeles when I was in my twenties and spent a couple of years working for SHORT Cinema Journal as an acquisitions editor. During my time there, I took my first fiction writing class with David Evanier, an author of titles such as Red Love and One Star Jewa as well as an editor with The Paris Review. I also took a class with my future mentor, Vincent Schodolski, who was the west coast bureau chief of The Chicago Tribune and an author himself. Photo: Redonodo Beach, courtesy of Neri Orellana.
Prague, Czech Republic
I moved to Prague when I was 25 and a chance to get to know my Czech grandmother. I also had a chance to learn about the history of Prague and the country at large. I visited museums, I visited castles and castle ruins, I spent time in the countryside, I spent time on moonlit bridges. Some of the influences of my time there are seen in the title story of my collection which echoes the work of Alphonse Mucha and his women and seasons series. My story ends with a feminist take on women, art and photography. More about him can be learned here.
Renowned Photographer and Musician, Steve Nelson.
My dear, amazing and talented friend, Steve Nelson. A huge advocate of conservation and education as well as a talented photographer.
The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology and the Role of Nature
I have had a deep love and regard for nature— particularly trees. One of my most cherished experiences was spending three months at a writing residency at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. It was my first time in Oregon, and I still remember the sound of the Pacific ocean echoing in my, “Treehouse”— my accommodations while I was there as well as the resident herd of elk I could see outside my window and on my morning and afternoon walks. Photo: View of Cascade Head, Courtesy of the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology.