Debra Thomas
Originally from upstate New York, Debra Thomas has lived in Southern California for most of her adult life. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s in English from California State University, Northridge, and attended the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. She has taught literature and writing at a Los Angeles public high school and English as a Second Language to adults from all over the world. Her experience as an advocate for immigrant and refugee rights led her to write Luz. She is currently at work on her second novel.
Is your go to comfort food sweet or savory? Is it something you make yourself? Does food inspire your writing?
Seeing the words “comfort food” and “food that inspires your writing” immediately brings to my senses that smell of coffee and the sweet taste of a Madeleine cookie. First thing in the morning, and then later when I’m sitting down to write, I prepare a fresh cup of coffee and warm up one Madeleine cookie.
I love to bake and will often substitute my usual Madeleine with a homemade scone or brownie, but after failing miserably at making my own Madeleines, I purchase an ongoing supply from the local market. While it doesn’t exactly inspire my writing, it does satisfy some part of my writing ritual, which includes quiet, open windows if possible, and lots of sunlight.
Do you have another artistic outlet in addition to your writing?
When I am feeling frustrated with my writing or just need a break, I paint mandala stones. They are multicolored, circular patterns created using dotting tools of varying sizes. You start in the middle and continue outward, with dots surrounding other dots and dots within a larger dot to create depth. Usually I begin with a stone painted black and a white circle in the center. Then I decide on color themes. I love playing with colors, sometimes using contrasting colors, other times using various shades of one color.
Mandala stones symbolize unity and wholeness. It is a spiritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism that reflects the interconnectedness and interdependence of everything in the universe. Perhaps this is why I feel so peaceful and content when I am working on them. It is truly a meditative experience. When I’m finished, I give them to friends and family or leave them in random places to be found.
Vacation druthers… City or Rural destination? Why?
Without hesitation, my answer to the word vacation is rural. By rural, I mean nature untainted by anything associated with city. It could be a mountain, lake, ocean, or ranch setting. As long as there are trees and creatures great and small, I would be able to relax and unwind.
I am utterly fascinated by trees. Even before I read about their interconnectedness and their ability to communicate and help each other thrive, I was drawn to them. Whether it’s a lone palm tree or a grove of aspens, I am in heaven gazing at them or listening to the rustle of leaves in the wind.
If I did vacation in a city, I would probably be found at a local park or a botanical garden.
What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?
My faded black t-shirt with a photo of my two horses is the piece of clothing that tells the most interesting story of my life. I came to horses late in life, at fifty. I did not grow up riding. Never even sat on a horse. But at fifty, I wondered what it was like to ride a horse.
Within the year, I owned a sweet, older, retired lesson horse, Fire Mountain, who taught me not just about riding and horse care, but about love and loss. When he passed, I thought I was done, as the expense was more than a retired English teacher could afford, but I longed for the presence of that deep-souled creature, and soon I had another, Jack, and shortly after, a little mini-horse, Luke, as a companion for Jack.
They are the joy of my life, the reason I get up and out the door every morning, keeping me healthy and active, and energized to write when I get home.
What do you worry about?
I worry about being a burden as I age. My mother was seriously debilitated with multiple sclerosis, and my dad took care of her in every way until she passed at seventy-five. I would not want my husband or especially my children to have to change their lives if I couldn’t care for myself.
I have told them repeatedly, find me a room with a window where I can see at least one tree, bring me books, visit me once or twice a week, and continue to live your life to the fullest. I’ll be content gazing out my window.
