Interviewing with Impunity - The Susan Charkes Q&A
Thursday, September 8, 2011 at 7:00AM
Author Susan Charkes
Q: Who are the creative writing influences in your life? Are there certain authors that inspire you?
A: That's a good way of putting it, writers who inspire me rather than writers who influence me, because I've spent a long time finding my own voice as a writer. I try not to read too many nature writers because I fear being influenced by someone else's way of expressing experience. But there are at least two whose work I return to often: Edwin Way Teale, who was an amazing observer of detail and painter with words; and Henry Beston, whose lyricism is exquisite. Mostly what I read nowadays is poetry, American poetry and there is so much of it. My touchstone is Emily Dickinson, who conceals complexity within simplicity. And of course Thoreau is a major influence on me. You can't write about the American encounter with nature, and its impending -always impending - demise, without referring to Thoreau.
Q: In your book’s introduction and acknowledgements, you mention the profound influences that your parents had upon you. Can you speak to how they influenced you as a hiker foremost, and as a writer second?
A: As I mention in the book, my parents introduced me to hiking when I was young. You know there is the saying among hikers -- "hike your own hike." Well, I think that my own hike is a direct result of hiking with my parents, because each of them, in very different ways, hiked attuned to the surrounding natural world. I love the physicality of hiking, the sense of accomplishment when you get to the destination -- but at the same time I love to be aware, and curious, and open, to the sensory world around me. My parents were models of awareness: my father, in a systematizing, scientific, analytical, way, and my mother, in a more humanistic way. My personality is more emotional and openly spiritual than my parents, but fundamentally my outward orientation comes from them. As to their influence on me as a writer, the short answer is that they were always reading (and still are) -- fiction and nonfiction, all kinds of books; that was what they did most evenings after dinner. We had a TV but didn't watch it much. So I grew up as a reader, valuing the power of the written word.
Pulpit Rock - From the Pinnacle and the Pulpit Hike from Charkes' book
Q: Can you recall your first hike? Who was it with, and is there something about it that you still carry with you today?
A: No unfortunately I can't remember my first hike. I do remember my first hike where things went wrong. It was a North Jersey Appalachian Trail backpack in summer camp, long enough ago that the backpacks were made of canvas and the sleeping bags of kapok. The camp cook, not being a hiker, supplied us with industrial-size cans of chocolate pudding and and peanut butter. Then somehow, when we started out, we went off the trail and got completely lost. Looking back on it I don't know how that could have happened. You just follow the white blazes. But we were following our counselor-leader. We finally made it back to the AT and, well after dark, found a shelter, but one of our group missed the turnoff; luckily he had the sense to sit down in the trail, light a fire, wait to be found by the search party. From that hike I learned some vital lessons, the most important of which is there are no bad hikes, just hikers who aren't prepared for the unexpected. If you prepare for all the things that could go wrong, you're more likely to be a happy hiker.
Q: At what point did you decide that writing about the Best Hikes near Philadelphia would be something you would be interested in doing?
A: When my publisher (Appalachian Mountain Club) agreed I could write it! I want to point out that one important thing that distinguishes this book from other hiking books, aside from any aspects of the book itself, is that it is published by a nonprofit organization not a commercial publisher. AMC (www.outdoors.org) is the nation's oldest recreation and conservation organization. When you buy this book you are supporting the mission of the organization to protect the mountains, forests, waters and trails of the northeast and mid-atlantic states. Those are the places we hike. I'm very proud that my book contributes to helping people enjoy the outdoors, and in doing so to help people understand the need to care about the land. AMC does a tremendous amount of good work. I hope that the more people know about it the more they will support the organization in other ways.
Q: Over what period of time did you write the book?
A: It took me about a year to do the book including research on the best locations, hiking all the hikes (many of them with other people who generously gave their time to the project), writing, revising, and working with Appalachian Mountain Club's excellent book editor and publishing staff to get it into publication format.
Q: Writing a guide book is much different from writing a short story or a novel. Your readers will look to you not only to direct them to a great hike, but also to literally direct them through a hike. This added responsibility can be stressful, I can imagine. Was that something that influenced your selection of hikes and trails?
A: Many factors went into selection of the hikes. Each hike should be a great experience, but each experience will be different. Together with my publisher I selected a variety of hikes that taken together are representative of the tremendous diversity of hiking trails in our tri-state region: from rocky ridges to rolling meadows, from the piedmont to the pine barrens, lake shores and ocean beaches, wilderness and urban settings. My goal in writing the book was to convey the diverse character of the region, and encourage people to explore and discover on their own. The hardest part of the book was deciding what to leave out. The easiest part was the hiking.
Ted Stiles Preserve at Baldpate Mountain Hike
Q: Was there certain criteria you used when selecting your hikes to write about?
A: In addition to what I mentioned in the previous answer, I tried to include a variety of difficulty: some very challenging, some family-friendly, and lots in between. So there's a hike for every possibility, depending on your mood that day or what you have time for, or what your house guests want to do. I have a geographic variety, with hikes in all three states. We also tried to include a number of hikes that are accessible by public transportation, but that was a real challenge, especially outside the city of Philadelphia -- as I am sure you know: our transportation system was designed for commuters. With greater interest in sustainable living, bike trails and public transportation improvements, maybe this will change in the future.
Q: Were there any hikes that you didn’t include in the book that you wish you had?
A: Yes, but perhaps that is the second edition.
Q: If your readers could only pick three hikes out of your book to go on, which hikes would you recommend?
A: I can't answer that one because every hike has something to recommend it -- but in keeping with my hope that the book conveys the diversity of our region, I would suggest that a reader pick 3 hikes that are completely different from each other.
Q: Out of all the hikes that you’ve been on in your lifetime, is there one that stands out the most? What would you say is your all-time favorite hike?
A: I always say that my favorite hike is the one I'm on. We live in a marvelous world full of beauty and wonder, one that has so many more possibilities than we have time for that we are cheating ourselves if we don't give our all to the moment we are in.
Lake Nockamixon
Q: Are you planning to write a second edition of your book?
A: Sure, I would love to write a second edition. There are new trails being developed all over our region. I look forward to exploring them all and writing about them.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A: It is not an original thought, and the quote is attributed to various people but I think the best advice is to write the book you want to read.
Q: Susan, we thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to participate in our Q&A. Is there any last thought that you’d like to leave our readers with?
A: Mike, thanks for the opportunity! The best thing about writing this book has been the connections I have made through it. The many friends, family members and hiking buddies who helped me research the book, and the many helpful folks at parks and nature centers who answered all kinds of questions. There are the great people -- like you!-- who take the time to interview me. People I meet when giving presentations who tell me about their own favorite hikes. People who have written to me thanking me for the book -- one of my favorites was a dad who asked me for advice on where to take his teenage daughter on a hike; afterwards he wrote to tell me that not only was it a great hike, and she wanted to hike again, but the best part of it was being able to spend time with her. I've been re-connected with long-lost friends and family members. Recently on a trail I met a hiker who was carrying my book, following the route. That was really cool.
This interview was conducted via email between "Hiking" Mike Magro and author Susan Charkes.
Susan Charkes lives in southeastern Pennsylvania, where she writes about nature, the outdoors, environment, farming and sustainability, and works in the nonprofit management and communications field. She is a hike leader with the Appalachian Mountain Club, Delaware Valley Chapter. For more information please visit her website at www.susancharkes.com.
About the Author”Hiking” Mike Magro is the primary contributor and editor of Hiking with Impunity. Always on the look-out for a good hike, Mike is hoping to get through the rest of the year having minimal to no injuries while on the trail.
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